Recycling facilities keep trash out of landfills, reduce the need for new materials, conserve energy, and reduce pollution.

“We accept recyclables from cities all across the Valley,” McAllen Recycling Coordinator Abril Paz said. “So for example, we get recyclables from the city of Edinburg, city of Pharr, city of Mission, all the adjacent towns.”

The McAllen Recycling Center handles about 30 tons of material a day and 12,500 tons a year. 

These numbers help reduce how much trash the U.S. produces per year. 

The EPA says that in 2018, 292.4 million tons of waste were generated in the U.S.

To give you a perspective, the average car weighs about 1.5 tons, and the McAllen Recycling Center processes the weight of 20 cars a day.

“This service is free for everyone that wants to recycle,” Paz said. 

Watch the video above for the full story.