HOUSTON – The city of Houston has a big heart, and stunning natural habitat, filled with rivers and bayous, but keeping our waterways clean is an ongoing effort.
On March 29, the River Lakes Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash® returns for its 31st year of making a difference. It is the largest, single-day waterway cleanup managed by 501(c)(3) Texas Conservation Fund, with support from the Gulf Coast Authority (GCA) and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) to promote a healthy Galveston Bay watershed. Since 1994, dedicated volunteers have removed over 2,500 tons of trash and more than 12,410 illegally dumped tires from our waterways.
This year, they’re calling for volunteers at fourteen locations across Houston, Galveston, and Bastrop Bayou. Want to be part of the action? Click here to sign up and lend a helping hand.
But keeping Houston beautiful does not stop at the Trash Bash. You can make a difference by adopting simple, eco-friendly habits.
- Got old tires? Repurpose them for gardening or playgrounds, or recycle them at participating stores.
- Are plastic bottles piling up? Switch to a durable metal bottle or find creative ways to reuse them.
- Using plastic straws? Reduce waste by skipping it or using recyclable straws.
We tested Derrick and Tessa on which items can be recycled, reused, or effectively trash. Check out the video above to see how they did!
The Trash Bash initiative is part of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) series, raising awareness of the conservation efforts to protect our local bays, bayous, and estuaries for future generations. These initiatives are made possible by the support of GBEP through funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Thanks to generous funding from GBEP, TCEQ, and the U.S. EPA, this partnership with the Environmental Institute of Houston (EIH) at the University of Houston-Clear Lake is paving the way for a sustainable and healthier future.
Check out some of the programs we featured on ‘Houston Life.’
💚 Reviving Houston’s bayous: Inside the restoration project making the city greener