Perla Cortez MCALLEN- Earth Day is on Tuesday and the city of Mcallen showed how it operates to ensure recycled items do not go to waste and how wildlife impacts the environment to sustain a green earth.
The City of Mcallen Recycling Center processes 150 tons of recycled material every week with items such as plastic bottles, paper and glass.
Through Mcallen Shines, which is an initiative that aims to enhance the quality of life of residents, the center was able to reach 48,000 households in the city to recycle.
Abril Paz, a recycling education coordinator, said if there is an individual who plans to recycle, they need to check the approved recycling items that are processed in their respective city.
“Here in the City of Mcallen, we recycle paper, cardboard, aluminum, tin, plastic 1 and 2 and glass,” Paz said. “Plastic bottles always have a triangle with a number usually water bottles are number one’s and bottles like for cleaning supplies are number two’s.”
She advised to not let any recyclable materials get contaminated with food or liquids that can damage the item.
Although recycling and disposing trash are good ways to maintain the environment, birds show a significant increase in how the environment is preserved as stated by the United States Geological Survey.
Quinta Mazatlan is a birding center in Mcallen that has documented over 140 species of birds visiting the “mini forest” when migrating or resting in the Rio Grande Valley.
Colleen Hook, Quinta Mazatlan executive director, said Mcallen plans to expand and build new spaces to provide a habitat for birds, plants and trees to thrive.
“Now we have put six tiny forests in the City of McAllen, they won’t be big enough for a park, but you can create tiny forests and start connecting them like a pearl necklace,” Hook said
The City of Mcallen will be hosting monarch fest from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 26 at Quinta Mazatlan.
The city will also host a Curby hunt day, where six plushies of the recycling center’s mascot will be hidden across six parks in Mcallen at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Participants can go to @mcallenrecycles and @mcallenshines for clues on the plushies’ locations.
Visit the City of McAllen on social media for updates on the events.
