The Texas Dairy Industry’s Recycling Program
Barns generate a surprising amount of recyclable material, and finding where to send it can be the hard part. Here is what dairies commonly recycle and how conferences and field days can help producers find answers.
What can a dairy recycle?
Common items include scrap metal, used oil, batteries, tires, plastic jugs, silage plastic and cardboard. Some can be recycled for free, others cost money to haul, and a few are regulated because of their contents.
The program named in the headline belongs to the Texas dairy industry and should be verified with its sponsor. This independent site does not run any recycling service.
Local rules and haulers differ, so what works in Erath County may not work in the Panhandle. Start by asking neighbors who they use, and then confirm details yourself before you load a trailer.
Which items need extra care?
Used oil, batteries, chemicals, pesticide containers and medical waste such as needles need proper handling. Rules protect people and water. The TCEQ is the Texas agency that handles many environmental rules, and the Texas Department of Agriculture has information on pesticide-related requirements.
Ask your veterinarian how to dispose of sharps and expired medicines. Never pour them down a drain or dump them in a pit.
Talk to neighbors about sharing loads. Two or three farms may fill a truck together and split the haul charge, which turns an expensive pickup into a manageable one.
- Used oil and filters
- Batteries and electronics
- Pesticide and chemical containers
- Needles and medical waste
How do you find a recycler?
Start with your county Extension office and your local solid waste authority. Co-ops and feed stores sometimes run collection days. Scrap yards buy metal. Tire retailers may take old tires for a fee. Ask for written confirmation of what they accept.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service can often point you to local resources, and the NRCS may have ideas related to farmstead cleanup.
Make a short list of every item you want to recycle, how much you produce, and how often. That list lets a hauler give you a clear quote and helps you compare offers from different companies without confusion.
What should you expect at a conference?
A good session lets you meet haulers, recyclers and regulators in the same room. Bring a list of what you generate and ask what they take, what it costs and how often they pick up. Collect business cards and follow up within a week.
Conferences also have trade booths, so ask equipment dealers about how they dispose of old parts. Check dates and registration at the organizer's page, not from third-party listings. The Farmers.gov site also lists local service centers where staff can point you to cleanup resources.
If the conference offers a tour, take it. Seeing a recycling yard or a tire processor in action answers questions no brochure can, and you will learn what they will and will not accept.
How do you start a recycling routine?
Set up labeled bins in the shop and near the milk house. Assign one person to check them weekly. Train the crew on what goes where. A simple routine beats a grand plan that fails after a month.
Safety first: do not store old batteries or fuel near feed or in a hot shed. See this farm safety guide and the OSHA pages for general rules.
Give the crew a reason to care. Post a short note that explains where each item goes and why. Folks follow rules that make sense, and they spot problems earlier when they understand the stakes.
Can you earn or save money?
Scrap metal can bring a little cash, and reduced trash hauling saves money. Bulk buying and returnable containers cut costs. Do not expect large income. The benefit is mostly cleaner premises and fewer headaches.
For help comparing costs, see the small farm information guide, which explains many cost-saving ideas for farms.
Keep receipts and weight slips. If a question comes up about where something went, a paper trail protects you and shows good faith to regulators and neighbors.
Keep reading
Over at farm.FM they write about farm life with humor, including a farm.FM story about barn junk. Browse the farming stories and the farm jokes for a break.
Sources and further reading
- TCEQ: Texas environmental regulator
- Texas Department of Agriculture: state agriculture agency
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas extension service
- USDA NRCS: conservation programs and technical help
- OSHA: workplace safety
- USDA: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Ask locally: Call your county Extension office or local solid waste authority to ask what recycling options exist near Stephenville.