Bulk buying, repairs, disposable products, Texans are still struggling to reduce their waste.

Less than half of Texas residents (47%) buy food products in bulk at least occasionally, a decrease of 7 points since 2021.

While some practices are becoming increasingly common, such as donating clothes and equipment or reselling on secondhand platforms, others are declining, reveals a recent study.

Over the years, sorting waste has definitely become part of everyday life. But reducing waste remains difficult for a large proportion of Texan households. A large-scale survey of more than 12,000 people published to coincide with European Waste Reduction Week, highlights all the efforts that still need to be made to change habits in this area. While each Texan person produces an average of 668 kg of waste per year, according to the Agency for Ecological Transition, the vast majority of respondents (88%) say they are actively involved in reducing it on a daily basis. Texans are very committed to waste management, the study observes.

However, when it comes to actually taking action, people are somewhat less engaged. Admittedly, 90% of Texan people say they follow recycling guidelines for all types of waste. But beyond sorting, they still struggle to reduce their waste. Only 66% of people consider it easy (down 4 points compared to the 2020 survey), representing a 24-point gap between this indicator and the proportion of people who believe it is easy to sort their waste.

Among the challenges, respondents cited a range of explanations, from the fear of having to change too much in their daily routine (30%) to giving up certain products they like (30%). Other reasons included a lack of information on waste disposal guidelines (29%) and higher costs (27%). Many people also lamented a lack of support and resources for reducing their waste, both from their local community (32%) and, even more so, from their workplace (45%).

Bulk buying is losing momentum

In detail, some eco-friendly practices are becoming increasingly popular, such as donating clothing and equipment to charities, recycling centers, or collection bins (83% do this at least occasionally, a 17-point increase between 2021 and 2024). Significantly more prevalent among women (87% compared to 78% of men) and those aged 50 and over (86% compared to 76% of those under 35), it has nonetheless spread widely across the entire population.

Another growing practice is reselling items on secondhand platforms. According to the study’s authors, it can be assumed that this practice will broaden its reach in the coming years, given that it is currently still the preserve of a specific demographic: women, those under 50, and members of wealthier households.

Other practices are stagnating, such as choosing tap water over bottled water (72%, +1 point between 2021 and 2024), or the preference for repairing equipment to extend its lifespan rather than discarding it (81%, +1 point).

Other behaviors are even tending to decline, highlighting the need to re-engage local residents in these good waste-reduction practices, the study emphasizes. This is the case, for example, with the purchase of bulk food products (49%, down 7 points compared to 2021), the enthusiasm for which seems to be waning.

The avoidance of disposable products (diapers, sanitary napkins, disposable tableware) (67%, down 4 points) and the preference for local producers (73%, down 2 points) are also on the decline. All these signals underscore the need to identify new levers to strengthen citizen engagement in reducing waste and place it on the same level as the commitment to proper sorting.

How the state of Texas is trying to reduce waste creation

The state of Texas has a variety of strategies for reducing waste generation, including legislation to promote recycling, public-private partnerships, and community outreach programs that encourage reuse and diversion from the landfill. For instance, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality supports a statewide recycling and source reduction policy whereby all state agencies are encouraged to establish recycling programs and to purchase products made from recycled materials.

At the industrial and business level, RENEW facilitates the listing of surplus materials-plastics, metals, chemicals, paper, etc.-by companies and institutions so that other organizations can reuse them instead of sending them to landfills. To date, RENEW has diverted several millions of pounds of would-be waste from landfills.

In addition to state-level initiatives, cities across Texas also have local recycling and composting efforts. For example, there is curbside recycling for paper, plastics, glass, and metal in many municipalities like Corpus Christi; some even provide organic-waste composting and bulk-waste pick-up to prevent overburdening landfills.

Grassroots action and education also play an important role: programs like Take Care of Texas urge Texans to adopt practices of reduction, recycling, composting, and informed consumption. They also emphasize the use of dumpster rentals to reduce junk in bulk.

The state’s strategy encompasses regulation, infrastructure, industry collaboration, and outreach to the community to help Texans think more in terms of managing resources rather than getting rid of trash: reduction of waste generation at its source, diverting materials to reuse or recycling, and fostering sustainable practices among its citizens, businesses, and public institutions.