Land Management

Recycling
and Waste
Reduction
Information

Port Houston is committed to making positive impacts on the land and water around the Houston Ship Channel. We care for our natural resources and want to cultivate them for wildlife and humans alike.

Recycling

Port Houston’s goal is to reduce the volume of solid waste through the implementation of waste reduction and recycling programs.

above metrics are in tons
Media 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
ALUMINUM 0.85 0.76 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.9
CARDBOARD 27.71 25.60 1 86 35 20
CONCRETE 102,207 56,398 93,297 74,000 68,003 255,845
ELECTRONICS 7.22 10.29 1.6 2.3 4.1 6.6
OFFICE PAPER 57.46 61 39 59 71 62
PLASTIC 1.34 1.32 1.3 1.2 2.3 1.6
SCRAP METAL 606.71 480.75 691 1.3 587 824
SCRAP TIRES 133.66 115.98 107 66 63 73
WOOD DUNNAGE 305.72 298.88 18 17 24 1,162
USED OIL (gallons) 23,615 45,076 14,528 19,000 13,860 8,525

Environmental Audits and Inspections

To further its sustainability efforts, the Environmental Affairs division at Port Houston performs environmental compliance audits at Port properties. These audits allow our team to monitor and assess activities related to environmental compliance.

Dredge Material Area Management

Maintaining the channel requires regular dredging to remove silt that settles along the dug channel. Annually, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes silt, clay, and sand from the channel, tests for compliance with environmental standards, and relocates it to a dredge material placement area.

Port Houston repurposes dredged materials for beneficial uses that support local communities, wildlife, and ecosystems. Learn more about the environmental benefits of dredge material area management below.