The average Texan throws away more than 7 pounds of trash each day.

Paper-board boxes, like cereal and shoe boxes, are made from almost 100 percent recycled materials.

More than 2 million tons of used electronics are buried in landfills each year.

One recycled aluminum can saves enough energy to run a 100-watt light bulb or a TV for 3 hours.

Each ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees.

Texans throw away more than 29 million tons of waste each year.

In 2005, Texans recycled 35% of their waste.

Grass clippings, leaves and other landscape waste contribute up to 20% of solid waste in Texas.

One gallon of oil can contaminate up to one million gallons of drinking water.

Recycling 10,000 tons of waste creates 36 jobs.

Motor oil never wears out; it can be recycled over and over again.

Hi, y'all! We are Texas Blue Lacys, the state dogs of Texas. Our ancestors settled in Marble Falls, Texas, back in the 1800s. Our ancestors settled in Texas, so they could help people. Texas Blue Lacys love to work and our ancestors were herding dogs that worked on ranches. They were a great help to the cowboys and ranch hands. They worked so hard and helped so much that people started to say one Texas Blue Lacy can do the job of five cowboys.

We are a lot like our ancestors because we work hard too. We work hard everyday by making smart choices to Take Care of Texas. Texas is a beautiful state and more and more people come to live here everyday. With all these people moving to Texas, it's going to be harder to keep our state clean and beautiful. That's why we think it's important to start with little steps to Take Care of Texas. We also want to help you make smart choices so you can Take Care of Texas everyday just like we do. If we make smart choices together, then we will run, jump, play, swim, and live in Texas for a very long time.

Download River and Sky's Lone Star Activity Book

Texas is a big state. It is a beautiful state too. We all like to enjoy Texas by swimming, riding our bikes, and playing outside.

If we want to keep enjoying Texas, we need to make smart choices every day to Take Care of Texas! Here are some good choices to help you join the Take Care of Texas Team.

At Home

• Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.
• Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Turn off the TV and the computer when not using them.
• Take shorter showers.
• Recycle cans, plastic bottles, and other empty containers.

At School

• Choose a lunch box you can use every day.
• Use both sides of a piece of paper.
• Turn off all computers at the end of the day.
• Recycle your paper — don’t throw it away!
• Buy school supplies made out of recycled materials.

In the Yard

• Pick up pet poop with gloved hands and place in trash.
• Start a family compost pile.
• Don’t dump things down the storm drain.
• Help your family use plants that grow well in Texas.
• Help your family place and adjust the sprinkler; so you are watering the plants and not the street.

In Your Community

• Walk, ride your bike, carpool, or ride the bus.
• Share or donate toys, games, books, and clothes you don’t need any more.
• Check out books from the library or buy used books.
• Don’t litter.
• Get family and friends to help you Take Care of Texas.