10 Years in, Austin’s “Zero-Waste” Progress

The beginning 

The city adopted the Urban Environmental Accords in 2005, committing to be zero-waste by 2040.

Austin’s “zero-waste” programs timeline:

• 2011 – Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) piloted curbside recycling collection
• 2015 – the waste characterization study found the materials from Austin landfills to be compostable (46%) or recyclable (44%), and only 10% required solid waste disposal
• 2016 – ARR rolled out it’s curbside composting program which now provides green compost bins to all residential Austin customers
• 2018 – the city adopted its Universal Recycling Ordinance requiring businesses to divert at least 50% of their waste from the landfill

Austin composting could save money

30-40% of the food supply becomes food waste which costs $165 billion/year to properly dispose. Converting food waste to compost will enrich the soil and support future crops.

The Austin Chronicle | A Decade of Action Toward a Zero-Waste City