{"id":19064,"date":"2021-07-14T15:58:37","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T19:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/?post_type=article&p=19064"},"modified":"2026-03-19T14:39:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T18:39:23","slug":"austin-tx-universal-recycling","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/es\/article\/composting-for-community\/austin-tx-universal-recycling","title":{"rendered":"Austin, Texas \u2013 Universal Recycling Ordinance"},"template":"","class_list":["post-19064","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-local-policy","initiatives-composting-for-community","topics-economic-development","topics-recycling","impact_areas-climate-and-environmental-justice","impact_areas-resilient-cities-and-metros","authors-brenda-platt"],"acf":{"details":{"featured_image":"","background_color":"tan","article_type":[37],"initiative":15,"display_event_fields":false,"start_date":null,"end_date":null,"start_time":null,"end_time":null,"time_zone":"America\/New_York","virtual_event":false,"location":"","topics":[73,112],"impact_areas":[16,22],"abstract":"In 2011, the City of Austin set a goal of a 75% diversion rate for solid waste by 2020 and a 90% diversion rate by 2040 as part of its larger zero waste ambitions. A few years later, the City amended its universal recycling law on June 12, 2014 to include organics as a means of meeting this zero waste goal. The City\u2019s goals are based on a desire to mitigate methane emissions from landfills and promote economic development.","authors_tax":[601]},"sidebar":{"title":"\u00cdndice"},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"In 2011, the City of Austin set a goal of a 75% diversion rate for solid waste by 2020 and a 90% diversion rate by 2040 as part of its larger zero waste ambitions. A few years later, the City amended its universal recycling law on June 12, 2014 to include organics as a means of meeting this zero waste goal. To allow time for easy adjustment, the mandatory recycling of organics came into effect over a period of staggered dates, from October 2014 to October 2018.\r\n\r\nThe City\u2019s goals are based on a desire to mitigate methane emissions from landfills and promote economic development.\u00a0In fact,\u00a0a 2008 study prepared for the city government by consultants estimated that a diversion economy<\/a> could generate 1,800 jobs for Austin.[footnote]City of Austin. 2008. \u201cAustin, TX Zero Waste Strategic Plan.\u201d Prepared for the City of Austin by Gary Liss & Associates. [PDF<\/a>][\/footnote]\u00a0In pursing this, the City wrote\u00a0its Resource Recovery Master Plan,<\/a>\u00a0in which\u00a0the City envisions providing incentives to encourage an economy where the discards of one business can be the feedstocks of another business.\u00a0For example, under the recycling law, a building\u2019s organic wastes can be sent to rural or urban farms and ranches as well as\u00a0community gardens for composting.\r\n

Austin\u2019s Universal Recycling Ordinance<\/h3>\r\nBecause organics represent over half the materials sent to Austin area landfills and incinerators,\u00a0the city expanded its Universal Recycling Ordinance<\/a> in 2014 to include organics (i.e. food scraps, food-soiled paper, and untreated wood).[footnote]Ibid., p. 14., https:\/\/austintexas.gov\/resource-recovery\/universal-recycling-ordinance-uro[\/footnote]\u00a0The amendment of the ordinance also followed the success of a curbside organics collection pilot<\/a> program that began in December 2012. The program has since expanded to serve all Austin Resource Recovery curbside customers which, as of 2021, includes over 207,000 households and small businesses.\r\n\r\nAustin\u2019s universal recycling law requires \u201cresponsible parties\u201d for private and public buildings, as well as residential dwellings, to arrange for service to collect their recyclable\u00a0materials. The law\u2019s applicability to responsible parties is based on the square footage of the commercial or residential premises. The\u00a0dates when parties were to come under the law\u2019s influence were staggered over a period of several years so that an increasing number of premises were subject to mandatory recycling, but had adequate time to implement their plans.\r\n\r\nResponsible parties for these premises must also ensure that employees and residents have on-site access to a means of recycling and organic material diversion, and are provided with educational materials and proper instructions for recycling. Additionally, the law requires that parties submit an annual diversion plan on February 1 of each year, beginning in the year the law became applicable to the premises. A diversion plan must also be submitted by a responsible party when opening a new building, business, or multi-family residential complex.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the above, large organic waste generators must arrange for the recycling\u00a0of their organics materials. \u201cFood enterprises\u201d of 15,000 square feet or greater become subject to the ordinance beginning October 1, 2016. On that same date in 2017, food enterprises between 5,000 and 14,999 square feet will become subject to the ordinance. Exceptions are possible for those who are granted a waiver by the city for certain requirements, and for enterprises serving only pre-packaged foods who are approved for a deduction of square footage and thus delay the law\u2019s applicability. On October 1, 2018, all<\/em> food enterprises are\u00a0subject to mandatory organics recycling.","":null,"settings":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_basic_html","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_basic_html":{"heading":"","code":"