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Tag Archives: Austin Resource Recovery

City departments propose centralized trash cleanup effort to keep creeks clean

The city has taken a first look at trash in creeks and identified illegal dumping, littering, large public events and homeless encampments as the four primary sources of trash ending up in city waterways. In a cross-departmental background report posted…

City's waste collection problem solved

According to a memo from Deputy Procurement Officer Shawn Willett, the city of Austin now has three short-term contracts for the disposal of refuse, recycling, brush and compostable materials. The city’s procurement team and members of Austin Resource Recovery scrambled…

Affordability may mean dealing honestly with trash

Austin’s growth is putting a strain on the city’s waste collection service provider, Austin Resource Recovery, as it struggles to keep costs down for customers. Results of the Residential Solid Waste Affordability Study, presented to the Zero Waste Advisory Committee…

City taps UT incubator to meet 2040 zero waste goal

The city and the Austin Technology Incubator at the University of Texas are turning to startup companies to help find a solution to dramatically reduce waste headed to landfills from Austin. ATI’s new Circular Economy Incubator, which launched last month,…

At long last, Council approves biosolids contract

On Thursday, City Council put an end to two and a half years of squabbling over a lucrative contract to manage biosolid waste generated by the city water utility. Council voted 10-1 to award the contract to Synagro of Texas-CDR…

Task force talks trash – and cash for recycling at all Austin parks and facilities

This story was mistakenly re-published in October, 2019. It was originally published in 2018. The Parks and Recreation Recycling Task Force is recommending several different ways to pay for consistent recycling around Austin. City Council approved the task force in…

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With plastic bag ban in the trash, Austin pushes campaign on reducing waste

Austin says it is still committed to reducing plastic waste despite a Texas Supreme Court ruling last month that forced it to end its ban on single-use plastic bags. The city says it’s continuing efforts toward its Zero Waste goal,…

landfill

Landfill fix on hold for now

Landfills exist comfortably outside of the public eye until something happens that reminds everyone that their upkeep is a critical component to keep our city functioning. On April 11, Tony Davee, a project manager with Austin Resource Recovery, came to…

Dumpster contract headed to Council, hung up on lobbying ordinance rewrite

As City Council continues to debate the policies associated with the anti-lobbying ordinance, Austin solid waste contracts are beginning to expire with very little recourse for renewals. The latest casualty is city-owned facilities’ dumpster collection services. On Feb. 14, Austin…

Once again, Austin's landfill criteria is back in discussion

Nobody wants their backyard to become a landfill. For nearly a year, Austin Resource Recovery has been redesigning the landfill criteria matrix that refuse companies will have to abide by going forward. Problem is, it seems that staff is caught…

Troxclair wants to know how rates compare to other Texas utilities

This year, the average Austinite will spend $2,475 on utility bills to cover the cost of electricity, water and garbage pickup. City Council Member Ellen Troxclair wants to know how that compares to what other people served by other utilities…

City composting may soon expand, go high-tech

A month after select Austin residents received their green compost bins to expand the city’s composting pilot program, the time has come to assess the success of the program’s reception. On Nov. 8, Emlea Chanslor, Austin Resource Recovery acting division…

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