Multifamily composting is next step in Austin’s goal to be a zero-waste leader

Austin could be the first Texas municipality to establish composting access for residents who live in multifamily properties. 

Austin Resource Recovery, the city’s waste management utility, is turning its efforts to reach multifamily complexes, in which more than half of Austin’s residents live. 

Expanding composting access could come with some challenges, such as cost, contamination and drumming up interest for property managers and residents to participate. In a Wednesday meeting, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission talked through ideas for multifamily composting.  

Residents who participated in a March 2021-February 2022 composting pilot program reported using it often and said the educational materials provided were useful. One downside survey takers shared is that the options aren’t as convenient as curbside composting, which residents of single-family homes have access to. 

For property managers in areas taking part in the pilot, concerns included non-compostable material being placed in composting bins, along with the charges for composting carts. The cost fell between $0.80 and $2.95 per unit each month of collection. 

Jeff Payne, the co-owner of Break It Down, says the company works with about 15 multifamily properties which all see very little contamination since the cart is locked and only opened when entering a combination.

“Typically, that is enough of a barrier to keep out unwanted material and not enough to prevent anyone from composting that would like to.” 

A share of Austinites who previously didn’t have access to composting have expressed interest in it. The pilot effort saw an estimated 30 percent of residents use the composting service on average. Austin Resource Recovery views residents at multifamily properties as the next step to meeting the city’s goal of becoming a national zero-waste leader.  

“We see establishing convenience for all of our residents to divert material as a key component of that effort,” ARR’s Selene Castillo said.

Affordability was top of mind for commissioners, given that some who took part in public stakeholder meetings and surveys worried that the costs could be passed down to residents. Commissioners said an ordinance should include establishing a cap on how much the costs for composting, recycling and trash services can be marked up by property management. 

A resolution commissioners reviewed noted that an ordinance should include a phase-in schedule with differences depending on property size. It also mentioned establishing minimum composting capacity and a preference on the containers used for collection. After reviewing those matters, seven commissioners voted in favor of the resolution. 

Photo by normanack, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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