Austin has declared that it will be a zero-waste city by 2040. But lack of progress toward that goal over the last five years has prompted the city to call in a team of researchers to better understand why Austinites don’t recycle. The city set a goal of sending only 10 percent of its waste […]
Austin Zero Waste Plan
First approved in December, 2011, the Austin Zero Waste Plan is the guiding document for the city’s Resource Recovery department (formerly the Solid Waste Services Department). It includes a goal of 90 percent landfill diversion (what would statistically, according to the City, amount to zero waste) by 2040.
Posted inResources
Push to expand city composting continues
Austin has made major progress in its efforts to reduce the amount of trash it sends to landfills, but the city will have to make a big change if it wants to realize the ambitious goals it has set through its Zero Waste initiative. Current recycling efforts have succeeded in diverting 43 percent of the […]
Posted inDevelopment
Committee to take a closer look at construction and demo recycling
Though it has been in the works for years, a plan to require more construction-site recycling and reuse of materials hit a small road bump at the Planning Commission last week. Commissioners voted unanimously to send the proposed code amendments back to their Codes and Ordinances Committee, where they hope to get more input on […]
Posted inResources
City announces recycling-education campaign
Austin residents are sending a lot of recyclables to landfills, and city staff hopes to help change that with a new educational campaign. Austin Resource Recovery Department Director Bob Gedert made the announcement at a press conference on Monday. “The fact is that more recyclables are going to the landfill than are being recycled in […]
Posted inElections, Environment, Local Politics
Reporter’s Notebook: Rules are rules
A no-endorsement endorsement, and other missives from the campaign trail . . . Austinites for Equity, a political action committee for the local AFSCME organization, has supported numerous progressive and Democratic candidates. So observers were surprised when they noticed a filing on the City Clerk’s website indicating that the group had spent money apparently in […]
Posted inEnvironment, Resources
Materials Marketplace boosts Zero Waste plan
City officials are touting a new initiative they say will move Austin toward its Zero Waste goals while helping businesses along the way. The Austin Materials Marketplace is a business-to-business material reuse program. Basically, the initiative created an online database that connects businesses looking to discard unwanted materials with other businesses that could use those […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Government, Resources
City hopes Eco-Industrial park will bring jobs
The City of Austin is planning to spend up to $10 million to create an eco-industrial park south of the city’s airport. Officials hope the park will lure dozens of businesses that specialize in manufacturing goods from recycled, reused or repaired materials. They add that the project could bring more than 1,200 new jobs for […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Politics, Resources
City Council orders restaurants to compost organic waste by 2018
Austin City Council members Thursday approved changes to city ordinances that will require food service permit holders to begin composting organic waste by 2018. Under the measure, full enforcement of the new rules will not come until a year later. Council members’ actions came over the objections of Skeeter Miller, representing the Greater Austin […]