As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to keep many people at home more often, Austin Resource Recovery finds itself steadily losing the staff needed to manage the increased volume of household garbage. City Council passed a resolution Oct. 1 to mitigate what Zero Waste Advisory Commission Chair Gerard Acuna called the “poaching” of ARR staff by […]
City of Austin Zero Waste Advisory Commission
An Austin City Council advisory commission. Its members are charged to “[r]eview and analyze the policies and resources relating to solid waste management in the city and advise council on solid waste management policies and resources.” Formerly the Solid Waste Advisory Commission.
Posted inResources
Zero Waste Advisory Commission unanimously recommends contract for bridge and underpass cleanup
At its July 17 meeting, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission unanimously recommended approval of a multiterm Public Works contract agreement to clean debris and trash under bridges and overpasses. The contract is with Relief Enterprise of Texas Inc., a nonprofit that provides disabled and disadvantaged people with job opportunities, for a term of up to […]
Posted inCity Council
Waste management emergency contract heads to Council with split recommendations
Austin’s dumpster wars continue. The city’s contract with Waste Management of Texas expires Feb. 28. To avoid a public health crisis, City Council will vote tonight on whether to execute an emergency multi-term contract with the waste collector for up to one year and an amount not to exceed $1.06 million. Not all commissions are […]
Posted inParks
New recycling receptacles coming soon to Austin parks
Years of advocacy to implement recycling in Austin’s 300 parks is beginning to pay off. Starting this fall, 800 new recycling bins will be installed alongside 800 new trash cans in Austin’s parks over the next four years, said Meredith Gauthier, the new recycling program manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, in a presentation […]
Posted inResources
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 at its November 2018 meeting, indicate that Austin residents are receiving more disposal and recycling […]
Posted inResources
Zero Waste Advisory Commission buries landfill criteria matrix
Austin’s Zero Waste Advisory Commission met Wednesday night and voted to scrap a two-year effort at creating a matrix of criteria that could objectively evaluate landfills for city use. The commission was presented with two matrices — one developed by stakeholders and one by city staff — either to choose from or combine into one. […]
Posted inResources
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 the Zero Waste Advisory Commission asking for some attention for the Travis County landfill on […]
Posted inParks
Will PARD ever get enough money to implement recycling in the parks?
In every Austin home, there is the option to trash your waste or recycle it (many even have a composting option available). So why aren’t Austinites given the same opportunity at the city of Austin’s parks and recreational facilities? At the April 11 meeting of the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, Liana Kallivoka, the assistant director […]
Posted inResources
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 Resource Recovery asked the Zero Waste Advisory Commission for a $1,511,385 increase on its existing […]
Posted inResources
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 in the crossfire between ratepayers and waste companies and nobody can come to a consensus. […]
Posted inResources
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 manager, came to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission meeting to present preliminary findings from the […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: What’s wrong with _______
Sad CSAC… Exactly who is the “customer” in the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee? That’s the existential question the body and the agency’s board of directors will grapple with in the coming months. As we reported recently, some board members have expressed concerns about the committee’s workings, or lack thereof. When the […]