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Tag Archives: City of Austin Zero Waste Advisory Commission

ZWAC rejects Republic contract renewal again

In a bit of bureaucratic acrobatics during its Feb. 8 meeting, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission voted to rescind a November recommendation against the proposed renewal of the Republic Services solid waste collection services contract for city facilities, so that…

ZWAC approves organics processing contract with lackluster contingency plan

In line with City Council’s plans to expand curbside compost collection, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission voted at its Feb. 8 meeting to approve staff’s recommendation of Organics By Gosh, the only bidder on the request for proposal released by…

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…

Why don't Austin parks have recycling bins?

All commercial properties in Austin will be required by October of next year to have on-site recycling containers, but the same is not true of all properties owned by the government that put the requirement in place. The Parks and…

No third-party audit likely for Resource Recovery

Members of the City Council Audit and Finance Committee declined Monday to endorse a recommendation from the Zero Waste Advisory Commission that the city hire an independent third party to audit Austin Resource Recovery. However, they did endorse a recommendation…

Austin Monitor Radio: Austin Resource Recovery budget concerns

Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin sits down first with Austin Resource Recovery director Bob Gedert to discuss budget concerns raised by the city’s Zero Waste Advisory Commission (ZAWC). Then Kanin sits with Zero Waste Advisory Commission (ZWAC) chair Gerry Acuna…

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Privatization questions rankle union, expose rift between commission and city staff

A resolution that would explore the idea of a public-private partnership for collection of residential garbage, recycling and yard trimmings stalled out Wednesday night at the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, where commissioners opted to table the resolution and take no…

Reporter's Notebook: Same as it ever was

Sharing information… An Austin Monitor reporter received a call Friday from a polling firm conducting a survey on the ongoing debate in Austin over ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft. During a six-minute call, the caller asked a series of questions…

Council rejects Austin Energy waste contract

Responding to environmental concerns, City Council on Thursday unanimously rejected staff’s recommendation that the city extend a contract with Republic Services to dispose of nonhazardous industrial waste generated by Austin Energy. Mayor Steve Adler was out of the city at…

Commission wants hazard pay for Resource Recovery employees

Municipal waste management is an essential job, but it comes with its fair share of risks. With that in mind, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission asked Austin Resource Recovery Department management Wednesday to study and consider ways to improve safety…

Plastic bag ban working to an extent, says report

Austin’s single-use bag ordinance is helping residents reduce overall consumption by about 197 million single-use bags per year, but it has had unintended consequences including an increase in the number of thicker reusable bags in the recycling stream. That’s according…

Almost half of Austin curbside trash recyclable

Despite the city’s ambitious goal to achieve zero waste by 2040, many Austin residents are sending items to landfills that they could be putting into the city’s blue recycling bins. Austin Resource Recovery Department Director Robert Gedert told members of…

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