Curbside Organics Collection Pilot

Austin Resource Recovery launched the Curbside Organics Collection Pilot the week of Dec. 31, 2012.

Currently, Austin Resource Recovery is providing 7,900 households with weekly curbside collection of food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings. Organic materials collected at the curb are turned into nutrient-rich compost, mulch and garden soils specifically designed for Central Texas! Learn more about the one-year pilot.

Save Money With Your Green Cart!

After putting food scraps and food-soiled paper in your organics cart, you will likely have less trash to throw away each week. This may allow you to downsize to a smaller, less expensive trash cart and save money on your monthly utility bill! We offer four trash cart sizes – the smaller the cart, the less it costs. For example, downsizing from a 96-gallon cart to a 32-gallon cart will save you $226.80 per year. To downsize your trash cart, call 512-494-9400.

If it Grows, it Goes!

Place only accepted organic materials that will break down naturally in your cart.

Food Scraps	Cooked or raw meat, poultry and seafood (including bones) Cheese Dairy products Fruits Vegetables Grains Pasta Eggshells Bread	Tea bags Baked goods Nuts Jelly Tea leaves Candy Snack foods Leftovers Spoiled food Coffee grounds
Food-Soiled Paper	Paper bags Napkins Towels Paper plates Paper cups Paper containers & take-out boxes (remove any metal or plastic) Learn the difference between recycling and composting paper products.	Pizza boxes Coffee filters Microwavable popcorn bags Newspaper Paper milk cartons (remove any plastic caps or lids) Tissues
Yard Trimmings	Grass clippings Small branches Small tree limbs (no longer than 5 feet & no thicker than 3 inches in diameter) Tree roots	Flowers Leaves Plants Straw Soil
Other	Cotton balls Dryer lint Popsicle sticks Saw dust (in paper bags) Pet fur/hair	Shredded paper (in paper bags) Toothpicks Wooden chopsticks

Keep Out!

Aluminum, animal carcasses, cat litter, ceramics, cigarette butts & ashes, clothing, fats, oils, grease, glass, glossy paper, hazardous waste, liquids, medical waste, metal, pet waste, plastic bags - even if labeled "biodegradable" or compostable", plastic containers, plastic milk cartons, plastic straws, rocks, Styrofoam, trash, tree stumps, treated or painted wood, wine corks

Prohibited items cannot break down into nutrient-rich compost, or cause a safety hazard for collection crews. View a guide of all accepted and unaccepted items.