By: Bailey Grimmett
The City of Austin Service Design Lab recently launched a garbage collection pilot aimed at reducing the amount of trash and litter build-up in select areas within the City. The big idea? To provide trash bags – violet trash bags – and garbage collection services to individuals experiencing homelessness.
The Violet Bag Program is a six-week pilot wherein violet trash bags and drop-off stations are available at four select areas in the city know…
By: Thomas Nguyen
Did you know?
The average textile dye used for clothing is made up of 8,000 synthetic chemicals and after the dyeing process, many factories and mills will dump the excess into water streams.
Welcome back to our Circular Innovators series. In this series, we’ll be highlighting Austin businesses that are embracing the circular economy; reducing waste and creating value for their customers and the planet.
What is Biomimicry?
What is biomimicry? If we break it down, bio = life; mimicr…
By: Andy Dawson and Bailey Grimmett
If you haven’t heard, there’s a colorful way to reuse in Austin. The Diverting Resources for Artistic Works program (DRAW) is an Austin Resource Recovery service aimed at reusing and extending the lives of art supplies such as acrylic paints, canvases, brushes and related items. Located at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center (RRDOC), and as an expansion of the center’s ReUse Store, DRAW is a resource aimed at offering barely-used art supplies to local residents in creative need.
The RRDOC collects all kinds…
By: Andy Dawson
Each year, Americans throw away 9.4 million tons of electronics! Much of that waste turns up during, and immediately following, the holiday season. Out with the old, in with the new, right?
Electronics don’t seem to last long these days, especially when a new phone with a better camera and newer technology is released every six months. The EPA estimates that…
By Valerie Vines
Austin City Limits (ACL), the international music festival held at Zilker Park each October, does things big. Big-name headliners, crowds, stages and, potentially, a lot of waste. But thanks to efforts between festival planners and community partners, ACL is becoming a more sustainable event. Last year, ACL teamed up with Austin Materi…
By: Ashley Pace
Most store-bought Halloween costumes cost $20-$60 per person and are made of cheap polyester materials that are thrown away after a single wear. Instead of going for the quick grab at the party store, consider these eek-o-friendly alternatives to save some green and give those costumes a second life.
- Host a costume swap: Whether in person or online, encourage your friends, family and neighbors to share their previ…
By: Andy Dawson
Many people deep fry turkeys during the holiday season, leaving behind a lot of used cooking oil. But, what do you do with it afterwards? It can actually be dropped off for recycling!
The City of Austin’s Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center (RRDOC) collects more than 12,000 pounds of cooking oil and grease annually, as part of its house…
By: Jennifer Denton
The Curbside Composting program can change the way we think about household “waste.”
Composted material is like gold, and we want to help you find more of it.
Confusion about what goes in the green composting cart is “natural.” Just remember, “If it grows, it goes,” meaning any material that began its life as an organic substance can go in the composting cart. Yard waste makes up the bulk of the materials collected, but don’t forget about your food scraps. Yes, even those moldy leftovers in the back corner of your refriger…
By: Ashley Pace
It’s a busy time of year for everyone, especially those in the resource recovery industry. The increase in traffic on the road and unwanted items in the bins often leads to an increase in injuries to our workers. This holiday season, Austin Resource Recovery asks you to help keep our operators in mind to ensure everyone has a safe and happy holiday.
Slow Down to Get Around
According to the National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA), solid waste collection employees in the United Sta…
Did you know?
Selling 100 vinyl records provides bands as much income as 500,000 Spotify plays or 2.5 million YouTube views, according to Caren Kelleher, founder and owner of Gold Rush Vinyl, a vinyl record manufacturer in Austin, Texas.
Caren Kelleher was frequently frustrated ordering vinyl records for the bands she managed a few years ago in California. It took up to seven months to fill an order and, even then, the record quality was unreliable.
Like any true entrepreneur, Kelleher set out in search of a quicker, more reliable solution. In 2018, she founded …