By Michael Taylor
20 percent of the material that is collected in Austin’s blue recycling carts can’t be recycled curbside. Contamination occurs when we put non-recyclable materials or trash into our blue recycling carts, which can cause major issues later on at the recycling facility. One of the largest contaminants? “Tanglers
Tanglers are materials that physically cause tangling issues in the recycling process. These include items like plastic bags, trash bags, garden hoses, stri…
By Brianna Linn
The fall season brings festive activities such as pumpkin picking, haunted houses, and trick-or-treating. While this spooky season delights many, it also contributes significantly to landfill waste. Here are some creative ways to enjoy this time of year while minimizing waste:
Spooky zero waste décor
To add a touch of fall to home décor, consider finding or DIYing decorations. Many natural materials are readily available and can spruce up any space without costing money!
- …
By Allison Strupeck
If you chose Austin for your apartment or condo, you probably already feel pretty lucky to live in such a unique town with a great vibe. And now the city of Austin is one of the only U.S. cities to ensure multifamily residents can easily compost at home!
As of October 1, 2024, the City of Austin requires multifamily properties—including apartments, condos, non-state dorms, assisted l…
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By Brianna Linn
The City of Austin's Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling Ordinance requires general contractors to reuse or recycle construction debris. An efficient recycling program can help save money while meeting the City’s requirements.
Use these tips to create a successful recycling program at your project site.
Plan ahead
Determine what type(s) of waste the project will generate during each phase. This will help you figure out which processors,…
By Brianna Linn
It's that time of year again when school zone signs flash and teachers and parents get ready for a new school year. As a parent, packing your kid's lunch often includes single-use plastic bags, disposable silverware, wax-coated juice boxes and other hard-to-recycle items that typically end up in the landfill. If you want to reduce that waste this year, here are some easy ways to make your kid's lunch environment friendly.
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By Brianna Linn
It’s no secret that summer has made its way to Austin; the kids are out of school, Barton Springs is packed with visitors and the familiar smell of barbeque fills the evening air. This season comes with many fun-filled activities like pool parties, family reunions, and holiday celebrations. Hosting a party is no easy feat, and it's so important to remember how the food you serve and how your dispose of it can impact the City of Austin’s z…
By Michael Taylor
Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) collects the contents of blue, residential recycling carts and hauls them to a local recycling facility, known as a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). From there, the MRF handles sorting the materials for shipment to an end-user. This relationship between ARR and the MRF means that both have a first-hand account of what is being put into the residential recycling carts to be sorted.
While many Austinites do a great job of putting recyclable it…
By Allison Strupeck
Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) is a proud part of the U.S. Plastics Pact which is now in an ambitious phase. The Pact’s enhanced strategic plan, Roadmap 2.0, aims to accelerate the creation of a circular economy where plastic packaging is reused, recycled, composted and kept within the economy—instead of becoming waste.
The nationwide plan features five targets:
- Eliminate all items o…
Over one third of all food produced in the U.S. is never eaten, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That wasted food often ends up in landfills where it is released as methane gas that contributes to climate change. 8-9% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from food waste in landfills. By keeping food out of the landfill, we can help protect our planet, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our own backyard, and conserve important resources like labor, land, water and energy that are used to grow, package and transport food.
Taking everyday steps to reduce food waste can also help you save money. Every year, Americans lose more than…
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 …