Austin To Expand Curbside Compost Collection Program By 53K Homes

AUSTIN, TX — Come September, the City of Austin will expand its curbside composting collection service to more than 50,000 additional homes as part of the municipality's "Zero Waste" goal aimed at landfill reduction.

By the time of the program's Sept. 23 launch, the city's Austin Resource Recovery will provide the collection to nearly three-quarters of its curbside customers — adding 53,000 new homes to the existing base of 95,000 participating in the program, city officials explained in a municipal website.

Moreover, officials said, ARR plans to extend the service to all remaining curbside customers by 2020 pending approval by city council members.

The program collects food scraps, yard trimmings and food-soiled paper to be converted into nutrient-rich compost. This program is part of the City of Austin’s Zero Waste goal to divert 90 percent of materials from landfills by 2040.

Statistics speak to the need for the program, including a recent study showing that almost half of everything residential customers send to the landfill could have been composted. Compostable material cannot break down in a landfill, as it would in nature or in a compost pile, city officials explained.

"Instead, it decomposes without oxygen, releasing harmful methane into the atmosphere," ARR officials said. "Organic material placed in green carts is transported to a local facility, where it breaks down into compost, can be used to help soil retain water and fertilize lawns and gardens without chemicals."

A municipal website allows residents interested in participating to input their address. Check it out by clicking here. There's mulch more information available in a fun city-produced video on tips to avoid compost odors.