The city of Austin is falling behind on its “zero waste” goals, according to a new city audit.
In 2009, Austin set a goal to divert 90% of waste away from landfills by 2040. But a city audit released Wednesday found only about 37% of waste is being diverted. To be on track, the city should be diverting around 85%.
Inconsistent messaging and standards among waste management companies the city partners with are partly to blame for missing the target, the audit said.
Austin primarily diverts waste through recycling and composting, which is managed by the Austin Resource Recovery. The department is responsible for outreach and education about what materials are accepted in curbside composting and recycling, services, including bulk trash pickup, and the Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center for items and materials that should not go into residential bins.
The ARR department tries to educate the public on the city's zero waste goals and contracts with a local nonprofit to educate thousands of Austin-area students each year.
“ARR’s overall efforts appear to follow best practices and align with peers, however there is still room for improvement,” said Kathie Harrison, the lead auditor on the report, at a City Council Audit and Finance Committee meeting this week.
That improvement could come in the form of standardized bin colors and signage between city departments. For example, whether someone is in a public library of a city office building, all recycling bins could be blue and all compost bins could be green. As it stands now, Austin Resource Recovery does not have the authority to mandate that type of compliance.
Harrison said rules and guidance about what can and cannot be recycled, composted or thrown away may vary across cities and states. Clear and consistent messaging is especially important for new residents and visitors who are not familiar with Austin’s recycling and composting opportunities, she said.
While Harrison said providing consistent messaging and signs can help people put the correct materials in the right bins, she said people also need more convenient access to divert their waste, especially in city-owned spaces like parks.
About 85% of the city’s waste is collected and managed by private companies. According to the audit, there are more than 100 private companies licensed to collect trash, recycling and compost in Austin. Not all of those companies have the same lists of accepted materials for recycling and compost, which can add further confusion for Austin residents.
“A large percentage of waste generation within the city is not directly controlled by the [ARR] department,” said Gena McKinley assistant director with Austin Resource Recovery. “It's one of the challenges."
Where Austin Resource Recovery has the most control is over residents whose homes are serviced by the city, but most apartment complexes and businesses rely on those private companies.
The city sets minimum recycling and composting requirements for business owners, multifamily properties, and food-permitted businesses serviced by private companies. But the audit found some businesses and properties were granted exemptions or follow different rules.
McKinley said while the city meets regularly with private companies to ensure compliance of the city’s rules, it will have to find ways to better regulate how private companies collect and manage waste if it wants to meet its "zero waste" goals.
