03 May Austin Resource Recovery Releases 2011 Annual Report
Today, Austin Resource Recovery (formerly Solid Waste Services) released its 2011 annual report, which includes an overview of the department’s progress toward Zero Waste, achievements in resource recovery, and services provided to Austin residents and businesses.
“This annual report chronicles a monumental year,” said Austin City Manager Marc Ott. “With a new department name that reflects a renewed commitment toward the City’s Zero Waste goal, I commend Austin Resource Recovery — along with our many community partners and the residents of Austin — for taking collective green steps that keep our city natural and beautiful.”
Austin Resource Recovery spurred and expanded programs and services in 2011, a transformative year for the department. Highlights include:
- Diverted 38 percent of City-collected materials (83,093 tons) from the landfill
- Collected 127,053 tons of trash, a reduction from 2010
- Composted 30,271 tons of yard trimmings and large brush, an increase from 2010
- Recycled or reused 30 percent of the materials collected at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, an increase from 2010
- Collected 6,343 tons of litter and debris from City streets
- Serviced 182,681 residential households
- Produced 8,333 gallons of Austin ReBlend paint, available to residents for free at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility
- Produced and broadcast Dare to Go Zero, the City’s first reality TV show, in which four Austin families competed to reduce their household trash to zero
- Purchased 17 Compressed Natural Gas trucks, which are projected to use 35 to 50 percent less fuel than traditional trash and recycling trucks
- Installed 19 public trash and recycling containers along Guadalupe Street near The University of Texas at Austin
- Offered 67 free composting classes throughout Austin, teaching three times the number of residents compared to 2010
“In 2011, we adopted a new departmental vision, mission and name,” said Bob Gedert, Austin Resource Recovery Director. “We reached another important milestone when the Austin City Council adopted the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, our 30-year roadmap to Zero Waste. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far in partnership with residents, businesses and other organizations, as we make Zero Waste a reality in Austin.”
View the report online at http://bit.ly/
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About Austin Resource Recovery
Austin Resource Recovery provides a wide range of services designed to transform waste into resources while keeping our community clean. Core services include curbside collection of recycling, trash, yard trimmings, large brush and bulk items; street sweeping; dead animal collection and operation of the Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Austin Resource Recovery also provides trash and recycling collection for some small businesses located in residential areas that do not require Dumpsters and manages contracts for the collection of trash and recycling in the Downtown Austin Recycling & Trash Service District. In December 2011, the Austin City Council approved the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, which is the City’s roadmap to Zero Waste. The City of Austin is committed to reducing the amount of waste sent to area landfills by 90 percent by 2040 or sooner.
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