Austin has taken a significant step toward becoming a greener city by mandating composting for multifamily residences. According to the City of Austin, the ordinance kicked in on October 1, affecting apartments, condos, dorms not affiliated with the state, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. With this new rule, properties must place a compost container no more than 25 feet away from each landfill trash container on their property and ensure a licensed hauler picks up the compost weekly.
This initiative by the City of Austin strives to help move the city towards its ambitious zero waste goal. "As a participating resident, you’ll be asked to collect your food scraps at home in a container and dispose of them in the composting container ahead of collection," states the city's guideline. Moreover, materials ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat and seafood, including also pizza boxes and coffee filters, are all meant to go into the green composting carts.
The City of Austin’s website provides resources for residents, such as a curbside composting guide, to ensure proper items make their way into compost bins. A tip shared on the site suggests, "Try sprinkling the food scraps with baking soda and refrigerating/freezing them until your curbside collection day."
For more information about "Road to Zero Waste" visit the City's official website.
