A new regulation from the City of Austin will take effect next week for multifamily communities. Starting October 1, 2024, all multifamily communities with five or more dwelling units must provide residents and employees with access to commercial composting collection services.
The requirement applies to apartments, condos, non-state dorms, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. More than half of Austin's population lives in multifamily communities.
Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) conducted stakeholder engagement before the Austin City Council amended the city's Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) in September 2023. A 2015 Community Diversion Study found that 85% of landfill waste generated in Austin came from the commercial and multifamily sector, with 37% of material sent to landfills being compostable.
"Keeping food scraps and other organic material out of the landfill is important to help Austin reach its zero waste goal," said ARR Director Richard McHale. "We are proud that Austin is the first city in Texas to require composting access for residents who live in multifamily communities."
Multifamily properties must provide one gallon of composting capacity per residential unit, with weekly collection and no overflowing containers. They must accept certain materials for composting, including food scraps, food-soiled paper, and BPI-certified compostable products.
Other composting requirements align with existing multifamily recycling requirements. Properties will need to provide education to residents and employees, submit a plan annually to the city, and ensure signs and labels are in at least two languages on all composting containers.
ARR informed properties about the requirements through a previous news release, mailed letters, emails, and advertising. The department has provided planning and education resources such as best practices, printable signs and flyers, and a video summarizing what can be composted.
The city also offered a rebate to help multifamily properties start or expand their composting program before the new requirements took effect. The Zero Waste Business Rebate will be available again later this year, with applications open through July 1, 2025, for eligible properties for items like indoor composting collection bins.
Multifamily properties need to actively work toward complying with the new requirements this year. If needed, properties can request a waiver when they submit their required recycling plan between October 1 and February 1. Waivers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be approved for properties that show a good faith effort to comply.
Multifamily residents who have composting collection at their property can find tips and resources for their new service at austintexas.gov/apartmentcomposting. Additionally, Austinites passionate about sustainability can educate their neighbors by volunteering as Zero Waste Block Leaders.