Austin City Code Chapter 15-6 (Universal Recycling Ordinance) requires food-permitted businesses to divert organic material from landfill via composting, donation, or other approved methods. Austin Resource Recovery enforces with annual diversion plans and audits citywide.
Austin's Universal Recycling Ordinance under City Code Chapter 15-6 phases in organic-waste diversion requirements for food-permitted businesses. Covered establishments must keep organic material such as food scraps, soiled paper, and yard trimmings out of landfill by donating edible food, hauling to compost facilities, on-site composting, or other Austin Resource Recovery-approved diversion. Annual diversion plans are filed with ARR, plus employee education and signage at sorting stations. Multifamily properties have parallel recycling-access requirements under the same chapter. ARR conducts compliance audits and may issue notices of violation. The ordinance supports Austin's Zero Waste goal and federal EPA food-recovery hierarchy. Single-family households are not yet mandated but ARR offers curbside organics pickup citywide.
Failure to file an annual diversion plan, missing employee education, or sending organics to landfill violates Chapter 15-6 with Class C misdemeanor citations and fines escalating up to two thousand dollars per day per violation through Austin Code Department.
See how Austin's mandatory organics recycling rules stack up against other locations.
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