Item 003 - ARR Operations and Administrative Projects Update — original pdf

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To: From: Date: Zero Waste Advisory Commission Ron Romero, Assistant Director, Austin Resource Recovery June 10, 2026 Subject: Director’s Monthly Report to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission Waste and Recycling Workers Proclamation Waste and Recycling Workers Week is observed annually during the week of June 17th. It honors the essential work of waste management and recycling professionals who keep our communities clean and safe. Their daily efforts, from collecting trash and recyclables to managing hazardous waste, help to protect public health, maintain clean neighborhoods, and support environmental sustainability. Mayor Pro Tem Vela will issue a proclamation on June 15th in honor of Austin Resource Recovery's dedicated employees. Qualified Processor for Construction & Demolition Debris Processing Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) has approved the application of Texas Landfill Management, LLC or Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) to become a City of Austin Construction and Demolition Qualified Processor. TDS’s status as a Qualified Processor is effective from April 2026 to April 2028, contingent upon the Processor maintaining requirements in City code during that timeframe. The facility was audited by City approved third party Registered Evaluator: Zero Waste Strategies. They found that the average material diversion rate from the landfill at this facility was 67%. The Qualified Processor designation allows general contractors developing construction projects across Austin to reduce required documentation to report to the City by being able to report to the Qualified Processors facility diversion rate in lieu of documenting hauling a tipping receipt throughout the project. City of Austin & Travis County Interlocal Agreement On May 28, 2026, Council approved Austin Resource Recovery’s (ARR) request to negotiate and execute an interlocal agreement between City of Austin and Travis County. The agreement involves the Recycle and Reuse Drop-Off Center at 2514 Business Center Drive. The City and County have had versions of this agreement since 1997. Previous agreements involved only the Household Hazardous Waste portion of the facility. The new agreement also captures the services of the recycling side of the facility where customers can drop off items such as single- stream, electronics, plastic film, appliances, rigid plastics, and Styrofoam. Circular Showcase (All Districts) On May 14, four small businesses with circular business models pitched to judges for a chance to win prize money. The $10,000 grand prize winner was Pickle Envy, who creates fermented foods from local and surplus produce— preventing food waste while offering a nutritious alternative. Other Showcase finalists included FitDel, That’s Sew Austin and Wanderlust Wine Co. The winner of the Circular Accelerator prize of $2,000 was Regenysys, a circular alternative to Styrofoam that can be broken down and regenerated repeatedly through a low-energy, low-waste process. Other Accelerator finalists included Curated Thrift, R3grnd and ReImajin.It. Fix-it Clothing Swap and Mending Events (Districts 1) On June 11 at Carver Branch Library from 5:30-7 p.m. Community members can unwind and create at the Meditative Mending Workshop. They'll learn simple repair techniques while enjoying a calming, mindful environment with local textile artist Jenn Steverson. Juneteenth Parade and Festival (District 1) The Juneteenth Parade will take place on June 19th in East Austin, starting with Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and finishing on Rosewood Avenue, where the festival is located. ARR will provide trash and recycling bins and street sweeping services along the parade route. ARR's litter crew will maintain trash, recycling, and composting bins within the festival. ARR is collaborating with Keep Austin Beautiful to recruit volunteers for a cleanup opportunity, and volunteers will be staged along the parade route to help collect recyclable material. ZWAC C&D Committee (District 3) Austin Resource Recovery is supporting the ZWAC C&D Committee meeting on June 24th at 11:00 a.m. at Cepeda Branch Library. This meeting will convene to continue discussions with construction and demolition recycling stakeholders to discuss potential changes to the Construction and Demolition Recycling Ordinance. ARR Solicitation Updates As of June 3, 2026 ZWAC Meeting June 10, 2026  Preparing for Council: • Recycling Processing Services for Non-Curbside Collections: The Contractor shall provide processing and marketing services for single-stream recyclable materials received from customers at the RRDOC and those collected by City crews from approximately 160 City facilities. Link to the current contract.  Published: • Multiple Material Rate Studies: Consultant to provide a community wide Capture Rate Study, Per Capita Disposal Rate Study, and a combined Diversion Rate and Waste Characterization Study. The Studies will reveal the effectiveness of the City’s collection programs and assist to better understand consumer behavior to assist the City in improving its waste diversion programs. No current contract  Expected to be Published Within 90 days: • Refurbish Trash and Recycling Receptacles in the Central Business District: Contractor to provide services to refurbish public Receptacles used for trash and recycling collection. Link to current contract • Education, Clean up and Beautification Service: Contractors to provide education, cleanup, beautification, and restoration services benefiting the public through a variety of programs and resources that inspire effective environmental stewardship among residents and improve Austin's environment and aesthetics. Link to current contract Definitions: CCO CO-OP (Capital Contracting Office): Administers the procurement of professional and construction services. (Cooperative Contract): A contract that has been competitively bid and issued by another government or purchasing alliance with the intention of sharing it with other governmental entities. (Interlocal Agreement): A collaborative contract between local government entities (for example, ARR and a county, state, or school district) to provide more efficient and less costly services, where any payments are made from current revenues. (Invitation for Bid): Formal bidding documents inviting suppliers to submit pricing for goods or services. (Request for Information): Used to obtain industry input, feedback, or reactions from potential suppliers prior to issuing a solicitation. RFQ (Request for Quotation): Informal request to suppliers to provide quotes on specific goods or services. (Request for Qualifications): Formal solicitation used when qualifications are the main criteria for professional services. (Request for Proposals): Formal request for a supplier to provide a solution and cost estimate to a complex need. ILA IFB RFI RFQS RFP Page 1 of 1 Austin Resource Recovery Curbside Collection and Drop Off Center Operations LAST FISCAL YEAR-FY25 CURRENT FISCAL YEAR-FY26 Description of Services FY2024 FY2025 Mar 2025 Apr 2025 FY25 YTD (Oct 24-Apr 25) Mar 2026 Apr 2026 d e s o p s D s n o T i Tons of Curbside Trash Tons of Curbside Bulk Disposed HHW Operations Tons Disposed Estimated Tons of Curbside Recycling Residuals (1) Total Disposed Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations 136,713 9,366 484 10,610 138,105 5,993 452 9,963 11,147 250 40 847 11,772 421 32 879 79,247 3,261 242 6,118 11,416 379 42 695 11,947 585 45 726 157,173 154,514 12,284 13,103 88,867 12,531 13,304 88,790 156,937 FY26 YTD (Oct 25-Apr 26) 79,490 3,988 273 FY 2026 Goal 136,579 8,874 389 5,039 11,095 3,261 3,377 23,637 3,349 3,428 24,466 35,829 (1) Estimated tons of curbside recycling processed by vendors as residual - based on bi-annual sample route audit Total Tons of Recyclables Collected RRC Tons Recycled/Reused RRC Tons of Brush Collected HHW Operations Tons Recycled/Reused 42,315 1,811 0 344 40,094 1,835 0 388 Tons of Drop Off Center Collections Recycled/Reused 1,948 1,951 149 0 38 178 159 0 44 180 Tons of Curbside Compost Collected Tons of Curbside Bulk Recycled Tons of Curbside Brush Collected Tons of Curbside Textiles Collected Tons of Carts Recycled 42,716 206 6,713 46 177 38,971 272 9,357 42 221 5,604 6,049 9 148 3 35 24 268 5 25 i d e t r e v D s n o T 963 0 216 1,046 26,036 132 2,185 24 131 178 0 28 187 141 0 33 152 5,678 4,477 19 247 7 20 22 298 4 20 1,053 0 217 1,900 0 325 1,134 1,957 24,743 136 2,623 19 100 43,199 268 6,349 46 185 Total Diverted Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations Total Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations Estimated Percent of Curbside Collected Materials Diverted from Landfills by ARR 94,122 90,908 9,237 9,928 53,191 9,508 8,402 53,221 87,833 251,294 245,422 21,521 23,031 142,058 22,039 21,706 142,010 244,770 37.04% 36.61% 42.52% 42.72% 37.04% 42.74% 38.35% 37.05% 38.00% Pounds of Trash Collected per Customer per Pickup 24.39 25.16 24.94 23.82 24.24 24.18 25.28 24.34 23.91 Number of Trash and Recycling Customers 215,723 211,313 206,470 228,238 215,729 218,102 218,251 215,327 219,720 Pounds of Recycled Materials Collected per Customer per Pickup (every other week) Pounds of Curbside Compost Collected per Customer per Week 15.19 14.70 14.68 13.76 14.55 14.30 14.63 15.10 12.63 7.67 7.14 12.61 12.32 8.01 12.12 9.55 7.63 7.61 Number of Curbside Compost Customers 214,366 209,968 205,217 226,711 214,393 216,378 216,534 213,695 218,266 Total Tons of Dead Animals Collected from COA Rights-of-Way and the Animal Shelter 55 73 5 5 39 6 6 40 59 Austin Resource Recovery Curbside Collection and Drop Off Center Operations 21,521 23,031 22,039 21,706 9,237 9,928 9,508 0 8,402 Mar 2025 Apr 2025 Mar 2026 Apr 2026 Total Diverted Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations Total Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations Estimated Percent of Curbside Collected Materials Diverted from Landfills by ARR 0 0 43% 38% 37% 38% 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Mar 2026 Apr 2026 FY26 YTD (Oct 25-Apr 26) FY 2026 Goal Category of Waste Generation Residential Waste Diversion (city serviced accounts) Community Diversion Rate Reporting Status and Diversion Results for All Categories of Waste Generation 2020-21 Actual 41.96% 2021-22 Actual 38.32% 2022-23 Actual 63.42% 2023-24 Actual 37.04% 2024-25 Goal 38.00% 2024-25 Current 37.05% * * * * * * *As prescribed in the (1) 2023 Austin Resource Recovery Comprehensive Plan, the Department shall conduct a detailed waste assessment study every five years to determine progress toward our Zero Waste goal. This plan is an update to the (2) 2011 Master Plan (see link below).The first such study was published in (3) 2015, titled Austin’s 2015 Community Diversion Study (see link below). The study focused on estimating diversion from both ARR-serviced properties and commercial properties. Commercial properties include retail businesses, food service establishments, professional offices, industrial properties, institutional facilities, government facilities and multifamily properties five units and larger. According to Austin's 2015 Community Diversion Study, Residential Waste Diversion Rate (City-serviced accounts) represents approximately 15% and the Community Diversion Rate (accounts serviced by private waste haulers) represents approximately 85% of the total citywide. (1) 2023 Austin Recovery Comprehensive Plan (2) 2011 Master Plan (3) Austin's 2015 Community Diversion Study Residential Waste Diversion (City-serviced accounts) 63.42% 41.96% 38.32% 37.04% 38.00% 37.05% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% 2020-21 Actual 2021-22 Actual 2022-23 Actual 2023-24 Actual 2024-25 Goal 2024-25 Current Category of Waste Generation Commercial Tons Landfilled** Commercial Tons Recycled** Commercial Organics Tons** CY22 1,358,344 454,031 87,896 CY23 897,211 343,834 87,279 CY24 1,277,232 586,600 57,046 ** Numbers reported here are compiled from self-reported data submitted by licensed private waste haulers via semi-annual tonnage reports required under Section 15-6-3 of the City Code on a calendar year basis and as such, ARR does not attest to the accuracy of these amounts. These numbers reflect data from 100-200 licensed haulers (number of haulers varies over time), and include haulers servicing dumpsters, roll-offs, construction and demolition debris, landscaping debris, and metal scrap. These numbers do not reflect all data sources included in Austin's 2015 Community Diversion Study. Zero Waste Advisory Commission Meeting - June 2026 Single Stream Recycling Statistical Report FY26: October thru April Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) and Balcones Resources, Inc. (BRI) Month and Year Contractor Tons Delivered Contractor Payments Net Value to the City Landfill Cost Avoidance Revenue Processing Cost Net Value Net Amount * Due/(Owed) $ per ton value Cost Per Ton Total October 2025 November 2025 December 2025 January 2026 February 2026 March 2026 April 2026 May 2026 June 2026 July 2026 1,672.37 2,392.88 $4,065 1,566.17 2,132.32 3,698.49 2,080.32 2,422.34 4,502.66 1,714.82 2,673.99 4,388.81 1,835.61 1,846.81 3,682.42 2,117.57 1,926.51 4,044.08 1,739.69 2,414.69 4,154.38 TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total 0.00 TDS BRI Total 0.00 TDS BRI Total 0.00 August 2026 TDS BRI Total 0.00 September 2026 TDS BRI Total 0.00 19,175.46 175,434.72 $194,610 83,618.50 234,502.39 $318,121 ($64,443.04) ($59,067.67) ($123,511) ($64,443.04) ($59,067.67) ($123,511) ($38.53) ($24.68) $28.90 $28.90 $17,597 $167,354 $184,952 $29,061 $201,397 $230,458 $24,016 $235,835 $259,850 $26,718 $173,113 $199,831 $32,942 $182,543 $215,485 $28,758 $237,708 $266,466 $78,309 $208,967 $287,275 $104,016 $237,389 $341,405 $85,741 $262,051 $347,792 $91,781 $180,897 $272,678 $105,879 $188,798 $294,676 $86,985 $236,639 $323,624 ($60,711) ($41,613) ($102,324) ($74,955) ($35,992) ($110,947) ($61,725) ($26,216) ($87,942) ($65,062) ($7,784) ($72,846) ($72,936) ($6,255) ($79,191) ($58,227) $1,069 ($57,157) ($60,711) ($41,613) ($102,324) ($74,955) ($35,992) ($110,947) ($61,725) ($26,216) ($87,942) ($65,062) ($7,784) ($72,846) ($72,936) ($6,255) ($79,191) ($58,227) $802 ($57,425) ($38.76) ($19.52) $28.90 $28.90 ($36.03) ($14.86) $28.90 $28.90 ($36.00) ($9.80) $28.90 $28.90 ($35.44) ($4.21) $28.90 $28.90 ($34.44) ($3.25) $28.90 $28.90 ($33.47) $0.33 $28.90 $28.90 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $48,331 $69,154 $117,486 $45,262 $61,624 $106,886 $60,121 $70,006 $130,127 $49,558 $77,278 $126,837 $53,049 $53,373 $106,422 $61,198 $55,676 $116,874 $50,277 $69,785 $120,062 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 FY26 Totals 28,536.09 $1,551,653 $2,185,571 ($633,917) ($634,185) $824,693