In an effort to cut down on the amount of聽food scraps being sent to Austin鈥檚 landfills, the city of Austin is expanding its curbside compost program to more customers. In two months, another 38,000 customers of聽Austin Resource Recovery will have access to curbside compost collection.
鈥淎lmost half of what you have in your trash cart right now could be turned into compost that can be used in gardens, in farming, and can amend our soil.,鈥� said Emlea Chanslor聽with Austin Resource Recovery.
The pilot program was rolled out in 2013 and until now, served 14,000 Austin Resource Recovery customers. Austin Resource Recovery says more than 15,000 tons of compostable was has been collected since the roll out. They鈥檙e expecting those numbers to spike with the additional households.
Vicky Pridgen is passionate about reducing waste. She serves as a聽Zero Waste聽block leader keeping her neighbors up to date on ways to reduce waste. She hopes the compost collection program keeps growing.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to get to Zero Waste by 2040, which is the city鈥檚 goal, then we have to, as a population, make steps towards getting there,鈥� said Pridgen.
The city says the program only works if people know what to put in the green bins. Food waste, food-soiled paper, pizza boxes and yard trimmings are all compostable. Things like glass and plastic are not.
Phil and Donna Gosh own聽Organics By Gosh,聽the company contracted by the city to collect the waste and turn it into compost for sale.
鈥淲e got an amazing place, our environment 鈥� and Austin in particular,鈥� Phil Gosh said, while expressing his excitement to continue participating in the program. 鈥淚f we work together we can make it better, and leave it better than when we found it.鈥�
The city has an聽online map showing which neighbors are currently part of the pilot program, and the ones joining the program on Oct. 2.
To read the full story, visit .