The City of Austin is a leader in green building and sustainability programs. The Universal Recycling Ordinance supports Austin’s Zero Waste goal by requiring affected property owners to ensure that tenants and employees have access to convenient recycling. The ordinance is intended to increase the life of local landfills, reduce harmful environmental impacts, and encourage economic development.

The ordinance requires affected property owners and managers to provide sufficient recycling capacity at a convenient location for tenants and employees, recycling services, informational signage in both English and Spanish, bilingual recycling education for tenants and employees and online submission of your Annual Diversion Plan.

AYD is dedicated to participating in green building in Austin. Our LEED certification means we can provide debris recycling that’s mandatory for all LEED projects. On average, we recycle 98% of all materials that we haul. Any materials that cannot be recycled can still be collected and hauled to the appropriate facility by AYD, so you will not need to contract multiple companies to haul recycling and waste separately.

How Does The City Enforce the Uro?

During the first year after a property becomes subject to the URO, city staff will provide education and technical assistance to owners, property managers and their tenants. If owners and managers are making good faith efforts to comply with the Ordinance, Austin Resource Recover staff will work to cooperatively solve unique implementation challenges. After the initial one-year period, affected property owners that do not meet the minimum standards of a compliant recycling program may be subject to fines and enforcement by Austin Code Compliance.

What are the Penalties for not Complying with the URO?

Violations of the Ordinance are punishable by a fine of between $200 and $2,000 per deficiency, per day.

How Does the City Ensure that Properties Meet Requirements?

Each year, affected properties complete the online Recycling Plan Form to report their level of service and education efforts. In addition, City staff may respond to complaints and inspect properties to confirm compliance with the URO.