Regional Compliance Hub: Electronics + Household Hazardous Waste + Styrofoam — Recycle & Reuse Center — Austin / Travis County, TX
The City of Austin’s Recycle & Reuse Center provides qualifying City of Austin and Travis County residents with an appointment-based drop-off location for
household hazardous waste (HHW),
electronics including televisions and computers,
and hard-to-recycle materials such as
clean Styrofoam,
plastic bags,
and plastic film or wrap.
[1]
Primary facility:
City of Austin Recycle & Reuse Center — 2514 Business Center Dr, Austin, TX 78744
.
[1]
Jurisdiction note:
Facility eligibility for City of Austin and Travis County residents does
not mean that the City of Austin’s multifamily recycling and composting ordinance applies throughout Travis County.
The Universal Recycling Ordinance requirements described below apply to covered properties located within the
City of Austin.
[3]
Appointments Required — Schedule Before Visiting
Facility policy:
The Recycle & Reuse Center requires an appointment for drop-off and reuse-item pickup visits.
Residents should schedule their appointment before traveling to the facility.
[1]
Schedule the right way:
Use the City’s appointment portal at
Austin Resource Recovery — Schedule an Appointment
or schedule through the Austin Recycles mobile app.
[1]
- Customer-status verification: Austin Resource Recovery’s current administrative rules require photo identification and a current City of Austin or Travis County utility bill from the previous 90 days to verify eligible customer status. Travis County residents who do not receive City of Austin utility service may use specified electric, water, trash, gas, phone, internet, or cable bills. [9]
- Cost: Qualifying City of Austin utility customers and Travis County jurisdiction residents can drop off many accepted materials at no cost after customer status is verified. Customers who cannot establish qualifying status and residents from outside the eligible jurisdiction may be charged a service fee plus applicable material fees. Separate fees also apply to certain items such as tires. [1][9]
- Clearly not accepted: Mattresses, non-recyclable trash, Styrofoam packing peanuts, toilets, brush, and yard trimmings. [1]
- Furniture warning: The City’s page separately lists certain lawn chairs and furniture as accepted recyclables while also listing general furniture as not accepted. Residents should use the City’s What Do I Do With? tool to verify the exact item before making an appointment. [1]
- Tires: $6 per tire under the City’s currently published facility policy. Verify the current fee before traveling. [1]
PROPERTY-MANAGER HHW COMPLIANCE WARNING
Do not create an apartment-wide HHW collection, consolidation, storage, or resident-pickup program without first determining whether Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements apply.
TCEQ regulates organized household hazardous waste collection activities.
Depending on the program structure, the person responsible for the
collection, aggregation, or storage
of resident HHW may become the program operator.
Covered programs can involve advance notification, operational planning,
training, segregation, storage, transportation, reporting, vendor, and disposal requirements.
TCEQ generally requires notification at least
45 days before covered HHW collection activity,
including certain point-of-generation or household-pickup programs.
[11][12]
National Doorstep’s standard valet-trash service should exclude HHW.
Porters should not collect, consolidate, store, or transport fuels,
pesticides, oil-based paints, pool chemicals, automotive fluids,
or similar hazardous materials as part of ordinary doorstep service
unless a separately designed and legally compliant specialty program has been established.
Electronics & Household Hazardous Waste: What This Center Is Designed For
Household hazardous waste:
Accepted household-generated materials include
paint and thinners,
pesticides and herbicides,
pool chemicals,
car and household batteries,
automotive fluids and oil filters,
cleaning products,
fluorescent bulbs,
cooking oil,
and qualifying propane cylinders.
[1]
Current HHW quantity rule:
City of Austin and Travis County residents may bring
up to 30 total gallons of home-generated liquid hazardous waste
at no additional cost.
Individual containers must have a capacity of
five gallons or less.
If more than 30 gallons are presented, the resident may be charged the City’s cost for disposal of the excess.
The Director may impose additional material or quantity restrictions for worker safety or equipment limitations.
[9]
Electronics:
Accepted electronics include
computers,
cell phones and chargers,
printers,
televisions,
and other electronic equipment and appliances listed by the City.
[1]
Apartment essentials:
The Center accepts
clean and dry plastic bags,
clean and dry plastic film or wrap,
and clean and dry Styrofoam,
excluding Styrofoam packing peanuts.
[1]
- Household waste only: The Center does not accept hazardous waste generated by a business. Waste generated by apartment maintenance operations, contractors, leasing offices, or other commercial activity must not be presented as resident household waste. [1][9]
- Not accepted as HHW: Radioactive materials, biologically active materials, ammunition or explosive materials, certain pressurized-gas cylinders, and hazardous waste generated by a business are prohibited under the current administrative rules. [9]
- Transportation safety: Keep products in their original containers when possible, do not mix chemicals, use containers of five gallons or less, keep smaller containers upright in sturdy boxes, and follow the City’s current transportation instructions before traveling. [1][9]
Glass Recycling: Use the Property’s Recycling Program First
The City lists glass bottles and jars
as accepted drop-off recyclables at the Recycle & Reuse Center.
However, covered Austin multifamily properties must provide
single-stream recycling
that accepts
paper, cardboard, metal, glass, and hard plastics.
Residents should normally use their property’s labeled recycling collection system
before relying on an off-site drop-off option.
[1][3]
Safety note:
Keep loose or broken glass out of bagged doorstep trash unless the property’s written waste procedures provide a safe packaging method.
Never place exposed broken glass where residents, porters, maintenance personnel,
or hauling personnel may be injured.
Facility note:
The City states that the Center no longer offers free glass cullet for pickup.
[1]
Furniture, Mattresses & Trash Overflow Require Separate Planning
This Center is not a general bulk-waste or trash disposal facility.
Mattresses and non-recyclable trash are not accepted.
General furniture acceptance must be verified by item because the City’s facility page distinguishes between certain recyclable furniture and furniture that is not accepted.
[1]
Apartment-community limitation:
Austin Resource Recovery residential collection services apply to qualifying residential customers,
generally including single-family through fourplex properties.
Multifamily properties with
five or more units use private haulers.
Residents of larger apartment communities should follow their property’s bulk-item procedures
or use an authorized private reuse, hauling, transfer, or disposal option.
[2]
Reuse first:
Usable furniture, electronics, and household items should be donated or rehomed when a lawful reuse option is available.
Residents should never leave bulk items beside dumpsters,
collection enclosures, sidewalks, or other unauthorized locations.
-
Option 1 — Landfill:
Austin Community Landfill operated by WM
— 9900 Giles Rd, Austin, TX 78754.
Current published public disposal hours are
Monday–Friday, 7 AM–5 PM; Saturday, 7 AM–Noon; Sunday, closed.
Customers should confirm hours, fees, vehicle rules, and material acceptance before traveling.
[5]
Safety vest required: WM currently requires customers and persons assisting them to wear a safety vest. Customers may bring their own or purchase one at the gatehouse for $5 plus tax. [5] -
Option 2 — Disposal Facility:
Texas Disposal Systems Landfill and Citizens Convenience Center
— 3016 FM 1327, Creedmoor, TX 78610.
Published landfill hours are
Monday–Saturday, 7 AM–7 PM or sunset, whichever occurs first; Sunday, closed.
[6]
Fee reality check: TDS currently publishes a $66 minimum for general-public car, pickup, or SUV loads, plus applicable excess-volume charges, surcharges, fees, and taxes. Mattresses, box springs, couches, sleeper sofas, and other materials may carry additional charges. Rates can change, so confirm current pricing before traveling. [7] - Hazardous-material warning: Do not take household hazardous waste, liquids, paint, batteries, or other prohibited hazardous materials to a landfill unless the facility expressly confirms acceptance. Use the City’s HHW program or another legally authorized hazardous-waste provider. [1][5][7]
City of Austin Mandatory Multifamily Recycling + Commercial Composting Access
- Mandate Type: Covered multifamily property owners and managers must ensure residents and employees have convenient access to both recycling and composting collection services under Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance. [3][8]
- Applicability Threshold: Multifamily properties with five or more dwelling units located within the City of Austin. Covered property types include apartments, condominiums, dormitories, assisted-living facilities, and nursing homes. [3]
- Composting Effective Date: Covered multifamily properties have been required to provide convenient access to commercial composting collection since October 1, 2024. [3]
- Responsible Party: The multifamily property owner or manager is responsible for meeting the City’s recycling and composting requirements. [3]
Annual plan:
Covered properties must submit a recycling plan every year between
October 1 and February 1.
The plan documents the property’s licensed hauling services,
container sizes and locations,
collection frequency,
resident and employee education,
and signage.
[3]
Recycling capacity:
Provide single-stream recycling and either
recycling capacity equal to landfill-trash capacity
or 24 gallons of recycling capacity per unit per week.
Properties must provide enough capacity to avoid overflow.
[3]
Composting capacity:
Provide at least
one gallon of composting capacity per unit,
sufficient capacity to prevent overflow,
and collection by a
licensed hauler at least once per week.
Accepted composting materials must include
food scraps,
food-soiled paper,
and BPI-certified compostable products.
[3]
Container placement:
Outdoor recycling and composting dumpsters or carts must be located
25 feet or less from all landfill-trash dumpsters and carts.
[3][4]
Indoor collection:
Where indoor landfill-trash bins are provided in common areas,
the property must also provide grouped recycling and composting bins.
Indoor bins must be labeled as required by the City.
[3]
Signs and education:
Required signs must identify the waste stream,
list accepted materials,
and provide information in
at least two languages.
Recycling and composting education must be provided to residents and employees
in two languages within
30 days of move-in or hire,
when the program changes,
and every year.
[3]
Waiver pathway:
If a covered property is struggling to meet a URO requirement,
Austin Resource Recovery states that the property may
request a waiver after completing the required recycling plan.
A waiver is not automatic.
Properties should follow the City’s current application and supporting-document requirements.
[3]
AUSTIN PRIVATE WASTE HAULER LICENSE NOTICE
Austin Development Services states that private haulers that
collect, remove, or transport waste, recycling, and/or organic compost for a fee within the City of Austin
must obtain a
Private Waste Hauler License
under Austin Code Chapter 15-6, Article 3.
The City also states that an unlicensed vehicle may not collect or haul solid waste or recyclables from a site in Austin.
[10]
National Doorstep service-role notice:
National Doorstep’s standard operating model moves properly prepared resident materials
from apartment doors to property-designated containers on private property
and operates upstream from the property’s off-site disposal or processing provider.
Because Austin’s licensing language broadly addresses
collection, removal, and transportation,
property management and service providers should confirm whether a Private Waste Hauler License
or other authorization applies to the specific service configuration.
National Doorstep should not be characterized as automatically exempt from Austin’s private-hauler requirements unless the City’s current rules support that conclusion for the actual scope of service.
Enforcement & Potential Penalties
Violations of Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance,
located in Austin City Code Chapter 15-6,
are identified by the City as a
Class C misdemeanor
and may be punishable by fines of up to
$2,000 per day, per offense.
[8]
Property managers should maintain current
hauling contracts,
licensed-hauler information,
invoices,
container-capacity records,
site maps,
resident and employee education records,
signage documentation,
and annual-plan confirmation.
Documentation note:
Maintaining compliance documentation helps establish the property’s operating history
and supports response to City inquiries,
but documentation by itself does not cure a violation,
create an exemption,
or guarantee a defense to enforcement.
Austin Multifamily Property Manager Compliance Shortcut
1. Confirm jurisdiction:
Verify that the property is actually located within the City of Austin before applying the Universal Recycling Ordinance.
2. Confirm the 5+ unit threshold:
Austin’s multifamily recycling and composting requirements apply to covered multifamily properties with five or more dwelling units.
[3]
3. Maintain licensed hauling:
Confirm that the property’s trash, recycling, and composting service providers have the City authorization required for their actual scope.
[3][10]
4. Submit the annual recycling plan:
File the required plan every year between October 1 and February 1 and retain confirmation.
[3]
5. Verify capacity:
Maintain required recycling and composting capacity and increase service when needed to prevent overflow.
[3]
6. Verify placement:
Keep outdoor recycling and composting containers within 25 feet of landfill-trash containers.
[3]
7. Maintain bilingual signage and education:
Keep required labels/signs current and document annual and move-in/hire education.
[3]
8. Keep HHW out of routine valet service:
Do not collect or consolidate resident hazardous waste through ordinary doorstep collection.
Direct qualifying residents to Austin’s current HHW pathway.
[1][11]
9. Control bulk waste:
Larger apartment communities should maintain a property-specific bulk-waste and move-out procedure rather than relying on ARR residential curbside benefits.
[2]
10. Use the waiver process when appropriate:
If a property cannot satisfy a requirement, complete the required recycling plan and evaluate Austin’s current waiver pathway rather than simply operating outside the requirement.
[3]
How We Solve This For You (National Doorstep)
Compliance is operational.
National Doorstep helps Austin apartment communities improve resident participation,
reduce contamination,
control collection-area overflow,
and establish consistent resident handling procedures.
Residents can be educated to use the property’s required
on-site recycling and composting program
while separately routing
household-generated HHW and electronics
to the Recycle & Reuse Center by appointment,
clean Styrofoam and plastic film
to approved recycling options,
and
bulk furniture and mattresses
to authorized reuse, hauling, or disposal providers.
National Doorstep’s standard doorstep model can support
resident education,
set-out procedures,
collection logistics,
contamination reduction,
and documentation.
Doorstep collection does
not independently satisfy Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance
unless the property’s complete program also meets applicable City requirements for
licensed hauling,
required material streams,
recycling and composting capacity,
collection frequency,
container placement,
signs,
resident and employee education,
and annual plan submission.
National Doorstep’s standard service also excludes HHW
unless a separately authorized specialty program has been established.
CTA:
Request a Free Compliance Audit for your Austin Property
Compliance Disclaimer: This page provides general operational and regulatory information and is not legal advice. Facility eligibility, appointments, fees, accepted materials, HHW quantity limits, landfill rates, Universal Recycling Ordinance requirements, waiver standards, private-hauler licensing, TCEQ HHW-program rules, and enforcement practices can change. Property owners, managers, residents, and service providers should confirm current requirements with Austin Resource Recovery, Austin Development Services, TCEQ, the property’s licensed haulers, and the applicable disposal or processing facility before changing collection or disposal procedures.
EEAT Sources: [1] City of Austin — Recycle & Reuse Center: appointments, accepted materials, HHW restrictions, electronics, Styrofoam, tire fee & prohibited items | [2] City of Austin — Residential on-demand bulk, brush & HHW collection eligibility | [3] City of Austin — Multifamily Recycling & Composting Requirements: 5+ units, annual plan, capacity, placement, signs, education, weekly composting & waiver pathway | [4] City of Austin — Multifamily composting implementation & 25-foot placement guidance | [5] WM — Austin Community Landfill: address, public hours & safety-vest requirement | [6] Texas Disposal Systems — Landfill location, operating hours & contact information | [7] Texas Disposal Systems — Current gate rates, bulky-item surcharges, fees & prohibited materials | [8] City of Austin — Universal Recycling Ordinance & potential Chapter 15-6 penalties | [9] City of Austin — Chapter 15-6 Administrative Rules: customer-status verification, HHW 30-gallon threshold, container limits & prohibited materials | [10] Austin Development Services — Private Waste Hauler License requirements under Chapter 15-6, Article 3 | [11] TCEQ — Household Hazardous Waste Program Requirements: operators, notification, collection & reporting | [12] TCEQ — Additional HHW Program Guidance: point-of-generation collection, transportation & specialty-waste considerations
Last regulatory review: August 11, 2026. Facility hours, fees, accepted materials, administrative rules, hauling requirements, and enforcement practices may change. Property managers and residents should confirm current requirements with the applicable government agency, licensed hauler, or facility before taking action. This page provides general operational information and is not legal advice.
Austin, Travis County, and Greater Central Texas property owners, asset managers, regional managers, and community teams: waste and recycling obligations vary sharply by municipal boundary. National Doorstep’s valet trash, recycling, and organics programs can support resident participation, contamination control, enclosure cleanliness, collection logistics, and property-level documentation, but each community must first determine which city, county, franchise-hauler, licensing, fire-code, utility-service, and site-plan requirements apply.
Inside the City of Austin, multifamily communities with 5 or more dwelling units are subject to mandatory recycling and commercial composting-access requirements under Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO). Surrounding counties and cities generally do not automatically inherit Austin’s complete URO framework, but many impose their own commercial-service, franchise, container, development, fire-access, litter, nuisance, bulk-waste, and illegal-dumping requirements.
Important jurisdiction rule: County names on this page are geographic guides only. A property’s obligations are generally determined by its actual city limits, utility account, service territory, municipal franchise, approved development plan, fire-code jurisdiction, and waste-hauling arrangement— not merely its mailing address or county name.
National Doorstep — Austin Service-Role & Private-Hauler Notice
National Doorstep’s standard operating model moves properly prepared resident materials from apartment doors to property-designated containers on private property and operates upstream from the property's off-site disposal, recycling, or compost-processing provider.
Austin Development Services states that a private hauler that collects, removes, or transports waste, recycling, and/or organic compost within the City of Austin must obtain the applicable Private Waste Hauler License under Austin Code Chapter 15-6, Article 3.
Because Austin’s licensing language is broad, property management and service providers should confirm whether the City's licensing requirements apply to the actual doorstep-service configuration. National Doorstep’s onsite operating model should not be characterized as automatically exempt unless the City’s current requirements support that conclusion.
The property should also verify that its off-site trash, recycling, and compost providers hold the licenses and other authorizations required for the services they actually perform.
Property-Manager HHW Warning — Texas Collection Rules
Do not create an apartment-wide household-hazardous-waste pickup, consolidation, aggregation, or storage program without first determining whether TCEQ HHW-program requirements apply.
TCEQ defines an HHW program operator as the person responsible for the collection, aggregation, or storage of household hazardous waste. Covered HHW programs—including certain point-of-generation or household pickup programs— generally require advance notification to TCEQ and can involve operational, training, storage, transportation, reporting, vendor, and disposal requirements.
National Doorstep’s standard valet-trash service should exclude HHW. Resident fuels, pesticides, oil-based paint, pool chemicals, automotive fluids, solvents, and similar hazardous materials should not be collected through routine doorstep trash service unless a separately designed and legally compliant specialty program exists.
- NOI & Property Value Support: Amenity-driven doorstep collection for trash, recycling, and where appropriate organics can support resident satisfaction, renewals, cleaner communities, and stronger operating discipline.
- Resident Convenience & Cleanliness: Structured doorstep service can reduce loose bags, enclosure overflow, contamination, unauthorized bulk set-outs, and resident trips to distant collection areas.
- Compliance Support: Programs can be coordinated with Austin’s URO, San Marcos multifamily recycling, local permitted/franchised hauler requirements, bulk-waste rules, and county nuisance and illegal-dumping standards.
- Code-Smart Operations: Right-sized containers, unobstructed fire access, labeled streams, documented service, resident education, and clear prohibited-material procedures support inspections and complaint response.
At a Glance: City of Austin vs. Travis County Outside Austin
City of Austin
- Mandate Type: Mandatory Multifamily Recycling + Commercial Composting Access under Austin City Code Chapter 15-6 and the Universal Recycling Ordinance.
- Applicability Threshold: Covered multifamily properties with 5 or more dwelling units inside Austin city limits.
- Covered Properties: Apartments, condominiums, dormitories, assisted-living facilities, and nursing homes meeting the threshold.
- Recycling: Provide single-stream recycling accepting required materials, with capacity equal to landfill-trash capacity or at least 24 gallons per dwelling unit per week.
- Composting: Provide at least 1 gallon of compost capacity per dwelling unit, sufficient capacity to prevent overflow, and at least weekly collection through an appropriately licensed hauler.
- Placement: Outdoor recycling and compost containers must be 25 feet or less from landfill-trash containers.
- Indoor Collection: Where indoor landfill-trash bins are offered in common areas, grouped recycling and composting bins are also required.
- Signs & Education: Required signs and education must include information in at least two languages. Education is required within the City's specified move-in/hire timeframe, when the program changes, and annually.
- Annual Plan: Submit the annual recycling plan between October 1 and February 1.
- Waiver: A property having difficulty meeting a requirement may evaluate the City's waiver process after completing the required annual plan. A waiver is not automatic.
-
Key Links:
Austin Multifamily Recycling & Composting Requirements
Austin Universal Recycling Ordinance
Austin Private Waste Hauler Licensing
Travis County Outside Austin
- Mandate Type: No Austin-style countywide apartment recycling-and-composting mandate was identified in the official County materials reviewed for this update.
- No Countywide 5-Unit URO Trigger Identified: Austin’s five-unit URO threshold should not be applied automatically to private property outside Austin city limits.
- Municipal Rules May Apply: Properties inside another incorporated city in Travis County can be subject to that city's waste, utility, development, franchise, fire, and nuisance requirements.
- Property Operations: Prevent unlawful dumping, litter, uncontrolled waste accumulation, leakage, pests, odors, blocked access, and other nuisance conditions.
- County Policy Limitation: City–County Zero Waste policies and cooperative programs should not be represented as independently extending Austin’s URO to every private apartment property in Travis County.
- State Law: Texas nuisance, illegal-dumping, lawful-disposal, and environmental requirements remain applicable.
-
Key Links:
Travis County — Nuisances, Junked Vehicles & Litter
Travis County Recycling & Disposal
Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343
Fines, Enforcement & Operational Exposure
- Austin — URO: City guidance states that violations of the Universal Recycling Ordinance may be treated as a Class C misdemeanor and may be punishable by fines of up to $2,000 per day, per offense.
- Austin — Private Hauler: Austin separately regulates private waste haulers. Property managers should verify required licensing rather than assuming an onsite or off-site provider is exempt.
- Austin — Operational Exposure: Missing annual plans, inadequate capacity, absent required streams, incorrect container placement, deficient education/signage, or recurring overflow can create compliance issues.
- San Marcos — Commercial Hauler Violations: Chapter 66, Article 3 governing commercial solid-waste hauling provides that a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $150 and not more than $2,000 for each violation. This penalty should not be represented as the automatic fine for every multifamily recycling or property-manager issue in San Marcos.
- County & State Enforcement: Illegal dumping, unauthorized disposal, unlawful waste accumulation, and public nuisances can result in citations, abatement, cleanup-cost recovery, civil remedies, or criminal penalties depending on the governing law.
- Contractual Exposure: Overflow, contamination, blocked containers, prohibited materials, extra pickups, rejected loads, and bulk waste can generate vendor charges even where no government citation is issued.
- Documentation: Maintain contracts, container inventories, schedules, annual plans where applicable, invoices, education records, contamination notices, bulk-removal records, and dated photographs. Documentation supports the operational record but does not create immunity from enforcement.
Greater Central Texas Property Manager Market Guide
Williamson County — North of Austin
Round Rock · Cedar Park · GeorgetownCounty-level status: No dedicated countywide ordinance requiring all private apartment communities to provide Austin-style resident recycling and composting service was identified in the materials reviewed. Municipal and service-territory rules remain controlling.
Round Rock
- Commercial service: All commercial garbage and recycling collection services are currently performed through Republic Services.
- Multifamily and other commercial properties should verify the exact account classification, container inventory, service frequency, locks, gates, and access arrangements.
- No separate Austin-style multifamily composting mandate was identified in the City materials reviewed.
- Property-manager priority: do not hire an independent commercial trash or recycling collector without first confirming that the service is permitted within Round Rock's single-provider framework.
- Schedule extra service before recurring overflow, move-out periods, holiday peaks, or large cardboard accumulation.
- Keep dumpsters and recycling containers accessible; blocked gates and parked vehicles can result in missed service.
- Do not assume the City's residential annual bulk pickup applies to apartment or commercial-property waste.
- Round Rock Garbage & Recycling
Cedar Park
- Commercial garbage service is available through Republic Services.
- No dedicated multifamily recycling or commercial-composting mandate was identified in the City materials reviewed.
- HHW distinction: the City's household hazardous-waste program does not accept business or commercial waste.
- Apartment maintenance chemicals, contractor materials, pool chemicals, lamps, oils, batteries, and similar property-generated waste should use an appropriate commercial disposal pathway.
- Property managers should verify commercial recycling availability, accepted materials, dumpster sizes, enclosure requirements, and bulk procedures directly with the provider.
- Resident household-disposal benefits should not be used as a substitute for the property’s commercial waste contract.
- Cedar Park Commercial Garbage Contact · Cedar Park HHW
Georgetown
- Commercial/nonresidential solid-waste service is provided through Texas Disposal Systems under the City's current service structure.
- Commercial recycling can be arranged through the applicable service provider.
- Georgetown expressly treats multifamily complexes as commercial properties for its ordinary curbside bulk-waste program.
- TDS does not provide the standard residential curbside bulk benefit to multifamily complexes.
- Property-manager priority: maintain a written furniture, mattress, appliance, and move-out bulk procedure rather than directing residents to set items at the curb.
- Confirm commercial service rates, container sizes, recycling availability, and transfer-station fees before publishing resident guidance.
- Georgetown Commercial Services · Georgetown Multifamily Bulk Guidance
Hays County — South of Austin
San Marcos · Kyle · BudaCounty-level status: No countywide Austin-style apartment recycling mandate was identified. In unincorporated Hays County, applicable fire-code provisions can affect qualifying multifamily development and substantial improvement.
San Marcos
- 5+ Unit Multifamily Recycling: San Marcos Multifamily Recycling Ordinance 2010-73 requires the City to provide recycling services to all multifamily properties with five or more units.
- The City currently fulfills that requirement through its contract with Texas Disposal Systems.
- Property owners/managers are required to provide residents access to the City-contracted recycling service.
- The applicable multifamily recycling service fee may be billed through resident utility accounts or the owner/manager's utility account, depending on the property's configuration.
- Commercial garbage: apartment property managers arrange commercial solid-waste collection through a City-permitted commercial hauler.
- Commercial containers must be maintained on the customer’s property, prevent scattering, remain sanitary and in good repair, identify the hauler, and be serviced at least weekly under the City’s commercial-hauler framework.
- New development should preserve the required trash/recycling enclosure and site-plan capacity established through the development process.
- Do not characterize San Marcos recycling as merely an optional “available program” for covered 5+ unit multifamily properties.
- San Marcos Multifamily Recycling Ordinance · San Marcos Commercial Hauler Requirements
Kyle
- The City currently contracts trash, recycling, and green-waste service with Texas Disposal Systems.
- No separate Austin-style five-unit multifamily recycling/composting mandate was identified in the City materials reviewed.
- Resident-benefit warning: Kyle's free monthly landfill drop-off and twice-yearly bulky pickup are tied to eligible Kyle utility customers.
- Do not promise those residential benefits to every apartment resident, commercial account, contractor, or property-management load.
- The San Marcos HHW facility referenced by Kyle accepts residential waste only—no commercial waste.
- Property managers should separately establish procedures for furniture, mattresses, construction debris, HHW, electronics, and maintenance waste.
- Verify whether the apartment is served through a City utility account, master account, development agreement, or other approved commercial configuration.
- Kyle Solid Waste Services
Buda
- Texas Disposal Systems provides trash, recycling, green waste, and bulk-waste services within the City.
- Buda maintains an exclusive franchise for temporary roll-off services.
- Do not order an outside temporary roll-off provider without first confirming the City's franchise requirements.
- No separate Austin-style multifamily URO was identified in the City materials reviewed.
- Property managers should confirm whether the apartment account receives residential-style service or an applicable commercial arrangement before relying on published cart, bulk, landfill, or recycling benefits.
- Household hazardous-waste services are for eligible household-generated materials; property-generated commercial waste should use an appropriate vendor.
- Buda Solid Waste Information · Buda HHW Guidance
Bastrop County — East of Austin
Bastrop · ElginCounty-level status: No dedicated countywide multifamily recycling or composting mandate was identified in the official materials reviewed. Unincorporated properties should maintain lawful collection/disposal and prevent dumping and nuisance conditions.
City of Bastrop
- Texas Disposal Systems currently directly invoices commercial solid-waste customers under the City's published commercial rate structure.
- The City publishes commercial front-load/cart options and extra-pickup charges.
- Commercial recycling dumpster service is expressly listed as non-exclusive.
- Property managers therefore should distinguish the City's/franchise trash-service requirements from separately available commercial recycling.
- Confirm contamination charges, enclosure access, extra pickups, compactor/roll-off rules, and actual tonnage charges before contracting.
- No ordinance requiring every apartment community to subscribe to recycling or commercial composting was identified in the reviewed materials.
- Bastrop Commercial Solid Waste & Recycling Rates · Bastrop Solid Waste
Elgin
- Elgin Utility Billing administers City utility and garbage-service functions.
- No dedicated Austin-style multifamily recycling or commercial-composting mandate was identified in the City materials reviewed.
- Property managers should verify the specific commercial or multifamily account configuration rather than relying on single-family service descriptions.
- Confirm dumpster/container service, recycling availability, bulk procedures, missed-service contacts, and prohibited materials directly with the City/provider.
- Written resident rules should identify where furniture, mattresses, appliances, construction debris, electronics, and HHW must go.
- Elgin Utility Billing & Garbage Services
Caldwell County — Southeast of Austin
Lockhart · LulingCounty-level status: No dedicated countywide apartment recycling or composting mandate was identified in the materials reviewed. Properties remain responsible for lawful collection/disposal and nuisance prevention.
Lockhart
- Lockhart's new seven-year solid-waste/recycling agreement took effect July 1, 2026 for commercial customers.
- The current City service guide identifies optional commercial recycling service for local businesses.
- The expanded universal residential recycling and monthly residential bulk programs should not be represented as commercial multifamily benefits.
- Updated commercial rates took effect July 1, 2026; property managers should use the current commercial rate schedule rather than pre-transition pricing.
- Confirm container sizes, collection frequency, optional recycling, locks, gates, extra pickups, and bulk arrangements directly with the current provider.
- No separate mandate requiring every private apartment property to subscribe to commercial recycling was identified in the reviewed materials.
- Lockhart Expanded Waste & Recycling Services
Luling
- Luling's solid-waste program includes commercial garbage service and separately priced commercial recycling containers.
- No dedicated apartment recycling or commercial-composting mandate was identified in the reviewed City materials.
- Do not automatically apply residential bulk, landfill, or household-disposal benefits to apartment ownership, contractors, maintenance operations, or commercial loads.
- Property managers should confirm the commercial account, container schedule, recycling availability, bulk eligibility, and disposal charges.
- Keep furniture and move-out debris out of ordinary dumpster areas unless the property’s contract specifically accommodates those items.
- Luling Garbage Collection · Luling Solid Waste Charges
Burnet County — Northwest of Austin
Marble Falls · BurnetCounty-level status: No dedicated countywide multifamily recycling or commercial-composting mandate was identified in the materials reviewed. Properties outside municipal service areas should verify private hauling and lawful disposal options.
Marble Falls
- The City currently contracts with Waste Management for garbage and recycling collection.
- The City states that residential and commercial customers receive weekly garbage collection and biweekly recycling service.
- Commercial customers should confirm their actual rate, container size, pickup location, and account structure with Waste Management.
- Property managers should not automatically apply residential curbside bulk instructions to commercial apartment operations.
- Keep recyclables loose—not bagged—where required by the City's program, and maintain containers so lids can close and access remains clear.
- TVs, paint, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, tires, motor oil, construction debris, and other prohibited materials should use an appropriate separate disposal pathway.
- Marble Falls Utilities · Marble Falls Trash, Recycling & Bulk Guidance
City of Burnet
- As of the August 11, 2026 review, the City continues to identify ACDI / Al Clawson Disposal as its contracted provider for residential and commercial solid waste/recycling.
- Commercial services currently include trash carts, recycling carts, dumpsters, and roll-off service.
- Commercial customers can request multiple carts and more frequent service depending on operational needs.
- Commercial recycling is currently collected every other week under the City's published ACDI guidance.
- Property managers should keep recycling loose, avoid overloading dumpsters, and maintain accessible containers on collection day.
- Furniture, mattresses, construction debris, pallets, heavy masonry, and similar materials should not be placed into ordinary commercial dumpsters contrary to current provider guidance.
- The City's current website still identifies ACDI as the contracted provider; property managers should rely on current City service pages before implementing any future provider change.
- Burnet Solid Waste & Recycling Services · Burnet Commercial Services
Property Manager Compliance Checklist — Austin & Greater Central Texas
On phones and tablets, swipe horizontally. The Property Manager Task column remains visible.
| Property Manager Task | Action / Requirement | Why It Matters | Authoritative Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☑ Confirm Jurisdiction & Service Territory | Verify the property’s actual municipal limits, county, utility service territory, ETJ/MUD status where relevant, fire-code authority, franchise-hauler area, and approved site plan. | Austin's URO should not be applied merely because a mailing address says Austin or the property is in Travis County. | Austin URO |
| ☑ Identify Required / Authorized Providers | Determine whether the jurisdiction uses an exclusive provider, designated provider, permitted commercial haulers, municipal utility service, or open-market commercial service. | A vendor may be operationally capable of providing service but not authorized under the municipality's franchise or permit structure. | Round Rock · San Marcos |
| ☑ Review Austin Private-Hauler Licensing | For City of Austin properties, determine whether each vendor collecting, removing, or transporting waste, recycling, or organics requires a Private Waste Hauler License. | Austin's published licensing description is broad; onsite valet collection should not be marketed as automatically exempt. | Austin Private Waste Hauler |
| ☑ Complete Austin URO Requirements | For covered Austin properties with 5+ units, maintain required recycling and compost access, capacity, weekly compost service, outdoor placement, indoor grouped bins where applicable, bilingual signage/education, and the annual plan. | These are separate components of the City's multifamily compliance framework; doorstep trash alone does not satisfy them. | Austin Multifamily Requirements |
| ☑ Confirm San Marcos 5+ Recycling Access | For a San Marcos property with 5 or more units, confirm that residents have access to the City-contracted multifamily recycling service and that billing/service records are correct. | San Marcos Ordinance 2010-73 establishes a specific multifamily recycling framework; it should not be described merely as an optional recycling program. | San Marcos Recycling Ordinance |
| ☑ Right-Size Containers & Frequency | Review occupancy, container volume, service days, compactor performance, cardboard generation, contamination, move-in/move-out peaks, holidays, and missed pickups. | Chronic overflow can create litter, pest, access, resident-experience, and enforcement problems. | Austin Capacity Rules |
| ☑ Protect Fire & Collection Access | Keep dumpsters, recycling carts, compost containers, gates, bulk waste, resident set-outs, and parked vehicles clear of fire lanes, hydrants, exits, accessible routes, drainage paths, and collection-truck access. | Waste-service convenience cannot override fire, emergency-access, and life-safety requirements. | Hays County Fire Code |
| ☑ Create a Property Bulk-Waste Program | Establish written procedures for furniture, mattresses, appliances, televisions, tires, construction debris, move-out loads, and abandoned property. | Residential municipal bulk benefits frequently do not apply to multifamily/commercial properties. | Georgetown Multifamily Bulk Guidance |
| ☑ Separate Resident HHW From Property Waste | Do not treat resident-only HHW facilities or collection programs as disposal outlets for maintenance, pool, landscaping, contractor, renovation, or leasing-office waste. | Household-generated waste and commercial/property-generated waste can have different eligibility and regulatory requirements. | TCEQ HHW Requirements |
| ☑ Do Not Aggregate HHW Through Routine Valet Service | Do not create a porter-based resident HHW pickup, aggregation, or storage program without evaluating TCEQ requirements and applicable local facility eligibility. | TCEQ regulates organized HHW collection programs, including certain point-of-generation household pickups. | TCEQ HHW Program Assistance |
| ☑ Resident Education & Signage | Provide clear instructions covering doorstep set-outs, accepted recyclables, compost where applicable, cardboard, contamination, HHW, electronics, bulk items, and violation escalation. | Austin properties must additionally satisfy the City's specific two-language education and signage standards. | Austin Education & Signage |
| ☑ Preserve Compliance Documentation | Retain contracts, provider authorization/licensing where applicable, invoices, container sizes, collection schedules, annual-plan confirmations, resident notices, contamination records, photos, bulk receipts, and specialty-waste disposal records. | Documentation helps establish the property's operating history and allows management to respond quickly to complaints or inspections. | Proof of Pickup® |
| ☑ Monitor Provider & Ordinance Changes | Recheck municipal service pages, contracts, franchise provisions, rates, and accepted materials before acquisition, budget season, contract renewal, renovation, or resident-policy changes. | Central Texas provider assignments and service terms can change quickly. | National Multifamily Recycling Ordinance Database |
Need a Central Texas compliance and operations check? National Doorstep can review the property's jurisdiction, service provider, recycling and compost requirements, container layout, doorstep workflow, resident education, bulk procedures, and documentation process.
National Doorstep's standard service should not be characterized as automatically exempt from Austin's private-hauler licensing framework. Likewise, standard valet-trash service should exclude HHW unless a separately structured and legally compliant specialty program has been established.
Statements that no dedicated multifamily recycling mandate was identified mean that no broad Austin-style mandate was found in the official materials reviewed. Site-specific development conditions, franchise requirements, contracts, utility classifications, fire requirements, or later ordinances may still apply.
Last regulatory review: August 11, 2026. Ordinances, administrative guidance, franchise providers, commercial rates, accepted materials, program eligibility, and enforcement practices may change. Property managers should confirm current requirements with the applicable city, county, fire-code authority, utility department, licensed/authorized hauler, and processing/disposal facility before making operational or contractual decisions. This page provides general operational information and is not legal advice.
Interested in talking about how we can work together? Here's our contact info.
