Austin Resource Recovery provides bundled services to manage your recycling, composting, trash, large brush and bulk collection. Costs are based on your trash cart size and are a per-gallon charge.

We offer four trash cart sizes; choose the size that best fits your household’s needs. Save money on your utility bill by recycling and composting as much as possible so that you can switch to a smaller trash cart.

Trash cart size Monthly rates
24-gallon $24.55*
32-gallon $25.90*
64-gallon $31.35*
96-gallon $55.00*

*Includes a base fee of $20.45 

Learn about the base fee

The base fee on the Solid Waste Services section of the City of Austin utility bill pays for curbside recycling, composting and bi-annual large brush and bulk collection. Only curbside trash collection is charged a per-gallon cost. Because all these services are bundled into one base fee, you will still be charged for the services even if you opt-out or choose not to participate in one or more services. Austin Resource Recovery encourages you to recycle and compost as much as possible so you can save on your utility bill by choosing a smaller, less expensive trash cart.

Change the size of your trash cart

You may downsize to a smaller trash cart at no charge. If you switch to a larger trash cart, you will be charged a $15 one-time cart exchange fee. Administrative Rules require that each household have a 96-gallon trash cart before requesting an additional cart. The City also requires that customers' recycling capacity be equal to or larger than their trash capacity. To change your trash cart size, call 512-494-9400.

Learn about extra trash fees

Extra bags of trash that do not fit in your trash cart with the lid closed must be placed next to the trash cart and tagged with an extra trash sticker, which can be purchased at most local grocery stores for $5 plus tax. Extra bags without a sticker will be charged $10.20 plus tax per bag.

Learn about the clean community fee

All residents in Austin, including single-family homes and apartment and condo dwellers, pay a monthly $5.00 Clean Community Fee (this includes the Austin Resource Recovery portion only and is a price increase of $0.15, effective October 1, 2023) for services that keep Austin clean and enhance the livability of our neighborhoods and the downtown area. The Clean Community Fee funds the following: