The Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) supports Austin’s zero waste goal. The ordinance requires:

  • Commercial business owners and multifamily properties to ensure that all commercial tenants, multifamily residents and employees have access to recycling.

  • Food-permitted businesses to ensure that all employees have convenient access to diversion methods that keep organic materials out of landfills. Organic material can include unused food, food scraps and food-soiled paper.

The property owner or business manager is responsible for meeting the recycling (and/or organics) requirements and to fill out a recycling (and/or organics) plan every year.  Violations of the URO (Austin City Code Chapter 15-6) are a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by fines up to $2,000 per day, per offense.

Learn more about the URO requirements for your business or property and submit your plan every year between October 1 and February 1.

Which of these describes you?

I own or manage a...

Blue button: click if you own or manage a commercial business or propertyBlue button: click if you own or manage a multifamily property

Green button: click if you own or manage a food-permitted business.

How do you know if your plan is complete?

  1. Go to the portal for your recycling plan or organics plan.
  2. Type the name or address of your business or property in the “find in this dataset” bar, located in the top right corner of the page (indicated by the blue arrow in the image below).
    Screenshot of database web page
  3. Your business property information will be in the results. Look under the "status" column to confirm that your plan is complete. You can also find your property ID and food permit number here, if needed.