Construction and Demolition Recycling Ordinance

Which projects are affected by the Ordinance?

Construction projects

Building permits for more than 5,000 square feet of new, added or remodeled floor area.

Commercial demolition projects 

Commercial and multifamily demolition projects of all sizes.

Who is responsible?

General contractors with affected construction and demolition projects within the City of Austin are responsible for being in compliance with the Ordinance and submitting a recycling report.

General contractors should work closely with their subcontractors, licensed hauler(s), and the processors and/or reuse facilities receiving the construction and demolition debris to meet the Ordinance requirements.

What do I need to do?

1. Recycle construction and demolition debris

General contractors with affected projects must do at least one of the following:

• Divert at least 50% of the construction and demolition project debris from the landfill OR
• Dispose of less than 2.5 pounds of construction and demolition debris per square foot of permitted floor area in the landfill.

It's important to prepare in advance to successfully meet the C&D Recycling Ordinance requirements. Before the project begins, general contractors are encouraged to develop a plan for managing their C&D debris using the Waste Management Plan worksheet.  

General contractors can meet the recycling requirements by reusing construction and demolition material on site, sending separated materials to reuse facilities, sending mixed materials to construction and demolition processors or a combination.

Best practices for recycling at construction and demolition sites

1. Create a waste management plan before the project begins. 

Identify the types of “waste” materials you’ll generate that can be reused and recycled at each stage of the project. 

Common materials to reuse or recycle:

• Concrete and paving
• Corrugated cartons
• Wood
• Metal
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Plastics
• Windows
• Doors
• Appliances
• Light fixtures
• Furniture
• Based on the types of recyclable and reusable material you'll generate, choose the right recycling and disposal options and haulers.
  • A mixed construction and demolition processor allows you to combine materials into one dumpster.
  • Processors that require separating materials by type typically allows for more savings (plus, it leads to higher recycling rates).

2. Contact haulers and recyclers as early as possible.

Confirm that they’ll provide weight tickets for recycled and landfilled materials. 

You’ll need these tickets for your final recycling report, so keep track of them for reporting.

3. Make informed purchasing decisions to minimize waste. 

Focus on:

• Ordering only what you need to avoid excess materials.
• Investing in reusable products, like steel mesh fences.
• Considering suppliers that offer returnable packaging.
• Planning deliveries to align with construction phases.

4. Organize your job site, keeping the recycling and disposal equipment and options in mind. 

Consider the following:

• Determine the number of dumpsters and recycling bins needed.
• Clearly label containers to encourage proper sorting.
• Place recycling bins next to trash bins to reduce contamination risk.
• Create separate areas for reusable materials, recycling, donations, and hazardous materials.
• Cover bins overnight and place them strategically to prevent illegal dumping.
• Store and cover materials properly to minimize weather damage.

5. Train and educate your team on proper recycling practices. 

Use these strategies:

• Hold meetings or orientations to explain recycling procedures.
• Provide written guidelines for all workers, including subcontractors.
• Use photos to illustrate the impact of incorrect recycling.

2. Track and log weight tickets throughout project

• Before work begins, inform your subcontractors, licensed hauler(s), and the processors and/or reuse facilities receiving the construction and demolition debris about the Ordinance requirements. Confirm they will provide you with the tons of construction and demolition debris landfilled and diverted from the job site.

• Throughout the project, collect all weight tickets to track your recycling and landfilling rates. Use this weight ticket organizer spreadsheet (.xls) to calculate the tons landfilled and tons diverted. This is not required if all construction and demolition materials were sent to one location and a weight ticket summary was provided. 

3. Submit a recycling report

General contractors with an affected project must submit the required recycling report online when a final building inspection is requested. This report must show how many tons of construction and demolition debris were recycled and landfilled during the project and the project's diversion rate.

Licensed haulers and facilities receiving the construction debris can provide general contractors with the tonnage information they need to complete the recycling report. 

Steps to submit your recycling report

1. Gather the information you’ll need 

To comply with the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling Ordinance, general contractors with affected projects must submit a required recycling report. General contractors must save and track weight tickets (or qualified processor hauling summaries) in order to report tons landfilled and tons diverted for the project. The recycling report is due when the final building inspection is requested, but may be submitted earlier. General contractors will need this information to submit the required recycling report:  

• Contact information of the general contractor 
• Project information
• Permit numbers
• Floor area
• Project address 
• Weight tickets (provided by licensed haulers) or qualified processor hauling summaries for: 
• Tons landfilled for the entire project 
• Tons diverted from the landfill for the entire project  

2. Prepare in advance 

Work with your subcontractors, licensed hauler(s), and processor and/or reuse facilities to gather tonnage information. Request that they provide individual weight tickets or a summary of all weight tickets in one document. If a weight ticket summary can't be provided, set up a weight ticket organizer spreadsheet (.xls) for individual weight tickets. 

3. Save and log during your project 

Save all individual weight tickets and/or summaries throughout your project. This includes landfill trips, mixed C&D, source separated materials (like metals or cardboard) and reuse efforts. 

Log individual weight tickets into the weight ticket organizer spreadsheet (.xls) as soon as you receive them or log at regular intervals (e.g., at the end of the week or month). A weight ticket organizer isn't necessary if you sent all of your construction and demolition materials to one place that has provided or will provide a weight ticket summary of the entire project. 

4. Submit your completed report when you request final inspection 

The required recycling report is due when final inspection is requested, but may be submitted earlier. 

Failure to submit the required report when the final inspection is requested is a violation of the reporting requirement and subject to a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by fines up to $500 per day, per offense. Please note the reporting requirement to Austin Resource Recovery is separate from the permitting process with the Development Services Department. 

Start a recycling report.

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Tonnage calculation 

The recycling report requires you to enter the "tons diverted" and "tons landfilled” for your project. You can calculate these numbers two different ways: 

A. Qualified processor hauling summary 

Qualified processors provide a simple summary of the total tons processed and the facility’s average diversion rate. To calculate tons diverted, multiply the facility’s diversion rate by the total tons processed. To calculate tons landfilled, subtract tons diverted from total tons. 

Example: 100 total tons processed at a qualified processing facility with an 85% average diversion rate. 

85% diversion rate x 100 total tons = 85 tons diverted 

100 total tons – 85 tons diverted = 15 tons landfilled 

B. Individual weight tickets 

Processors and licensed haulers often provide weight tickets with the tons landfilled and tons diverted for each load of construction and demolition debris removed from a job site. 

To calculate total tons landfilled and tons diverted for an entire project, add the tons landfilled and tons diverted from all of the weight tickets for your project in the weight ticket summary spreadsheet (.xls). 

Find a licensed hauler or service provider

As part of the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling Ordinance, general contractors have options for which construction and demolition materials to reuse or recycle from affected projects. Common construction and demolition materials that can be reused or recycled include concrete and paving, corrugated cartons, wood, metal, paper, cardboard and plastics, and building components like windows and doors. Contractors also have options for where to take the construction and demolition material, including reuse or recycling facilities, using a qualified processor, and/or using mixed construction and demolition processors. 

The list of C&D Recycling Facilities and Service Providers is supplied without endorsement. Other providers may also be available. The operational status of the providers may change. 

Many general contractors of affected projects use licensed haulers to take construction and demolition debris to any of several facilities, including:  

• Reuse or recycling facilities
• Mixed construction and demolition processors
• Landfills 

Plus, licensed haulers or the facilities receiving the construction and demolition debris materials can provide the weight information a general contractor needs for their required recycling reports. Before the project starts, general contractors should reach out to their subcontractors, licensed hauler(s), processor and/or reuse facilities to plan how they will track and provide weight information. 

Reuse and recycling facilities 

The Austin area has many reuse and recycling facilities that accept construction and demolition materials like clean scrap material or reclaimed building components. (Some facilities require materials to be sorted before they arrive, so talk to the facility beforehand to set up your construction or demolition site and processes accordingly.) The recycling and reuse facilities can provide weight ticket summaries, which a general contractor needs for their recycling report, that itemize reused, recycled and landfilled tons for each load from the affected project. Use the Austin Reuse Directory to find where to donate, resell, recycle and repair items.  

You can also donate reusable and salvage materials to local construction reuse organizations. Commonly reused materials include:  

• Doors and windows
• Fixtures, structural members and architectural parts
• Masonry and similar items  

Other materials that can be reused include ceiling tiles, appliances, carpet, gypsum, paint, porcelain and asphalt shingles. 

Mixed construction and demolition processors 

Mixed construction and demolition processors accept construction and demolition debris that has not been separated by material. A mixed construction and demolition processor will separate and divert metal, asphalt, brick, concrete, wood and other materials, when possible. Always confirm with your licensed hauler and processor to find out which materials are acceptable for mixed construction and demolition.  

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has authorized several facilities to process mixed construction and demolition debris.  

Commonly recycled materials include:  

• Concrete and paving
• Corrugated cartons
• Wood
• Metal, paper, cardboard and plastics
• Building components  

Qualified processors 

The City of Austin (Austin Resource Recovery) can register mixed construction and demolition processors as qualified processors if they meet certain criteria. These criteria include having an independent, third-party validate the facility’s average diversion rate over several months.  

Qualified processors can provide general contractors with their average diversion rate and a summary of the total tons received from an affected project. Qualified processors do not have to determine the tons diverted and landfilled from each load, which simplifies both the processing and reporting for the qualified processor and the general contractor. Currently, the City of Austin has no qualified processors. If you are a processor and would like to learn more about becoming a qualified processor contact us. 

Other mixed construction and demolition processors  

Unlike qualified processors, construction and demolition processors must examine each incoming load to determine the tons of material landfilled and recycled. The processor then provides the general contractor with weight ticket summaries that itemize both the tons of material landfilled and recycled for each load from the affected project. The general contractor must save and compile these weight tickets into a weight ticket summary spreadsheet (.xls) to complete their required recycling report. Processors include: 

• Austin Community Landfill, Waste Management of Texas
• River City Rolloffs & Recycling
• Texas Disposal Systems
• Travis County Landfill, Waste Connections 

Processors can be added to or removed from this list, contact us. 

Ordinance exemptions

The Ordinance exempts excavated soil, stone, land-clearing debris, special waste and hazardous material, including asbestos and materials containing lead. General contractors should ensure those materials are handled in accordance with appropriate local and state regulations.

Non-compliant projects

If a general contractor is unable to meet the recycling requirements for an affected project, the contractor can request a waiver through the online recycling report. However, the general contractor must provide evidence that there was a good faith effort to meet Ordinance requirements. Otherwise, the waiver request may be denied. 

A general contractor whose affected project does not meet the Ordinance requirements, and who does not have an approved waiver is in violation of the Construction and Demolition Recycling Ordinance (Austin City Code Chapter 15-6) and may result in a follow up by the City of Austin Commercial Compliance Unit. The general contractor may also be subject to a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by fines up to $500 per day, per offense.