Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) is a department of the City of Austin. We provide essential services that protect people and our planet. We collect recycling, composting, trash, large brush, bulk items and dead animals. We also sweep the streets, recycle and safely dispose of household hazardous waste, and provide community outreach and education. ARR is driving the global transformation of traditional waste management to sustainable resource recovery.

Read Austin Resource Recovery's 2021 Annual Report.

About zero waste

The City of Austin is committed to a zero waste goal to reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills by 90% by the year 2040.

Zero waste is a philosophy that goes beyond recycling, to focus first on reducing trash and reusing products and then recycling and composting the rest. Zero waste recognizes that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and everything is a resource for something or someone else. 

Austin Resource Recovery's new direction

Through a department-wide project initiated by Director Ken Snipes, ARR has developed updated mission and vision statements and a set of organizational values. The new ethos highlights the department’s purpose with the overarching goal of creating a clear understanding and a tangible connection to the work performed by the department and its many employees.

ARR’s internal team worked with industry leaders, organization development consultants and its administrative and operations teams to finalize the project. In addition to providing a clear understanding of what ARR does, the values that drive its work and what it envisions for the future, department leadership wanted to ensure its stakeholders understand that ARR’s core business is environmental protection.

The department’s values reflect the current state of the works and ensure it keeps up with the demands of a fast-growing and vibrant city.  As a department of the City of Austin, ARR is excited to share its new mission, vision and values with its customers.

Our mission

 We provide essential services that protect people and our planet.

Our vision

Driving the global transformation of traditional waste management to sustainable resource recovery.

Our core values
  • Teamwork: Together, we can build a world without waste.
  • Safety: We provide resources and services to protect employees and the community.
  • Excellence: We are a highly-skilled workforce that strives to exceed expectations.
  • Accountability: We deliver work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable.
  • Innovation: Working towards a world with zero waste through local innovation.
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion: We work to constantly improve our cultural competence and seek input from underrepresented voices.

Contact us

To change your cart size, please call 512-494-9400. For all other inquiries, please email us or call 3-1-1.