Road to Zero Waste

By Brianna Linn

It’s no secret that summer has made its way to Austin; the kids are out of school, Barton Springs is packed with visitors and the familiar smell of barbeque fills the evening air. This season comes with many fun-filled activities like pool parties, family reunions, and holiday celebrations. Hosting a party is no easy feat, and it's so important to remember how the food you serve and how your dispose of it can impact the City of Austin’s zero waste by 2040 goal. If party decorations are on…

By Allison Strupeck

Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) is a proud part of the U.S. Plastics Pact which is now in an ambitious phase. The Pact’s enhanced strategic plan, Roadmap 2.0, aims to accelerate the creation of a circular economy where plastic packaging is reused, recycled, composted and kept within the economy—instead of becoming waste.

The nationwide plan features five targets:

1. Eliminate all items on the…

Did you know?

Selling 100 vinyl records provides bands as much income as 500,000 Spotify plays or 2.5 million YouTube views, according to Caren Kelleher, founder and owner of Gold Rush Vinyl, a vinyl record manufacturer in Austin, Texas. 

Caren Kelleher was frequently frustrated ordering vinyl records for the bands she managed a few years ago in California. It took up to seven months to fill an order and, even then, the record quality was unreliable.  

Like any true entrepreneur, Kelleher set out in search of a quicker, more reliable solution. In 2018, she founded …

By: Ashley Pace

Breakups are hard, but deep down you know it’s usually for the best. Especially, when you are breaking up with plastic bags. Many Austinites are in the habit of bringing their own bags to the grocery store, but there are a lot of unexpected ways to get more use out of the dozens of reusable bags you have likely accumulated. So as you say “bye bye bye” to flimsy single-use plastic bags forever, say hello to your new friend with benefits: the reusable bag.   

All the shopping

So you’…

By: Andy Dawson

Each year, Americans throw away 9.4 million tons of electronics! Much of that waste turns up during, and immediately following, the holiday season. Out with the old, in with the new, right?

Electronics don’t seem to last long these days, especially when a new phone with a better camera and newer technology is released every six months. The EPA estimates that 350,000 phones are thrown…

By: Bailey Grimmett

Once the holiday hustle and bustle slows down and the presents have been unwrapped, you’re somehow left with a mountain of excess materials such as cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, ribbon and bows, Styrofoam and other packaging materials. You’re not alone! In fact, the amount of trash produced in the United States increases an estimated 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day!  But, did you know that a majority of holiday wrapping material can…

By: Nolan Fleming

The Holidays are in full swing. Along with all the joy and merriment, they can also bring a lot of extra waste! In fact, the United States generates 25 percent more waste during the holiday season. Here are some ways you can put a freeze on the issue and spread some eco-friendly cheer.

Gifts

Think back on the Holidays last year and the gifts you received. How many of those gifts do you actually use to this day? The gifts that stand out to me have always been experiences or a story to share with friends and family. This year, consider giving the gift of a great story t…

By: Andy Dawson and Bailey Grimmett

If you haven’t heard, there’s a colorful way to reuse in Austin. The Diverting Resources for Artistic Works program (DRAW) is an Austin Resource Recovery service aimed at reusing and extending the lives of art supplies such as acrylic paints, canvases, brushes and related items. Located at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center (RRDOC), and as an expansion of the center’s ReUse Store, DRAW is a resource aimed at offering barely-used art supplies to local residents in creative need.

The RRDOC collects all kinds…

By: Thomas Nguyen

Did you know?

The average textile dye used for clothing is made up of 8,000 synthetic chemicals and after the dyeing process, many factories and mills will dump the excess into water streams.

Welcome back to our Circular Innovators series. In this series, we’ll be highlighting Austin businesses that are embracing the circular economy; reducing waste and creating value for their customers and the planet.

What is Biomimicry?

What is biomimicry? If we break it down, bio = life; mimicry = imitate. Thus, biomimi…

By: Thomas Nguyen

Did you know?

It takes 5,300 gallons of water to make one pair of jeans and a t-shirt. That’s the equivalent of how much fuel it takes to fly a Boeing 737 from Austin to the heart of the Amazon Rainforest!

Welcome back to our Circular Innovators series. In this series, we’ll be highlighting Austin businesses that are embracing the circular economy; reducing waste and creating value for their customers and the planet.

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