Central Business District Collection Services
To reduce truck traffic downtown and help Austin achieve its zero waste goal, the City of Austin manages a contract for commercial collection of trash, recycling and composting within the Central Business District. Austin City Council requires these collection services be provided to all properties in this district, per Ordinance 20051020-063.
In addition, the City provides nightly street sweeping and litter abatement services in the Central Business District.
Single-stream recycling
Businesses and residents in this service district have access to convenient single-stream recycling dumpsters in their alleys. These customers can place all of the following materials in any alley recycling dumpster, with no sorting required:
- Flattened cardboard
- Mixed paper, including mail, newspapers, magazines and phone books
- Aluminum, tin and steel cans
- Hard plastic containers #1-7
Follow these steps to prepare materials for recycling
- Flatten boxes
- Drain bottles, jars, cans and other containers
- Rinse off food residue
- Do not put recyclables in plastic bags
These items are considered trash; keep them out of the single-stream recycling dumpsters:
- Food and food-soiled paper
- Plastic bags
- Plastic film and wrap
- Paper cups, plates and napkins
- Styrofoam
- Waxed produce boxes
- Paper towels or tissues
- Shredded paper
- Straws
Recycling resources for the Downtown Trash and Recycling District
- Cardboard recycling poster in English and Spanish
- Print single-stream recycling posters in English and Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin or Vietnamese
Collection services
Monthly Rates (effective July 1, 2026)
- Base rate: $32.35
- Volume charge for collection services: $38.95 per cubic yard (includes trash, recycling and composting)
- Clean Community Fee: $12.85
- Base rate: $32.35
- Collection services fee: $29.40 per residential unit (includes trash, recycling and composting)
- Clean Community Fee: $5.45 per residential unit
- For billing or fee questions, Central Business District customers should call City of Austin Utilities at 512-494-9400 or email aecommercial@austinenergy.com.
- Call 3-1-1 or email Austin311@austintexas.gov for all other issues, including:
- Collection schedules and missed collections
- Alley cleanliness
- Equipment issues with locks or dumpsters
- What can be composted or recycled
Composting education
Austin Resource Recovery provides information to help Central Business District property owners and managers educate their employees and residents on composting.
Acceptable items for commercial composting collection in the CBD include:
- Food scraps such as fruits, vegetables, bones, bread, dairy, meat, seafood, and coffee grounds.
- Food-soiled paper such as cardboard, pizza boxes, paper towels, napkins, tissues, newspaper, coffee filters, paper bags and 100% paper plates, cups and take-out containers.
- Certified compostable products such as bags, cups, forks, plates and spoons.
- Plant material such as flowers, grass clippings, leaves plants and small branches.
Contamination items that should never be put in composting include animal waste, glass, liquids, labels and stickers, plastic and plastic bags, twist ties and metal, waxy paper and Styrofoam.
- Sprinkle your compostable materials with baking soda.
- Collect your food scraps and other compostable items in a paper or certified compostable bag.
- Store the bag in a reusable container with tight-fitting lid, and keep the lid closed.
- Refrigerate or freeze your compostables until collection day.
- Regularly empty and wash your reusable container.