Austin Resource Recovery

Collage showing Austin Resource Recovery staff, collection vehicles, and colorful curbside bins.

Yard Trimmings and Large Brush Drop Off

New fee and volume limit

Beginning October 1, 2026, customers who drop off yard trimmings and brush will pay a fee. Customers can drop off up to six cubic yards of accepted material per day.

Mulching equipment turns brush into Dillo Dirt at Hornsby Bend.

Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant

The City of Austin accepts yard trimmings and large brush at Austin Water’s Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. The facility is located at 2210 FM 973 and is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday. 

The material is composted and made into Dillo Dirt. 

Fee and volume limit

You can drop off up to six cubic yards of accepted material per day for a fee. The fee is $9.80 per cubic yard. 

All major credit cards and contactless payments are accepted. Cash is not accepted.

The fee and volume limit went into effect on October 1, 2026.

    Accepted material

    • Tree limbs

    • Branches

    • Shrubs

    • Leaves 

    Not accepted material

    • Treated or painted lumber

    • Particle board

    • Construction materials

    • Trash 

    Drop-off details

    • A government-issued photo ID is required for entry into the facility.

    • Drop off is self-serve.

    • Staff will be available to direct traffic and verify that all material is free of trash and contamination.

    • The grounds are muddy and could be slippery. We recommend that you wear appropriate footwear. 

    Yard trimmings set out for curbside composting collection. The lid of the green cart is closed, and extra collections set beside the cart.

    Curbside composting

    Small branches and leaves can be composted in your green cart. Branches that don't fit in the cart should be stacked next to your cart into manageable bundles that are no heavier than 30 pounds. The branches should be no longer than five feet and not thicker than three inches in diameter.

    Large brush is being collected on-demand by an Austin Resource Recovery crane truck.

    On-demand brush collection

    Large brush, branches and tree limbs that are too large for your composting cart can be picked up through on-demand brush collection. The service is provided at no extra cost for our residential customers, homes in certain Limited Districts and Emergency Services Districts (ESD).