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Austin Resource Recovery

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

Proper Set-out Guidelines for Residential Curbside Services

Collection guidelines

  • Place your carts at the curb with the lids fully closed by 5:30 a.m. on your collection day.
  • Place carts five feet apart with cart handles toward your house. This space allows our automated trucks to collect materials safely and efficiently. If carts are set too close together or too close to other objects, our drivers must get out of their trucks and move the carts so the automatic arm can pick them up without bumping into or knocking over anything.
  • Make sure your carts do not block a bike lane or sidewalk. Review our cart set-out scenarios if there is a bike lane in front of your home or if you don’t have enough space without blocking a bike lane or sidewalk.
  • Do not block mailboxes or water meters.
  • Avoid placing your carts under power lines or low-hanging tree branches.
  • Bag and tie all trash to keep it contained and help protect the health and safety of our staff.
  • Extra bags of trash that do not fit in your trash cart with the lid closed must be placed next to the trash cart and will be collected for a fee.
  • Do not put recycling or composting (including yard trimmings) in plastic bags. Plastic bags cannot be recycled in your blue cart or composted in your green cart. BPI-certified compostable bags or paper bags can be used for composting.

Did we miss your cart? Call Austin 3-1-1 or email us within two days of the missed collection. We will come by to pick up the material as soon as possible. 

Cart set-out scenarios where bike lanes are present

These scenarios are intended to help you determine where to place your carts. We understand that you may have a unique situation or a different challenge. If you are still unsure where to set your carts, call Austin 3-1-1 or email us about the obstacle you are facing, and someone will contact you to discuss a solution. 

    Scenario 1: There is a protected bike lane in front of your home, but there is enough space at the curb for your carts without blocking bike traffic.

    Place your carts at the curb following regular set-out guidelines only if the carts will not block bike lane traffic.

     

    A person jogging on a sidewalk, a recycling cart in a bike lane close to the curb, and a cyclist riding a bike in the bike lane.
    Scenario 2: There is a protected bike lane in front of your home without enough space to set your carts at the curb without blocking bike traffic.

    Place the carts within the buffer strip area. A buffer strip is the space between the sidewalk and the curb/bike lane. It often includes a strip of grass, trees or concrete.

     

    A person jogging on the sidewalk, a trash cart in the grass buffer strip between the sidewalk and the street, and a cyclist riding a bike in the bike lane.
    Scenario 3: There is a protected bike lane in front of your home, but there is no usable buffer strip area between the sidewalk and the curb/bike lane.
    • Option 1: Place the carts on your lawn or property next to the sidewalk, with the handle toward your house. Make sure your carts do not block the sidewalk.
    A person jogging on a sidewalk corner. A trash cart is placed on the lawn, close to the sidewalk. A cyclist rides a bicycle in the bike lane.
    • Option 2: Place the carts at the edge of your driveway apron but behind the sidewalk. Make sure your carts do not block pedestrians’ paths. 
    A person jogging on a sidewalk. A recycling cart is placed at the edge of a driveway, close to the sidewalk and road but not obstructing it. A cyclist rides a bicycle in the bike lane.
    Scenario 4: You have no space at the curb because of a road or bike lane and no buffer strip area between the sidewalk and curb.
    • Option 1: Place the carts on your lawn or property next to the sidewalk, with the handle toward your house. Make sure your carts do not block the sidewalk.
    A person jogging on a sidewalk corner. A trash cart is placed on the lawn, close to the sidewalk. A cyclist rides a bicycle in the bike lane.
    • Option 2: Place the carts at the edge of your driveway apron but behind the sidewalk. Make sure your carts do not block pedestrians’ paths. 
    A person jogging on a sidewalk. A recycling cart is placed at the edge of a driveway, close to the sidewalk and road but not obstructing it. A cyclist rides a bicycle in the bike lane.