Austin Resource Recovery is adjusting cart set-out time for driver safety. 

As Austin continues to see record-breaking temperatures, ARR is asking customers to place their carts at the curb no later than 5:30 a.m. on their scheduled collection day. This change allows workers to begin collecting recycling, composting, trash, large brush and bulk items one hour earlier, helping to prevent them from performing collections during the hottest hours of the day. Thank you for helping to protect our workers.

Set your carts five feet apart

Most of our trucks are equipped with automatic arms that pick up the carts. 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 up the cart without bumping into or knocking over anything.

Our crews can collect materials more safely and efficiently when your recycling, trash and composting carts are placed five feet apart from each other and from other objects like parked cars, mailboxes, etc. Thanks for helping us get in and out of your neighborhood quickly and safely.

We understand that some areas won't allow for this; simply set out the carts as far apart as possible.

Other Collection Guidelines

  • Place your recycling, composting and trash carts at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on your collection day, with the lids fully closed. 
  • Help protect the health and safety of our staff; please remember to bag and tie all trash to keep it contained.
  • Do not put recycling or composting (including yard trimmings) in plastic bags. Plastic bags cannot be recycled in single-stream recycling and cannot be composted. BPI-certified compostable bags or paper bags can be used for composting.
  • 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 tagged with an extra trash sticker, which can be purchased at most local grocery stores.
  • Do not put carts on the sidewalk, in the path of the mail truck or on top of a water meter.
  • Avoid placing your cart under power lines or low-hanging tree branches.
  • Always place the handle of the cart toward your house.