ARR: on‑demand brush, bulk and HHW pickups cut landfill tonnage, boost recycling and customer satisfaction

Austin Resource Recovery staff reported that the city’s January 2025 launch of on‑demand brush, bulk and household hazardous waste (HHW) collections produced substantial customer uptake, higher diversion and reduced landfill tonnage compared with the previous service model.

Samuel Gilbert, division manager for litter abatement, said staff scheduled roughly 14,000 brush appointments and more than 52,000 bulk appointments across calendar year 2025 as the department scaled up from initial pilot volumes. "The appointment‑based model allows customers to schedule up to three curbside collections per year and gives residents control over when they set out material," Gilbert said.

Staff presented recycling and tonnage figures showing bulk recycling rose from about 198 tons in 2024 to 334 tons in 2025. ARR said overall brush and bulk landfill tonnage declined under the on‑demand model and that the change contributed to lower landfill disposal costs; staff cited approximately $86,000 in reduced disposal costs in staff backup materials. At the same time, staff said fuel and mileage increased in part because crews were running additional vehicles to collect diverted recyclables, a cost partially offset by diversion revenue.

Andy Dawson, assistant division manager, explained HHW on‑demand results: the pickup service attracted about 7,300 pickup customers in addition to roughly 28,000 drop‑off customers, and pickup households tend to present higher average weights per household than drop‑off customers. Dawson said staff estimates the on‑demand model improved reuse and diversion: more reusable items are captured for the department’s reuse store and fewer items are landfilled.

Commissioners asked about fuel‑cost impacts, district participation and scheduling methods. Gilbert told commissioners that districts farther from the Southeast drop‑off center generally had higher adoption of on‑demand services and that staff plans targeted outreach in districts with lower utilization. On scheduling, staff said residents can book via the app or website to see available slots immediately; 311 can still schedule appointments but does not display live slot availability.

Staff described operational lessons learned — improved routing software, potential vehicle changes to collect more recyclables, and staff reclassification proposals to lower per‑appointment costs as the program matures. Commissioners did not vote on program changes but applauded the reported service improvements and the department’s outreach to other cities interested in the model.