The Office of the City Auditor conducted an audit that revealed the City of Austin is not on track to achieve its zero waste goal of 90 percent waste diversion by 2040.
The 2025 audit showed that Austin’s waste diversion rate stood at 37 percent in 2024, down from 39.81 percent a decade earlier.
Austin Resource Recovery (ARR), which manages waste for the city, oversees only 15 percent of Austin’s total waste because it does not handle waste for most apartment complexes and commercial businesses. The audit identified inconsistent messaging about recycling and composting as a major issue in the city’s waste management strategy.
The audit stated that Austin Resource Recovery failed to prioritize educational efforts, which contributed to the city’s low waste diversion rate. The report recommended that ARR evaluate waste management projects more effectively and establish measurable goals.
The report also urged Austin Resource Recovery to strengthen both internal and external communications to support a more effective waste diversion strategy. The audit called on the city to address these issues to improve its waste management performance.
The audit presents a detailed assessment of Austin’s progress toward its zero waste goals and outlines specific steps to enhance waste diversion efforts.