After scrambling to find waste collection services on a short-term basis, Austin, Texas, now has three short-term contracts for waste disposal, recycling, yard waste and compostable materials.
The city’s contract with Waste Management expired on February 28. And according to an Austin Monitor report, city council members raised concerns about more waste going to landfill.
The city signed short-term contracts with Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) and Central Waste while it continues to work on a solicitation for a new long-term contract for collection services.
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According to a memo from Deputy Procurement Officer Shawn Willett, the city of Austin now has three short-term contracts for the disposal of refuse, recycling, brush and compostable materials.
The city’s procurement team and members of Austin Resource Recovery scrambled last week to find contractors who would be willing to provide waste collection services on a short-term basis, with the proviso that none of the waste would go to the Austin Community Landfill. That contract covered waste coming from city facilities, not neighborhood refuse or recycling.
After hearing from angry neighbors about the offensive odors, noise and other nuisances created by the landfill, Council rejected a short-term contract with Waste Management at its Feb. 20 meeting. The city’s contract with Waste Management expired on Feb. 28. Several Council members expressed surprise and dismay that staff would bring them another contract resulting in more waste going into the Waste Management landfill. They made clear that whatever staff decided, it should not include more waste going to the Northeast Austin site.