* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Austin Resource Recovery Virtual Town Hall - Curbside Composting: Final Expansion] [00:00:09] GOOD EVENING. AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR TONIGHT'S VIRTUAL TOWN HALL FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S CURBSIDE COMPOSTING PROGRAM. I'M YOUR MODERATOR, ASHLEY PACE, PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST WITH AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY. FIRST I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR SPEAKERS, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, PUBLIC INFORMATION, AND MARKETING MANAGER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, AMY MOSEMAN TOGETHER. THEY WILL PROVIDE US WITH INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS WHAT IT MEANS FOR ARR AND ITS CUSTOMERS. NEXT I'D LIKE TO WELCOME AND THANK OUR INTERPRETERS. JOINING US TONIGHT TO PROVIDE INFORMATION IN SPANISH VIA ATX N THREE AND VIETNAMESE VIA THE CONFERENCE BRIDGE LISTED ON YOUR SCREEN. NEXT SLIDE. FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS RECEIVED VIA EMAIL FACEBOOK, SPEAK UP AUSTIN THREE, ONE THREE, OR THROUGH OUR INTERPRETERS. ANY QUESTIONS WE ARE UNABLE TO ANSWER IN OUR TIME WITH YOU THIS EVENING, WE WILL RESPOND TO TOMORROW. WELCOME YOU, OUR NEWEST CURBSIDE COMPOSTING CUSTOMERS, OR YOU'RE HERE TO LEARN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CURBSIDE COMPOSTING. SO CURBSIDE COMPOSTING BEGAN IN 2012 AS A PILOT PROGRAM AND APPROXIMATELY 14,000 HOMES IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE WASTE AND TO HELP AUSTIN REACH ITS ZERO WASTE GOAL BY 2040, AFTER A SUCCESSFUL PILOT, OUR CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM TO BEGIN IN 2017. SO IN 2017, WE ROLLED OUT PHASE ONE IN 27 18. WE ROLLED OUT PHASE TWO AND IN 2019, WE ROLLED OUT PHASE THREE OUT OF FOUR PHASES. THE EXPANSION WAS INITIALLY PLANNED TO ROLL OUT OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE FOUR YEARS, BUT THE FINAL EXPANSION WAS DELAYED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE FOURTH AND FINAL EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM IS NOW HAPPENING NEXT MONTH, FEBRUARY OF 2021. NEXT SLIDE. SO CAR DELIVERY ACTUALLY STARTED TWO DAYS AGO AND ALL OF THOSE NEWLY INCLUDED CUSTOMERS WILL BE RECEIVING THEIR GREEN CARDS PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF SERVICE. SOME CUSTOMERS HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR WELCOME PACKETS. THE WELCOME PACKETS INCLUDE A WELCOME LETTER, A HOW TO GUIDE EXPLAINING THE USING OF THE NEW GREEN COMPOSTING CAR, UH, WHAT GOES, WHERE BROCHURE FOR PROPER, PROPER DISPOSAL OF UNWANTED HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AND INFORMATION ON HOW TO SAVE MONEY BY DOWNSIZING YOUR CAR. NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. SO WHAT IS IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE NOW TO BE INCLUDED IN THE CURBSIDE COMPOSTING COLLECTION PROGRAM? FIRST, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A NEW GREEN 32 GALLON CART. YOUR WEEKLY COLLECTION WILL BEGIN ON THE SAME DAY AS YOUR TRASH COLLECTION. SO THAT FIRST COLLECTION, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE A MONDAY OR TUESDAY, DATE WILL BEGIN ON THE EIGHTH OR THE 9TH OF FEBRUARY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH A WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, OR FRIDAY COLLECTION DAY, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT NEW SERVICE STARTING ON THE 17TH, 18TH AND 19TH OF FEBRUARY CUSTOMERS WHO USE THEIR NEW COMPOSTING CART, USUALLY FIND THAT THEY CAN DOWNSIZE THEIR TRASH CART AND SAVE MONEY ON THEIR UTILITY BILL. MOST CUSTOMERS HAVE A 64 GALLON CART AND THEY CAN SAVE $76 WHEN THEY DOWNSIZE TO A 24 GALLON CART. THOSE WHO WANTED TO JUST DOWNSIZE TO A 32 GALLON CART CAN SAVE $61. AND THEN OUR CUSTOMERS WITH OUR LARGEST CART, 96 GALLON TRASH CART, THEY CAN SAVE $322 A YEAR BY SWITCHING TO THAT 24 GALLON TRASH CART. NOW WE KNOW THIS IS NEW AND YOU MAY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP THE NEW CART, HOW, AND WHETHER YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL USE IT. WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU GIVE IT A TRY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. IF YOU DECIDE THAT IT DOESN'T WORK FOR YOU, THEN YOU CAN CALL AUSTIN ENERGY AT (512) 494-9400. AND WE'LL ARRANGE TO HAVE THAT CAR PICKED UP BECAUSE CURBSIDE RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, OUR BI-ANNUAL LARGE BRUSH AND BULK COLLECTIONS [00:05:01] ARE BUNDLED AND PAID FOR FROM THE BASE YOU SEE IN YOUR UTILITY BILL, CUSTOMERS WHO RETURNED THEIR GREEN CART WILL STILL BE CHARGED FOR THE SERVICE, WHETHER THEY CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE OR NOT NEXT SLIDE. SO AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, WE'RE DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PROMOTING THOSE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT ARE GOING TO HELP AUSTIN REACH ZERO WASTE BY THE YEAR 24 DAY, GETTING THERE WILL MEAN ALL AUSTINITES REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, AND COMPOST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LEAVING BEHIND A CITY AND A PLANET. THE NEXT GENERATION WILL BE PROUD TO INHERIT. COMPOSTING IS A NATURAL PROCESS THAT BREAKS DOWN COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS LIKE FOOD SCRAPS AND YARD TRIMMINGS INTO A DARK EARTHY SOIL, LIKE MATERIAL COMPOST HELPS WITH WATER RETENTION. AND IT'S OFTEN USED TO FERTILIZE CROPS, LAWNS GARDENS, OTHER OUTDOOR AREAS WITHOUT CHEMICALS. THE BENEFIT FROM THE PROCESS ARE NUMEROUS LANDFILLS CREATE METHANE. AND THEN BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF SOLID WASTE WE ADD TO THE LANDFILLS, WE'RE ABLE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF GREENHOUSE GASES THAT ARE GOING INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. ALL THE RESIDENTIAL TRUST FROM OUR CITY OF AUSTIN CUSTOMERS IS TAKEN TO A LOCAL LANDFILL, WHICH CURRENTLY HAS AN ESTIMATED 13 YEARS REMAINING BEFORE IT HAS TO EITHER EXPAND OR CLOSE. WE HAVE THE SECOND LEAST LANDFILL CAPACITY IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS RECYCLED FOOD TURNED INTO COMPOST, IMPROVES WATER INTENTION AND ADDS NUTRIENTS TO THE SOIL. HEALTHY SOIL CREATES HEALTHY FOOD. ANOTHER OPTION OR ANOTHER BENEFIT IS THAT COMPOST SERVES AS NATURAL SOIL ENHANCER AND IS A CHEMICAL FREE FERTILIZER THAT REQUIRES FEWER PESTICIDES, SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS. THEY RUN OFF INTO OUR WATER. THEY CAUSED TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS AND SOME OTHER ISSUES. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BENEFITS OF COMPOST ARE SUBSTANTIAL. COMPOST IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT WHY DOES IT MATTER SO MUCH? IT MATTERS BECAUSE OUR RECENT STUDY SHOWS THAT NEARLY HALF 46% OF ALL MATERIALS IN AUSTIN LANDFILLS, CAN WE COMPOST IT? COMPOSTABLE MATERIAL CANNOT BREAK DOWN IN A LANDFILL AS IT WOULD IN NATURE OR IN A COMPOST PILE. INSTEAD IT DECOMPOSES WITHOUT OXYGEN AND RELEASED AS HARMFUL METHANE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. NEXT SLIDE. SO HOW DO WE GET FROM THE GREEN CARD TO COMPOST FIRST AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY STAFF COLLECT THE MATERIALS THAT ARE IN YOUR GREEN CARD. AND WE DELIVER THEM TO A LOCAL COMMERCIAL PROCESSOR TODAY, THAT COMPANY IS ORGANICS BY GOSH, NEXT, THE MATERIALS ARE PLACED IN A LARGE PILE WHERE MICROORGANISMS BEGIN TO BREAK THE MATERIAL DOWN AS THEY DO. THEY RELEASE HEAT AND THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MATERIAL STARTS TO RISE. THAT PROCESS USUALLY USED TO TAKE SIX MONTHS TO ONE YEAR WITH RECENT CHANGES IN THEIR PROCESS. ANY ITEMS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN THAT GREEN COMPOST CART ARE COMPLETELY COMPOSTED IN APPROXIMATELY 150 DAYS. FINALLY, THAT FINISHED COMPOST IS SOLD BY THE COMMERCIAL PROCESSOR AND IT'S USED TO IMPROVE SOIL QUALITY IN GARDENS AND OUTDOOR AREAS. NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. SO HERE'S THE BIG QUESTION. WHAT CAN YOU PUT IN YOUR GREEN CARD? IT'S REALLY EASY IF IT GROWS, IT GOES, SO LET US EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT WE MEAN WITH THIS VIDEO. AND A QUICK LITTLE NOTE, THE VIDEO SAYS 2020, BUT BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS COVID HAD ON HIS OWN, JUST IMAGINE IT SAYS 20, 21, TIRED OF THROWING ALL YOUR FOOD SCRAPS IN THE TRASH. THERE WAS SOMETHING YOU COULD DO WITH ALL YOUR YARD TRIMMINGS, WANT TO DO MORE TO HELP AUSTIN REACH ITS ZERO WASTE GOAL. WELL, NOW YOU CAN. AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY IS EXPANDING THEIR CURBSIDE COMPOSTING PROGRAM. CITYWIDE. THEY'RE ADDING NEW HOMES EVERY YEAR AND BLEND TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS BY 2020. HOW DO WE USE THIS GREEN CARD? START WITH YOUR KITCHEN COLLECTOR. [00:10:01] WHAT ELSE CAN I PUT IN HERE? WHAT DO YOU HAVE? DAIRY PRODUCTS? YES. COFFEE GROUNDS AND TEA BAGS. ABSOLUTELY PET HAIR. OF COURSE. PASTA BREAD. YES. AND YES. BRUITS AND VEGETABLES. YOU KNOW, IT POPSICLE STICKS. THOSE TWO COOKED AND RAW MEAT OR BONES, AFFIRMATIVE PAPER PRODUCTS WITH FOOD ON THEM. INDEED. SPOILED FOOD. OF COURSE, SIMPLY PLACE ALL YOUR FOOD SCRAPS AND FOOD SOILED PAPER IN IT. EVEN PIZZA BOXES, PIZZA, THE BOXES. THAT'S AWESOME. PUT THEM DIRECTLY IN YOUR GREEN CARDS. ALL THESE YARD TRIMMINGS, LITTLE SMALL BLADES OF GREEN GRASS. HOW ABOUT FLOWERS? LEAVES, PLANTS AND STRONG. ALL OF THAT SMALL BRANCHES AND TREE LIMBS. WHAT ABOUT TREE ROOTS? IF IT GROWS, IT GOES IN THE GREEN COMBUSTING CARS AFTER YOU'VE PLEASED ALL YOUR FOOD SCRAPS AND YOUR DREAMINGS AND YOUR NEW GREEN CURBSIDE COMPOSTING GUARD ROLLED IT OUT TO THE CURB BY 6:30 AM EVERY WEEK, THE TRASH COLLECTION DAY. IT'S THAT EASY. THANKS. CURBSIDE COMPOSTING. WOO. VISIT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/AUSTIN COMPOSTS TO FIND OUT IF YOUR HOME IS IN THE EXPANSION AREA, LEARN MORE ABOUT CURBSIDE COMPOSTING. AND WHAT GOES IN YOUR GREEN CARD. ALSO RESOURCE RECOVERY IS A DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THANK YOU, AMY. AND WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THAT VIDEO NOW THAT YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT GOES IN YOUR GREEN CARD. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH EXTRA. IF YOU HAVE TOO MUCH, UH, LAWN, UH, SORRY, IF YOU HAVE TOO MANY YARD TRIMMINGS, SO YOU HAVE TOO MANY TOO MUCH FOOD, WE ASK THAT YOU FIRST FILL THE GREEN CART. UM, AND THEN ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE LEFTOVER, YOU USE THOSE PAPER LAWN AND LEAF BAGS TO PUT IN THE REST OF YOUR, YOUR TRIMMINGS, OR YOU COULD USE A RE A REUSABLE CONTAINER AT HOME. SO NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT GOES IN THE GREEN CART, LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW THIS AFFECTS YOUR OTHER SERVICES AND HOW WE CAN DISPOSE OF OTHER UNWANTED HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. THIS NEW SERVICE, IT DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR BLUE RECYCLING CART. WE ASKED YOU TO CONTINUE TO KEEP PUTTING ALL GLASS PLASTIC PAPER AND METAL IN YOUR BLUE RECYCLING CART AND SET IT UP FOR COLLECTION EVERY OTHER WEEK. THEN WE HAVE BULK ITEMS WHICH ARE LARGE ITEMS THAT ARE TOO BIG TO FIT IN YOUR TRASH CAN. AND I'M SORRY, IN YOUR BROWN TRASH CART. NOW, WHEN WE SET THOSE OUT IN THREE PILES OF METALS, NONMETALS, AND TIRES, THOSE CAN BE PROPERLY DIVERTED FROM THE LANDFILL FOR RECYCLING OR FOR REUSE, AND AS OPPOSED TO BEING SENT DIRECTLY TO THE LANDFILL. ANOTHER OPTION WE HAVE FOR DISPOSAL OF UNWANTED ITEMS IN YOUR HOME IS THE RECYCLE AND REUSE DROP-OFF CENTER. NOW WE DO HAVE TO NOTE THAT CURRENTLY DUE TO COVID CONCERNS AND TO PROTECT ALL OF THE PUBLIC AND OUR STAFF, WE HAVE TEMPORARILY CLOSED THE RECYCLING REUSE DROP-OFF CENTER. WE WILL REOPEN EVENTUALLY. AND WHEN IT DOES, YOU CAN DROP OFF PLASTIC FILM, STYROFOAM, CARDBOARD BOXES. YOU CAN DROP OFF HOUSEWARES FOR COLLECTION THERE AS WELL, INCLUDING HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS, WASTE PAINTS, CHEMICALS, BATTERIES, AND ALEC TRONICS. THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEMS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AT HOME THAT ARE STILL IN GOOD CONDITION, THAT SOMEBODY ELSE MAY BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THEM. CONSIDER DONATING TO A LOCAL CHARITY OR GIFTING TO YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, THOSE ITEMS THAT YOU MAY JUST NOT WANT ANYMORE, BUT THEY'RE STILL IN WORKING CONDITION. AND LASTLY, THERE IS YOUR TRASH CART. SO WE ASK THAT YOU GUYS EXPLORE OTHER OPTIONS FOR THESE ITEMS THAT YOU MAY NOT WANT IN YOUR HOME BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN YOUR BROWN TRASH CART. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO WE DID JUST SHOW YOU A LIST OF ITEMS, THAT COMMON HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF. NOW, WE KNOW THAT WE COULDN'T SHOW YOU EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOME. SO FOR THAT, WE HAVE THIS HANDY TOOL CALLED WHAT DO I DO WITH, TO ACCESS THIS TOOL? YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE, AUSTIN RECYCLES.COM OR DOWNLOAD THE MOBILE APP ONTO ANY OF YOUR DEVICES. WITH THIS TOOL. YOU CAN SEARCH FOR ANYTHING IN YOUR HOME. YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE PROPER DISPOSAL OPTIONS. IF YOU DON'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, DON'T WORRY, THERE'S THIS LIKE JUST BUTTON AND THAT WILL COME BACK TO OUR STAFF AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ADDED TO THE TOOL. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE ALSO AVAILABLE ANOTHER RESOURCE WE HAVE TO HELP YOU, UH, HELP US REACH ZERO WASTE. I LIVE THAT ZERO WASTE LIFESTYLE IS THE MY SCHEDULE TOOL. ONCE AGAIN, YOU CAN ACCESS THIS RESOURCE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, AUSTIN RECYCLES.COM, [00:15:01] OR YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE APP ONTO YOUR PHONE. THE APP IS AVAILABLE WHERE ALL MOBILE APPS ARE AVAILABLE. UM, WITH THIS APP, IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THE WEB APP, YOU WILL RECEIVE A REMINDER, EITHER BE A TEXT MESSAGE, A PHONE CALL, OR AN EMAIL LETTING YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR REMINDING YOU OF YOUR COLLECTION. DAYS WHEN TO SET OUT YOUR CARDS. ADDITIONALLY, YOU'LL GET REMINDERS ABOUT THOSE BIANNUAL, LARGE BRUSH AND BULK COLLECTIONS. AND IF WE HAPPEN TO HAVE A SERVICE DELAY OR DISRUPTION, YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE INFORMATION VIA THAT TOOL. IF YOU DOWNLOAD THE APP ONTO YOUR PHONE, THESE WILL BE SENT TO YOU VIA PUSH NOTIFICATION THROUGH YOUR PHONE. ADDITIONALLY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT THESE REMINDERS COMING THROUGH YOUR PHONE, YOUR EMAIL, YOUR TEXT MESSAGES, YOU CAN PRINT OUT YOUR COLLECTION SCHEDULE AND POST IT IN YOUR HOUSE. WHEREVER YOU FEEL IS THE MOST CONVENIENT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. KITCHEN COLLECTOR. IN THE PAST, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THESE KITCHEN COLLECTORS AT OUR IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSES. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO COVID THIS YEAR, WE'RE DOING THE OPEN HOUSE VIRTUALLY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH ALL THIS GREAT INFORMATION AND RESOURCES THAT WE AREN'T CURRENTLY ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THESE KITCHEN COLLECTORS TO YOU. ONCE IT'S SAFE AND WE CAN SAFELY GET THESE IN YOUR HANDS. WE WILL LET EVERYBODY KNOW THE, UH, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. SO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AT AUSTIN RECYCLES OR WITH OTHER METHODS OF COMMUNICATION SO THAT WE CAN GET YOU THIS KITCHEN COLLECTOR UNTIL THEN YOU CAN COLLECT A FOOD SCRAPS AND ANY REUSABLE CONTAINER IN YOUR KITCHEN. YOU COULD USE COFFEE, CANS, PLASTIC STORAGE, CONTAINER, FOOD CONTAINERS, OR EVEN ANY OTHER KIND OF KITCHEN COLLECTOR. WE DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU KEEP YOUR KITCHEN COLLECTOR IN A CONVENIENT LOCATION IN YOUR KITCHEN. I KEEP MINE IN THE FREEZER, BUT SOME PEOPLE FORGET TO PLACE IT UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK OR ON THE COUNTER TOP. THERE'S NO WRONG PLACE TO KEEP IT, BUT IT SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE CONVENIENT AND EASY TO USE FOR YOU WHILE COOKING OR CLEANING UP, JUST PLACE THEIR FOOD SCRAPS DIRECTLY IN THE KITCHEN COLLECTOR. AND THEN WHEN IT'S TIME TO TAKE IT OUT IS WHEN IT'S FULL. YOU CAN TAKE IT OUT. UH, AND THEN ALSO WHEN IT'S TIME TO SET OUT YOUR GREEN CARD, JUST PLACE ALL THESE FOOD SCRAPS IN YOUR TRIMMINGS, IN YOUR CART AND SET IT OUT AT THE CAR BY SIX 30 ON YOUR ELECTION DAY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO WE KNOW WHEN WE THINK ABOUT COMPOSTING, WE KNOW IT IS FOOD THAT IS BREAKING DOWN. THESE ARE ORGANIC MATERIALS THAT DO BREAK DOWN LIKE AMY MENTIONED EARLIER, AND SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE X FACTOR. CAUSE IT CAN BE A LITTLE ACHY. WE HAVE A LONG LIST OF RESOURCES TO HELP YOU WITH THE EGG FACTOR. AND I CAN TELL YOU PERSONALLY, I FREED MY SCRAPS. THERE'S NO EGG INVOLVED. UM, SO WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS VIDEO, UH, WITH MORE TIPS ON HOW TO KEEP YOUR KITCHEN COLLECTOR AND YOUR GREEN CART FRESH AND CLEAN. WHAT'S THAT SMELL IS IT. DO YOU SUFFER FROM SMELLY KITCHEN COLLECTOR STUDY SHOW THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED WITH KITCHEN COLLECTOR AND COMPOSTING CARD ODOR. YOU NEED HELP. I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP IT SO FRESH AND SO CLEAN. IT'S EASY. YOU CAN USE A PAPER BAG OR NEWSPAPER TO LINE THE COLLECTOR OR USE A BPI CERTIFIED COMPOSTABLE BAG. LOOK FOR THIS LOGO. SPRINKLE WITH BAKING SODA. YOU CAN HAND WASH WITH SOAP AND WATER, OR YOU CAN CLEAN IT IN THE DISHWASHER. KEEP THE COLLECTOR IN THE FREEZER, ALONG WITH THE FOOD SCRAPS. GOT IT. THIS REALLY IS SO EASY, BUT WHAT ABOUT MY GREEN COMPLEX? THAT'S EVEN EASIER. REMEMBER TO LINE WITH LEAP PAPER OR PIZZA BOXES, SPRINKLE WITH BAKING SODA, WASH IT OUT WITH MILD SOAP AND WATER. KEEPING THE SHADE. KEEP THE LID CLOSED. THAT'S SO EASY. SURE IS MR. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING TO? THERE WAS A MAN IN A SUIT RIGHT NOW. REALLY? REALLY GOOD. YEAH. WE WEAR THAT DRESS BEFORE. I DON'T KNOW. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTY. VISIT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/AUSTIN COMPOSTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CURBSIDE COMPOSTING AND HOW TO KEEP YOUR KITCHEN COLLECTOR [00:20:01] AND GREEN COMPOSTING CARD, FRESH AND CLEAN. GREAT NEXT SLIDE. SO AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, WE'RE DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PROMOTING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT ARE GOING TO HELP US REACH THAT ZERO WASTE GOAL BY 2040. IT'S A BIG GOAL AND WE NEED EVERYONE'S HELP. THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT YOU CAN REACH US TO ASK QUESTIONS. WE HAVE AN INTERACTIVE PAGE ON SPEAK-UP AUSTIN.COM OR MY APOLOGIES. YOU CAN REACH US BY EMAIL. YOU CAN FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND YOU CAN CALL US AT THREE ONE, ONE STICK AROUND BECAUSE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE ON OUR FACEBOOK POST. ON FEBRUARY 26TH, WE WILL ALSO BE HOSTING AN ASK ME ANYTHING ON REDDIT. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE GOTTEN YOUR CARTS, YOU'VE GIVEN IT A TRY, BUT YOU STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE FROM 11:00 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM. YOU CAN ALSO VISIT OUR WEBPAGE OR SPEAK UP AUSTIN FOR SOME MORE DETAILS. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL BEGIN ANSWERING QUESTIONS SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL FACEBOOK SPEAK-UP BOSTON THREE, ONE, ONE, OR YOU ARE WONDERFUL INTERPRETERS. THE FIRST QUESTION IS FOR MANY COMING FROM OUR FACEBOOK LIVE, THE QUESTION IS, SO THIS REPLACES HER YARD TRIMMINGS PICKUP. IF WE HAVE A LOT OF YARD TRIMMINGS, WILL WE BE ABLE TO SET OUT AND ADDITIONAL YARD TRIMMINGS BACK? OKAY, ABSOLUTELY. WE ASK THAT YOU FILL YOUR GREEN CART FIRST AND THE ADDITIONAL YARD TRIMMINGS CAN BE PLACED EITHER IN THOSE LAWN AND LEAF BAGS OR IN YOUR REUSABLE CONTAINER AT HOME. AND I DO NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE IS NEVER A CHARGE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COMPOSTING OR YOUR TRIMMING SET OUT FOR COLLECTION. OUR SECOND QUESTION IS FOR AMY AND COMES VIA OUR FACEBOOK WIFE IS THE HOME REBATE PROGRAM STILL AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE A COMPOSTING CONTAINER. ABSOLUTELY THE HOME REBATE PROGRAM IS STILL ACTIVE. AND ONCE YOU TAKE THE CLASS, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT $75 REBATE. NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO USING YOUR COMPOST IN THE BACKYARD, THERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT JUST AREN'T ABLE TO BE COMPOSTED IN THAT WAY. THAT INCLUDES DAIRY MEAT, PHONES, THINGS THAT ANIMALS WOULD BE GETTING INTO. THIS IS THE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE YOU WOULD TAKE THOSE ITEMS AND YOU WOULD NOW PUT THOSE INTO YOUR GREEN COMPOSTING CART ON THE CURB AND SET THAT OUT ONCE A WEEK. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR MANY, IT COMES VIA OUR AUSTIN PAGE. WHAT IF CUSTOMERS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO SET THEIR CARTS FIVE FEET APART? SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOW YOU HAVE THREE CARTS AT HOME AND SETTING THEM ALL FIVE FEET APART CAN BE CHALLENGING GIVEN THAT SOMETIMES THE REAL ESTATE IN FRONT OF OUR HOME, IT'S JUST, IS IT THAT RIDE? WE DO ASK THAT YOU DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN AND LEAVE AS MUCH SPACE BETWEEN THEM AS POSSIBLE AND AWAY FROM OTHER OBSTACLES. THAT'S REALLY ALSO A CHALLENGE. SO AWAY FROM MAILBOXES, POP, PARKED CARS, MAYBE BASKETBALL HOOPS. UH, THE REASON THAT WE ASK THIS IS BECAUSE SOME OF OUR VEHICLES ARE FULLY AUTOMATED, WHICH MEANS THERE'S THAT HAND THAT COMES DOWN, GRABS YOUR CAR AND TICKS IT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT DAMAGING PERSONAL PROPERTY AND THAT WE CAN COLLECT ALL OF YOUR CURBSIDE CARTS ADEQUATELY. OUR NEXT QUESTION ALSO COMES FROM SPEAKUP AUSTIN. AND THIS IS FOR AMY. WHY AREN'T PLASTIC BAGS EXCEPTED IN THE GREEN COMPOSTING CART. THERE ARE SOME TYPES OF BACKS THAT ARE ACCEPTED IN THE GREEN COMPOST CART. THEY NEED TO HAVE BTI CERTIFICATION. UM, THERE'S A LOGO. IT WAS SHOWN IN THE VIDEO. AND THERE'S MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEB PAGE AS WELL. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. UM, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING THE MATERIALS DELIVERED TO OUR COMMERCIAL PROCESSOR, IF THE PLASTIC BAG DOESN'T BREAK DOWN, THEN IT BECOMES TRASH AND IT COULD ACTUALLY CONTAMINATE SOME OF THE OTHER MATERIALS THAT ARE THERE TO BE COMPOSTED. SO IF YOU'RE IN DOUBT, IF YOU WERE IN QUESTION IT'S BEST TO GO AHEAD AND LEAVE [00:25:01] THE PLASTIC BAG ASIDE AND GO AHEAD AND PUT ALL OF THOSE MATERIALS DIRECTLY INTO THE, OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR MIAMI AND COMES FROM OUR SPEAK-UP AUSTIN PAGE. IS IT BETTER TO RECYCLE OR COMPOST PAPER PRODUCTS? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. AND IT DEPENDS ON THE PAPER ITSELF. IF IT'S PAPER PRODUCT THAT HAS FOOD ON IT, LET'S SAY IT'S A PAPER PLATE OR A GRACIE PIZZA BOX. WE ASK THAT YOU COMPOST THOSE. IF IT'S CLEAN PAPER IN PRISTINE CONDITION OR, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ANY FOOD ON IT OR ANY RESIDUE ON IT, YOU CAN RECYCLE THAT. THE REASON IS IS THAT YOU CANNOT REMOVE GREASE AND FOOD FROM PAPER. SO IF WE PUT THOSE IN OUR BLUE RECYCLING CART, WE CONTAMINATE THAT STREAM. BUT WHEN WE TAKE THIS PAPERS THAT HAVE BEEN SOILED WITH FOOD AND PLACED THEM IN OUR COMPOST COLLECTION, IT WILL BREAK DOWN INTO COMPOST. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR AMY AND COMES VIA, SPEAK UP BOSTON, SHOULD CUSTOMER SET THE GREEN CARD AT THE CURB, EVEN IF IT ISN'T FULL. WHY THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. ABSOLUTELY. EVEN IF THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SINGLE APPLE OR A SPARE MEAT FROM YOUR EVENING DINNER, GO AHEAD AND SET THAT OUT ON THE CURB. WE WILL COLLECT, WE WILL COLLECT AS LITTLE OR AS MUCH AS YOU SET OUT THERE FOR US. AND THAT WILL HELP AVOID THAT X FACTOR THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT EARLIER. KEEPING THAT CART CLEAN AND EMPTY. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR MANY AND COMES VIA OUR FACEBOOK. WHY CAN'T THEY DROP OFF THE KITCHEN COLLECTOR WHEN THEY DROP OFF THE GREEN COMPOSTING PART? WELL, IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF WE COULD DO THAT LOGISTICALLY IT WOULD JUST BE VERY CHALLENGING. OUR OPERATORS ARE DEDICATED AND FOCUS ON COLLECTING YOUR CARTS. WE, THERE WOULDN'T REALLY BE ROOM FOR THEM IN THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. UM, AND ALSO THE VEHICLES THAT DROP-OFF, THE GREEN CARDS ARE LARGE BOX TRUCKS, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CONTRACTOR THAT DOES THAT WORK FOR US, AND THEY ARE SO SPEEDY AND EFFICIENT. WE HAVE SOMETIMES SHADOWED THEM ON THE DROP-OFFS AND THEY'RE JUST FOCUSED LASER FOCUSED ON DROPPING OFF THESE GREEN CARDS AT YOUR HOME. I UNDERSTAND. AND IF IT'S AN INCONVENIENCE AND WE'RE REALLY APOLOGIZED AND WE WISH WE COULD HAVE DONE THESE OPEN HOUSES OR THIS OPEN HOUSE IN PERSON, AND HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT AND PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH PHYSICAL RESOURCES, WITH THE COMPOST COLLECTORS AND SOME COMPOSTABLE BAGS. AND WE HOPE TO IN THE FUTURE VERY SOON, BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR YOU, BUT AT THE TIME, WE'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR AMY AND IT COMES VIA OUR FACEBOOK LIVE CAN PET WASTE, GO INTO THE CURBSIDE COMPOSTING BIN. AND THAT IS ANOTHER REALLY GOOD QUESTION. ANY FECAL MATTER SHOULD STAY OUT OF THE COMPOSTING BIN. IT NEEDS TO GO INTO YOUR TRASH CART. THE REASON IS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE HANDLING THE TRASH OR THE RECYCLING CART, I'M SORRY, THE COMPOSTING CURRENT, THAT IT'S SANITARY AND SAFE TO DO. SO PET WASTE, UM, SOIL DIAPERS, TISSUES FROM YOUR BATHROOM, ALL OF THESE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED OR WORKS CLOSE TO PEOPLE MATTER. THOSE SHOULD ALL GO INTO YOUR TRASH. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM SPEAK UP AUSTIN. THIS IS ALSO FOR AMY. AMY, CAN WE RECEIVE FREE COMPOST FROM THIS PROGRAM? THE COMPOST OR THE MATERIALS THAT ARE PUT INTO YOUR CART ARE THEN TAKEN TO OUR COMMERCIAL PROCESSOR WHERE THEY GO AHEAD AND FINISH THAT PROCESS. SO THOSE MATERIALS RIGHT NOW ARE GOING TO ORGANICS BY GOSH, ORGANICS BY GOSH, DOES SELL FINISHED COMPOST EITHER IN BULK OR BAGGED. UM, BUT YOU WOULD NEED TO CONTACT THEM TO, TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR HOURS AND THEIR PROCESS SO THAT YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PICK THAT UP IN A SAFE MANNER. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR A MOMMY AND COMES VIA RSPS OF PAGE. HOW DOES THE CURBSIDE SERVICE DIFFER FROM A HOME COMPOSTING FILE? GOOD QUESTION. AND WE GET THIS A LOT BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY, DO I REALLY NEED THIS GREEN CAR? I ALREADY COMPOST MY FOOD SCRAPS AT HOME. AND WHILE WE COMMEND YOU FOR ALREADY TAKING THOSE EXTRA STEPS TO HELP US REACH ZERO WASTE AND TO KEEP [00:30:01] YOUR LAWNS FERTILE AND CLEAN AND MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR FOOD SCRAPS, WE WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT WE DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU PLACE IN YOUR BACKYARD. COMPOSTER, THAT WOULD GO IN YOUR GREEN COLLECTION. I'M SORRY, CURBSIDE COLLECTION CART. THESE ITEMS INCLUDE BONES, MEAT, DAIRY PRODUCTS, EVEN WHOLE PIZZA BOXES. SO WHILE WE DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO COMPOST AT HOME, THOSE OTHER MATERIALS, YOU CAN STILL USE YOUR CART OR THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE NOT RECOMMENDED TO BE PLACED IN A BACKYARD. COMPOST. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR AMY, ANY OF THIS COMES VIA OUR SPEAK AUSTIN PAGE. I LIVE IN A MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING. CAN I GET A COMPOSTING CARD AT THIS TIME? SO MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES ARE NOT PART OF OUR CURBSIDE COLLECTION PROGRAM. UM, THESE SORTS OF MULTI-FAMILY OR APARTMENT SETTINGS, THEY ARE CONTRACTED THROUGH YOUR PROPERTY MANAGER OR YOUR LANDLORD. AND SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OR YOUR LANDLORD AND ASK THEM TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE. IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE USEFUL, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PARTICIPATING IN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY IS CURBSIDE COMPOSTING PROGRAM. THE EXPANSION DOESN'T QUITE REACH YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR MANY, THIS COMES VIA THE ARR FACEBOOK PAGE SINCE GREASE AND COOKING OIL GO IN THE TRASH IN PAPER TOWELS WITH GREASE OR COOKING OIL, BE COMPOSTED. YES, YOU CAN. THIS WOULD BE PART OF THE FOOD SOIL PAPERS, AND THAT WE DON'T WANT AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF GREASE IN THERE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ALLOW THESE MATERIALS TO BREAK DOWN. BUT IF YOU HAVE A NAPKIN THAT YOU WIPED UP SOME GRADES OR THAT YOU USED FOR, YOU KNOW, WIPING YOUR MOUTH, THAT IS OKAY. A SMALL AMOUNT OF GREASE AND OIL IS ALLOWED. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR AMY, THIS COMES FROM, UH, OUR AIR, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. I'VE READ THAT WAXED PAPER, INCLUDING PAPER PLATES THAT HAVE GLOSSY SURFACES. AREN'T COMPOSTABLE, THERE'S CERTAIN PAPER PLATES I CAN PUT IN THE COMPOSTING PART. THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION. SO THIS IS A LOT LIKE THE, UM, BAGS AND PUTTING THEM INTO YOUR COMPOSTING CART. THERE ARE A LOT OF MATERIALS THAT ARE FOOD THAT ARE COMPOSTABLE, RIGHT? OR THEY ARE MARKETED AS SUCH. WHAT MATTERS IS THAT IT HAS EITHER A BPI OR AN A S TMI CERTIFICATION. WHAT THAT CERTIFICATION MEANS IS THAT THE ITEM HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BREAK DOWN COMPLETELY IN 90 DAYS, RIGHT? UM, WHEN IT SENT TO A COMMERCIAL PROCESSOR, AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, ALL OF YOUR ORGANIC MATERIALS THAT YOU PUT INTO THAT GREEN CART ARE TURNED INTO COMPOST IN, IN 150 DAYS. UM, FOR THOSE ITEMS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT CERTIFICATION WHILE THEY MAY STILL BE COMPOSTABLE, RIGHT? THEY STILL MAY BREAK DOWN. THEY MAY NOT DO SO IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT IS NECESSARY FOR OUR PROCESSOR. AND IF THAT HAPPENS, THEY ACTUALLY BECOME TRASH AND THEY GET SENT OFF TO THE LANDFILL. SO ALWAYS WHEN YOU BUY THOSE PRODUCTS, DOUBLE CHECK, TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF YOU'VE GOT THE CERTIFICATION FOR COMPOSTABLE. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR MANY, THIS COMES FROM OUR SPEAK OF BOSTON PAGE. YOU SAID THAT THE PROGRAM STARTED WITH A PILOT BACK IN 2012, HOW MUCH COMPOSTABLE MATERIAL HAS BEEN COLLECTED FROM THE PROGRAM SO FAR. SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM, FROM THE PILOTS, UH, STARTING IN 2014, UP UNTIL TODAY, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP OVER 91,000 TONS OF MATERIAL OUT OF THE LANDFILL. THAT'S 181,000 POUNDS. I THINK WE WERE TALKING IN BOUNDS. SO THAT IS EXCITING. WHAT I'D LOVE TO SHARE IS IMAGINE HOW MUCH MORE WE COULD KEEP OUT IF WE'RE ALL USING OUR GREEN PARTS. CURRENTLY, WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE A LOW SET-OUT RATE, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING AS MANY GREEN CARDS ON THE CURB AS WE WOULD LIKE. AND IF WE'RE ALL DOING OUR PART, AND WE'RE ALL USING OUR GREEN CARDS, WE CAN DEFINITELY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF ORGANIC AND COMPOSTABLE MATERIAL THAT'S GOING TO THAT LANDFILL. CURRENTLY, [00:35:01] LIKE AMY MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, WE DID A STUDY IN 2015 WHERE WE FOUND AT 46%. SO ALMOST HALF OF EVERYTHING IN OUR RESIDENTIAL TRASH WAS ACTUALLY COMPOSTABLE MATERIAL. SO WHILE 91,000 TONS IS A HUGE FEAT, I KNOW WE CAN DO BETTER. WE CAN DO MORE, NOT BETTER MORE. OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM OUR ARR FACEBOOK PAGE. THIS IS FOR AMY. IF I PUT A SOILED PIZZA BOX IN THE COMPOST CART, SHOULD I BREAK IT? LIKE, TEAR IT INTO SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS, THEN PLACE IT IN THE CART. SO IF THE BOTTOM OF THAT PIZZA BOX HAS BEEN SOILED WITH GREASE FROM, FROM THE PIZZA OR HAS OTHER FOOD RESIDUE, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU TEAR IT IN HALF. AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE TOP PART OF THAT PIZZA BOX DOESN'T HAVE THAT FOOD CONTAMINATION THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE RECYCLED. SO YOU WOULD RECYCLE THE TOP PATH. AND THEN THE BOTTOM HALF WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE CONTAMINATION OR YOU'VE GOT FOOD RESIDUE ON IT THAT CAN GO INTO THE COMPOSTING CARD, BUT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO BREAK IT DOWN INTO SMALLER CHUNKS. YOU CAN SEND THE ENTIRE PIZZA BOX BOTTOM INTO THE COMPOSTING CARD WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT MAKING A CREDIT CARD SIZE OR, YOU KNOW, TEARING IT IN HALF OR QUARTERS. THAT'S THAT DOESN'T MATTER. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM OUR AIR, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, OUR FAT TRIMMINGS FROM ME ALLOWED IN THE CURBSIDE COMPOSTING CART. MOMMY, I'M SORRY. ASHLEY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? YEAH. SORRY ABOUT THAT. THAT'S UM, THIS QUESTION IS FOR MANY, FROM OUR AIR, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, OUR FAT TRIMMINGS FROM MEAT ALLOWED IN THE CURBSIDE COMPOSTING CART. YES. THIS IS SIMILAR TO, YOU KNOW, THE FOOD SOILED PAPER, BUT WE DON'T WANT WHOLE BUCKETS OF CREASE. I MEAN, WHAT WE'RE SAYING, WE'D, LET'S SAY YOU FRIED A TURKEY FOR THANKSGIVING THAT GREECE WOULD WE ASK THAT YOU DROP OFF AT, OR THAT OIL AT THE RECYCLE AND REUSE DROP-OFF CENTER, BUT TRIMMINGS FROM FAT, LET'S SAY YOU HAD A DELICIOUS STEAK FOR DINNER, THE FAT THAT YOU TRIMMED OFF. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ENJOY IT, YOU CAN PLACE IT IN YOUR GREEN CARD. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FOR AMY, THIS COMES FROM OUR SPEAK-UP AUSTIN PAGE. I MISSED THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION. WHEN IS THE FIRST COLLECTION DAY? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I'M GLAD YOU ASKED IT. SO THE FIRST COLLECTION DAY FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MONDAY AND TUESDAY TRASH CART COLLECTION, YOUR COMPOST CART WILL BE COLLECTED THE SAME DAY WEEKLY JUST AS YOU CURRENTLY ARE. SO THOSE WHO HAVE A MONDAY OR TUESDAY WILL BE THE EIGHTH AND THE 9TH OF FEBRUARY, THOSE WHO HAVE A WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, ROUTE COLLECTION, THOSE ARE GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE 17TH, 18TH, AND 19TH OF FEBRUARY. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE ALTERNATING WEEKS. THAT GIVES US TIME TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR MUMMY, THIS COMES FROM OUR SPEAK-UP AUSTIN PAGE. HOW ARE NEIGHBORHOODS SELECTED FOR THE EXPANSIONS? GREAT QUESTION. SO THE FIRST EXPANSION WAS BASED ON ROUTE EFFICIENCY. SO WE WERE IN THE PILOT AREAS AND WE REALLY WANT TO MAXIMIZE THAT ROUTE EFFICIENCIES. WE DON'T WANT OUR VEHICLES TRAVERSING THE ENTIRE CITY. WE WANT TO EXPAND ON WHERE WE'RE ALREADY COLLECTING. SO WE LOOKED AT THE MAP WHERE THE PILOT AREAS WERE, AND WE STARTED EXPANDING AROUND THOSE AREAS. AND AS WE MOVED OUT AND AS WE EXPANDED THE PROGRAM FURTHER, WE LOOKED AT THE MAP EACH TIME AND EXPANDED IT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE MAXIMIZING THE ROUTE EFFICIENCIES AND THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE. UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE LOOKED AT THE CITY AS A WHOLE AND MADE SURE THAT WE WERE PROVIDING THE SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY TO ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS AT THE SAME PERCENTAGE. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR AMY, THIS COMES FROM OUR SPEAKER BOSTON PAGE. CAN WE COMPOST PAPER TOWEL WITH THE CLEANING SOLUTION ON IT? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. DO YOU WANT TO KEEP AN ABUNDANCE OF CHEMICALS OUT OF THE COMPOST? UM, SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS THAT YOU'VE GOT ON THAT. UM, [00:40:03] YEAH. UH, LET ME DOUBLE CHECK AND YEAH, I MEAN, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE NOT PUT ANY CHEMICALS OR CLEANING PRODUCTS INTO THE COMPOSTING. WHAT WE WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS WHAT GOES INTO YOUR GRAIN CART EVENTUALLY IS GOING TO FEED A NURSE, THE SOIL, WHERE WE GROW OUR FOOD AND, UH, IN OUR GREEN SPACES WHERE OUR FAMILIES PLAY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP IT AS CLEAN AND AS ORGANIC AND PURE AS POSSIBLE. SO WE WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT, UH, PUTTING, CLEANING ANYTHING THAT'S SOILED WITH, UH, CLEANING PRODUCTS INTO THE COMPOSTING. THANKS, MOMMY. YEAH. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, AMY, WE'LL ASK THEM THIS ONE TO YOU. CAN EGGSHELLS GO INTO THE CURBSIDE COMPOSTING PART? ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THAT GROWS CAN GO. SO EGGSHELLS ARE ACTUALLY A REALLY GREAT NUTRIENT AND WHEN THEY GET ADDED TO COMPOST, THEY REALLY HELP PRODUCE THAT SORT OF, UM, NUTRITIONAL VALUE THAT IS NECESSARY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN A NUTRIENT RICH COMPOST. SO EGGSHELLS ARE PERFECT. WALNUT SHELLS ARE FINE. GO AHEAD AND PUT THOSE INTO YOUR COMPOST BIN. THEY WILL BREAK DOWN AND THE RESULTS WILL BE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. THIS WILL BE OUR FINAL QUESTION. THIS IS FOR MANY, MANY, CAN YOU REITERATE THE BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING? WHY SHOULD I CARE IF I CAN JUST PUT IT IN MY TRASH CART? YOU KNOW, THIS IS A QUESTION THAT A LOT OF US MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT AS FAMILIAR OR AS COMFORTABLE WITH THESE OTHER SERVICES THAT WE'RE EXPANDING IN AUSTIN AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOSTLY JUST SO USED TO, UH, THE TRASH CART AND THE TRASH CAN AND THE CONCEPT OF THROWING IT AWAY, IT GOING AWAY NOW, UNFORTUNATELY WE KNOW THAT A WAY DOESN'T REALLY EXIST A WAY IS A LANDFILL, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A VERY, WELL-MAINTAINED VERY, UH, CLEAN WHOLE IN THE GROUND. UM, WE CAN CHOOSE TO PUT ALL OF OUR OWN ONE-TIME ITEMS IN THE LANDFILLS AND KEEP OUR DEPENDENCY ON THE LANDFILLS, OR WE CAN CHOOSE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND COMPOST THEM AND HELP FERTILIZE OUR GREEN AREAS. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS. ANOTHER BENEFIT IS IMPROVING THE AIR QUALITY, THE AIR THAT YOU BREATHE. WHEN WE SEND ORGANIC MATERIAL TO THE LANDFILL, IT BREAKS DOWN ANAEROBICALLY, WHICH MEANS WITHOUT OXYGEN. AND THAT CREATES METHANE GAS. NOW I CAN SAY THAT THE AIR QUALITY IN AUSTIN IS GOOD AND IT HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN GOOD AIR QUALITY. SO LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY AS OUR CITY GROWS. AND AS WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE MOVE IN AND AS WE COME UP A DENSER POPULATION, WE CREATE MORE UNWANTED ITEMS OR WASTE. UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR AIR QUALITY, THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR WATER QUALITY AND PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THE MAIN BENEFITS OF, UM, COMPOSTING. AND AS AMY MENTIONED EARLIER AS WELL, IT EXTENDS THE LIFE OF THE LANDFILL. THE LESS ITEMS THAT WE PUT INTO THE LANDFILL, THE LONGER WE CAN, WE CAN, UH, USE THAT RESOURCE. THANK YOU, MOMMY. AND AMY, YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS. THIS CONCLUDES THE QUESTION PORTION OF OUR PRESENTATION FOR ANY OF YOU WATCHING. IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SUBMIT THEM VIA OUR EMAIL. FACEBOOK, SPEAK UP AUSTIN, THREE, ONE, ONE, AND WE WILL RESPOND TO YOU TOMORROW. THIS CONCLUDES OUR VIRTUAL TOWN HALL. PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/COMPOSTING FOR MORE INFORMATION TO FIPSE VIDEOS AND TO VIEW OUR DIGITAL, HOW TO GUIDE. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.