Resource Recycling Magazine: Austin aims to attract recycling and reuse partners

Austin aims to attract recycling and reuse partners

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

August 25, 2015

Austin, Texas is already known as the live music capital of the world. Now it's playing the opening riff in an effort to also become a major center of recycled materials consumption.

Last year, a city project to develop a large industrial park made up of manufacturing businesses that leverage post-consumer materials grabbed a $1 million grant from the U.S. government. And late last week the City began the process of finding those manufacturing partners, opening up a process of accepting letters of interest from potential tenants.

"To reach zero waste in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner, Austin needs companies in our region that can reuse and repurpose the materials we collect," said Bob Gedert, director of Austin Resource Recovery, in a press release. "The companies that locate at the Austin [re]Manufacturing Hub will become part of a growing zero waste ecosystem in Central Texas."

The green-economy industrial park is planned to be just over 100 acres in size. Of that, 10 acres, will be offered for sale and the rest will be leased out by Austin Resource Recovery, the city department that oversees Austin's recycling efforts and is spearheading a program that aims to achieve citywide zero waste by 2040.

According to the city, infrastructure construction is slated to begin at the industrial park in summer 2016, and the first set of tenants will able to start occupying space a year later.

Interested parties can learn more about the project here.

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