City rules only
Texas organic waste rules, city by city
Texas has no statewide law, and San Antonio, Dallas and Houston have no organics mandate. Austin is the exception: since Oct 2018 every food-permitted business is covered by its Universal Recycling Ordinance.
At a glance City rules only
Read the official rules (opens in a new tab)
- The law
- None statewide
- Who’s covered
- Austin: all food-permitted businesses
- Thresholds and key dates
- Since Oct 2018
- Local rules
- Austin Universal Recycling Ordinance; San Antonio/Dallas/Houston: no organics mandate
No organics mandate elsewhere in Texas.
01 / City and county rules
Local rules
-
Austin
In effect- Who’s covered
- All food-permitted businesses (organics); multifamily + commercial (recycling)
- Apartment buildings must provide compost
- Recycling only
- Key dates
- All food businesses since Oct 1, 2018
02 / Our job
What Melly’s handles
- Which rules apply to each of your Texas locations
- File the paperwork for you
- Set up pickup or a compliant hauler
- Keep your records current so you are ready if an inspector asks
✦ Where this comes from
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Laws change. If something here looks out of date, tell us.
These are plain-English summaries for general information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source.
✦ Let Melly’s handle it
Get a compliance plan
Tell us where you operate. We tell you what applies, then we file and keep you compliant.