Why it matters: Garbage and recycling 311 requests hit 1,801 in the week of March 30 — the highest weekly total in two years and 42% above the 12-week average of 1,269. Compost complaints are up 86% from their recent baseline (523 vs. avg 282). When Austinites are calling 311 about their trash at this rate, something in the pickup chain is breaking down.

What the data shows: The surge is spread across all Austin Resource Recovery service types. In the five weeks since March 1, ARR logged 2,487 garbage complaints, 1,868 compost complaints, 1,356 bulk trash requests, and 1,141 recycling complaints. The compost spike is the sharpest — 86% above normal — and it's happening right as ARR launched a new composting program for multifamily residents on March 24, 2026. Whether that expansion is generating new demand or exposing existing service gaps isn't clear from the data alone. What is clear: the volume is climbing faster than the city is closing tickets. ARR accounts for 1,780 of the 6,007 open 311 requests citywide since January 1 — the single largest departmental backlog in the system.

The bigger picture: The two-year trend shows a clear seasonal pattern — garbage and recycling complaints typically peak in late spring and summer. But the week of March 30 already exceeds last year's spring peak of roughly 1,500–1,600 per week, and it's only early April. The YTD total of 17,605 requests is up 5.2% from the same period last year (16,739), suggesting this isn't just seasonality — the baseline is rising. Austin officials have acknowledged ARR is not meeting its zero-waste goals, with waste diversion stuck at 37% in 2024, down from nearly 40% a decade ago.

The Bottom Line: Spring has arrived, the green carts are overflowing, and Austin Resource Recovery is already running behind — with a two-year-high complaint volume and a growing backlog to prove it.