The city of Austin began piloting an electric garbage collection vehicle on June 21 as part of its goal to reach zero waste and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. 

This move is part of the Austin Resource Recovery department’s long-term vision of fleet electrification, as 12 light-duty vehicles in the fleet, such as pickup trucks and passenger cars, were replaced with electric models, ARR spokesperson Allison Strupeck said in an email.

City vehicles made up 83% of the 44,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide that were released in 2022, according to a 2023 city report.

“ARR aims to gradually add more electric units to our vehicle fleet,” Strupeck said. “We continue to actively explore additional electric vehicles, ranging from other refuse trucks to a commercial lawn mower. We are working with a variety of electric vehicle dealers for demonstrations and the latest information.”

The introduction of electric garbage collection trucks goes hand in hand with a citywide goal of zero waste by 2040, mainly through reducing the amount of trash sent to landfills, Strupeck said. The city’s zero waste initiative encourages reusing products, recycling and composting.

Across the Austin community, waste made up 9% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, according to a 2025 city report. It also showed that 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere from city-wide trash. 

To reach its goal of an all-electric fleet, expanding the city’s charging network would be necessary. New fast chargers would have to be placed at strategic locations within the trash collection route to effectively charge collection vehicles, Strupeck said. 

“During this first year operating an electric collection vehicle, ARR will closely study the truck’s functionality,” Strupeck said. “The addition of an electric collection vehicle is another opportunity for the department to lower the carbon footprint of our fleet operations.”