Austin's Recycle and Reuse Center at 2514 Business Center Drive, in the south-east of the city, is where the awkward material goes - household chemicals, electronics, paint, and the hard-to-recycle packaging that kerbside collection will not touch. It is run by Austin Resource Recovery and it is open to residents of Austin and Travis County.
One rule matters more than any other here, and it is the one most likely to waste your morning: the centre operates by appointment only. You cannot turn up and join a queue. Slots are booked through the city's online scheduler or the Austin Recycles mobile app, and the same booking system covers collections as well as drop-offs. The phone number is 512-974-4343.
For eligible residents the service costs nothing. The exception worth budgeting for is tyres, charged at $6.00 apiece. Large appliances are taken at no cost.
The site works in both directions. As well as leaving material, you can book a slot to collect free reusable items that other people have dropped off, and the on-site Austin ReBlend programme remixes donated paint into recycled paint that is given away.
Do not bring garden waste. Yard trimmings and large brush belong at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant on FM 973, not here - it is a long drive across town to be turned around at the gate. Book first, then load the car.