The Austin City Council approved a resolution this week to drastically reduce the amount of waste sent to its landfills.
The city council unanimously approved the resolution to reduce by 20 percent the amount of per capita solid waste before 2012 and to divert 90 percent of waste by 2040.
Landfill diversion is the process of reducing the waste that ends up in landfills by recycling, composting and other processes.
With this measure, dubbed the Zero Waste Plan, the Texas capital will increase its sustainability. The city of Austin already owns an alternative energy utility and heavily promotes the local economy.
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