Recycling Processing Services for Non-Curbside Collections

The City of Austin's Austin Resource Recovery Department (ARR) is soliciting an Invitation for Bids (IFB 1500 MHR1016) for Recycling Processing Services for Non-Curbside Collections. The procurement seeks a qualified recycling processor to operate a Single-Stream Materials Recovery Facility (SSMRF) that will sort, process, store, market, and sell single-stream recyclable materials collected from the City's Recycle and Reuse Drop-Off Center (RRDOC) and various City facilities. The contractor must be fully operational at bid submission and capable of commencing services within seven business days of the City's request. Key deliverables include pickup services from RRDOC (approximately 50 annual pickups), receipt and processing of materials from City facilities (over 300 tons annually), and semi-annual material composition studies at no additional cost to the City. The scope encompasses processing of twelve commodity types including old newsprint, old corrugated containers, mixed paper, PETE plastics, HDPE plastics, mixed plastics, aluminum cans, tin cans, glass, and scrap metals. The contract term is 36 months with two optional 12-month extension periods, with the contractor compensated through a revenue-sharing arrangement based on market prices sourced from SecondaryMaterialsPricing.com Houston region pricing. Pricing is structured as fixed unit prices for the initial 12 months with potential annual adjustments thereafter not to exceed 25 percent per line item. The contractor must obtain all necessary permits and comply with TCEQ and OSHA regulations. Offers are due Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. CST, with questions due by Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CST.

The procurement imposes no specific Minority-Owned or Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE-WBE) subcontracting goals, though subcontractors are permitted with prior City approval. Bidders must certify compliance with multiple mandatory requirements including debarment status, collusion prevention, conflicts of interest, and adherence to Texas statutes addressing boycotts of Israel and energy companies, firearm entity discrimination restrictions, wage theft prohibitions, and LGBTQ+ conversion therapy bans. Offerors must also certify their residency status under Texas Government Code Chapter 2252.002 and indicate whether equipment and materials are manufactured in Texas or other states. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. The City reserves the right to award a single contract or make multiple awards based on individual categories, line items, cost, or any combination deemed most advantageous to the City. Specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the solicitation, with pricing structured as variable based on actual tonnage processed, market commodity prices, and contractor processing fees, creating a flexible compensation model dependent on market conditions and material volumes delivered by the City.