AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- As Austin continues to bake under record-breaking temperatures, Austin Resource Recovery officials are asking residents to help their crews out by putting trash and recycling carts at the curb earlier.
Customers should now have their carts at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on their scheduled collection day, which will allow sanitation crews to begin collection one hour earlier - avoiding the heat of the afternoon.
“Actions like this allow ARR to continue to provide a safe working environment for its employees while delivering award-winning service to its more than 200,000 customers,” said Director Ken Snipes in a city press release. "We thank our operators for their hard work and our customers for making this necessary adjustment to protect our employees.”
The city says it's also increasing the number of mandatory daily stand downs that each driver must take, from two to four. Drivers must stand down at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. if they're still performing collections.
The changes will remain in effect through the end of the summer, officials said.