Town News

Grants Available for Businesses & HOAs to Comply with Frisco’s Universal Recycling Ordinance by June 1, 2025

Frisco’s Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) requires businesses and multi-family properties to have recycling collection service in addition to any existing waste pickup. Ordinance 22-04 was passed by Frisco Town Council on March 22, 2022 and introduced changes to Frisco’s recycling policy, which requires that businesses and multifamily properties have recycling collection service in addition to any existing waste pickup. As communicated by the Town since March 2022, businesses and HOAs have until June 1, 2025 to comply with the URO unless they qualify for a variance or wavier extension.

Universal Recycling Ordinance Compliance

Any business or multi-family property in Frisco is required to have recycling service in addition to their trash collection starting June 1, 2025.

Businesses

  • Recycling containers or service must equal 50% of trash collection or service. Single stream, food scrap, and glass collection service all count toward the 50% recycling requirement.
  • This requirement can be achieved through the size of the recycling container or the frequency of pickup- for example, if a business has a four-yard trash dumpster that is picked up once per week, they would be required to have a two-yard recycling dumpster picked up once per week.
  • Common area trash bins must have an accompanying recycling bin with the appropriate signage.
  • Hotels and motels are required to include recycling bins in any room available for overnight lodging.
  • Businesses with a liquor license must have separate glass recycling and glass bins located in common areas adjacent to trash and recycling bins.
  • All employees and contractors must be trained annually and within 30 days of being hired.

Multi-Family Residences

  • Recycling containers or service must equal 50% of trash collection or service. Single stream, food scrap, and glass collection service all count toward the 50% recycling requirement.
    • HOAs with greater than 70% short-term rentals have a reduced recycling requirement of 25% but must be verified by the Town.
  • This requirement can be achieved through the size of the recycling container or the frequency of pickup- for example if an HOA has a four-yard trash dumpster that is picked up once per week, they would be required to have a two-yard recycling dumpster picked up once per week.
  • Common area trash bins must have an accompanying recycling bin with the appropriate signage.
  • Tenant training on Universal Recycling must be conducted annually and within 30 days upon move-in.

Variances & Waivers

If a business or an HOA needs to request a variance to temporarily modify the recycling requirements or a wavier to temporarily exempt compliance, visit CareForFrisco.com.

Waste Enclosures

Businesses and HOAs will need to comply with Frisco Town Code. HOAs who received a certificate of occupancy after March 22, 2022 are required to construct an enclosure on or before June 1, 2025 for all refuse and recycling dumpsters, which contains four walls and a roof.

Multi-family residential, mixed-use, and non-residential developments, which have been constructed and received certificate of occupancies before or on March 22, 2022 are exempt from screening requirements. These developments would still need to meet certain requirements that respect the concerns of neighbors and for wildlife:

  1. Recycling facilities would need to be wildlife resistant.
  2. Adequate space should exist for the recycling collection facility to be accessed by service vehicles.
  3. If partial screen is proposed (ex: four walls, but no roof), the proposed structure must meet all building and safety codes.
  4. Screening from public areas, including right-of-ways, public lands, etc… and adjacent properties, would need to be provided.
  5. Screening could be achieved in various forms, including but not limited to walls, fences, mature landscaping, or other methods proposed by the applicant and deemed acceptable after Community Development staff review.

Financial Assistance

If a business or multi-family property are in need of financial support to make these changes, funding is available through the following programs:

More Information

For more information or assistance with waste reduction efforts and ordinances and financial assistance for sustainability efforts in Frisco, visit CareForFrisco.com or contact Town of Frisco Sustainability Coordinator, Nico Cruz at NicoC@townoffrisco.com.