The city of Austin, Texas, has hired a California firm, Gary Liss & Associates, to write a plan in order to achieve zero waste and divert all of its landfill waste toward reuse and recycling by 2040.

The Austin American-Statesman is reporting that this is the city’s first long-term solid waste plan since 1992. In accordance with the United Nations Environmental Accord, the city plans to reduce the garbage it sends to landfill by 20 percent per capita by 2012. It also plans to open a single-stream recycling facility in either 2008 or 2009.