Trash & Recycling in Dallas, TX (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Dallas, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Dallas City Code Chapter 18, Sec. 18-4 regulates residential solid waste collection. The city provides weekly curbside or alley pickup for single-family homes and duplexes. Standard alley/curb service costs $39.73 per month for one rollcart plus $15.36 for each additional cart. Packout/drive-in service costs $138.38 per month. Brush and bulky item collection is separate from regular pickup and governed by Sec. 18-4. Items must not block sidewalks or be within 5 feet of rollcarts, mailboxes, or fire hydrants.
Dallas Trash Pickup Schedules & Rules
Light RestrictionsTexas Health & Safety Code Sec. 365.012 - Illegal Dumping
Sec. 365.012. ILLEGAL DUMPING; DISCARDING LIGHTED MATERIALS; CRIMINAL PENALTIES. (a) A person commits an offense if the person disposes or allows or permits the disposal of litter or other solid waste at a place that is not an approved solid waste site, including a place on or within 300 feet of a public highway, on a right-of-way, on other public or private property, or into inland or coastal ...
Bin Placement Rules
Dallas bars putting a garbage or recycling cart at the curb before 6:00 p.m. the evening before collection, and requires it back out of sight by 8:00 a.m. the next morning, under City Code Sec. 18-4(c). Rollcarts also need three feet of side clearance and cannot sit inside an alley.
Dallas Garbage Cart Placement and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 18-4(c), (c)(1)
(c) Placement of garbage or recycling containers for curb collection service. Where a residence or duplex is designated by the director of sanitation to be provided with curb collection service, except as may be authorized by the director of sanitation, each container must be placed just behind the curbline of the street abutting such property, but may not be placed in any manner where the co...
Bulk Item Disposal
Dallas provides brush and bulky item collection under City Code Chapter 18, Sec. 18-4. Items must not include building materials (bricks, rock, asphalt, concrete), glass panes, auto parts, or tires. Contractor-generated waste must be disposed of by the contractor. Items must be placed at least 5 feet from rollcarts, mailboxes, and utility infrastructure. Brush and bulky service is for residential properties only; commercial properties must arrange private disposal. No building materials, automobile parts, or tires are accepted.
Dallas Bulk Item Disposal & Pickup
Some RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 365.012 (Illegal Dumping; Criminal Penalties)
Sec. 365.012. ILLEGAL DUMPING; DISCARDING LIGHTED MATERIALS; CRIMINAL PENALTIES. (a) A person commits an offense if the person disposes or allows or permits the disposal of litter or other solid waste at a place that is not an approved solid waste site, including a place on or within 300 feet of a public highway, on a right-of-way, on other public or private property, or into inland or coast...
Recycling Requirements
Dallas requires every residence and duplex to use a city-issued blue rollcart for recyclable materials, kept separate from trash, under City Code Sec. 18-3. Non-recyclables placed in the blue cart can get it pulled from the curb by the director of sanitation, and only city crews or specific exempt haulers may collect recyclables from a home.
Dallas Curbside Recycling Rollcart Requirements
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 18-3(a)(1), (a)(2)(E)
(a) Containers for residences and duplexes. Every occupant of a residence or duplex shall provide the premises with a sufficient number of solid waste containers to provide for the peak output of municipal solid wastes from those premises without overloading the containers. The containers must be rollcarts and must meet the requirements of this subsection. (1) At a residence or duplex, a pe...
Valet Trash Rules
Multifamily properties in Dallas that offer valet trash pickup cannot skip recycling: City Code Sec. 18-5.1(a)(3) requires the recycling service to be of a similar nature, meaning doorstep-style recycling collection to match the doorstep trash pickup. The same duty applies to trash chute buildings.
Dallas Requires Recycling Parity for Valet Trash
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 18-5.1(a)(3)
(3) provide and place recycling containers in locations within visibility of waste containers. If valet trash service is provided, the recycling service should be of a similar nature. If trash chute rooms or trash rooms are utilized, then the recycling service should be of a similar nature or should be as convenient for the tenant, such as placing a recycling container adjacent to the trash c...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid waste anywhere in Dallas outside a location approved by the director of sanitation is an offense under City Code Section 18-10, carrying a fine of $200 to $2,000 per day and a presumption of guilt against the property owner where the waste is traced.
Dallas Illegal Dumping Penalties Under City Code Chapter 18
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Secs. 18-10(a)(1), 18-12.1(b)
A person commits an offense if he disposes of dry or wet solid waste or other waste materials inside the city, other than at a location and in a manner approved by the director of sanitation... The owner, occupant, or person in control of premises to which illegally-deposited solid waste is traced is presumed to have illegally disposed of or caused the illegal disposal of the solid waste... an ...
Dumpster Rules
Dallas treats commercial dumpsters and roll-off boxes as franchised collection equipment: operating one without a solid waste collection franchise is an offense under Sec. 18-32, and the director can impound a foul or violating bin under Sec. 18-30 for a flat $509 fee plus $20 a day in storage.
Dallas Commercial Dumpster Collection Franchise Rules
Significant RestrictionsDallas City Code Secs. 18-29, 18-30
COLLECTION BIN means one or more container, roll-off box, debris box, dumpster, or other free standing waste container for the deposit and collection of municipal solid waste or recyclable material. ... The director shall have authority to impound any vehicle or collection bin: (1) when it or its contents have become foul, offensive, or otherwise hazardous to the public health or safety; or (2)...
Collection Schedule
Dallas does not let residents hire a private hauler: City Code Sec. 18-9(b)(3) requires that collection service for every residence, duplex, and manually-collected apartment or mobile home park come from the city's own sanitation crews. The mandatory charge rides on the water bill and turns delinquent, with real consequences, after 15 days.
Dallas Requires City-Only Trash Collection Service
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 18-9(b)(3)
Except as otherwise set forth in this article, collection service must be provided by the sanitation services of the city for all residences and duplexes and for all manual collection from apartments and mobile home parks, and such service may not be contracted or performed by other than the city's sanitation services.
Recycling Rules
Any company that collects recyclable material from a Dallas apartment complex must hold a multifamily site recycling collection service permit issued by the director of sanitation under City Code Sec. 18-53, paying a $275 initial fee and a $100 annual renewal. The permit comes with container-labeling rules, an annual reporting duty, and can be suspended after three violations.
Dallas Multifamily Recycling Collector Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 18-53(a)(1), (a)(3)
(1) Recycling collection service permit required. A person who is in the business of collecting or removing recyclable materials from a multifamily site shall obtain a multifamily site recycling collection service permit from the city. A permit is not required for a business such as a building contracting, home repair, landscaping, roofing, or other similar business that incidentally collects...
Looking for Dallas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dallas city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Dallas County →