Trash & Recycling in El Paso, TX (2026)
6 verified trash & recycling rules for El Paso, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
El Paso's Environmental Services collects the gray garbage bin weekly and the blue recycling bin every other week on the same day. Find your day and recycling week with the My Collection Day tool at elpasoesd.net. Some holidays suspend collection with make-up days.
El Paso Trash Pickup Schedule & Rules
Light RestrictionsTexas Health and 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, or on other public or private property. ... (d) An offense ...
Bin Placement Rules
El Paso spells out exactly where a residential trash or recycling cart has to sit at the curb. City Code § 9.04.100(A)(6) requires carts placed lid-toward-the-street, at least three feet from other carts and five feet from parked vehicles, and § 9.04.090 sets the set-out and pickup window around the designated collection day.
El Paso Trash Cart Curbside Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code §§ 9.04.090, 9.04.100(A)(6)
6.Excluding collection locations approved for sidedoor and alley collection, carts and bulk waste shall be placed at the curbside in accordance with the following rules:a.Carts shall be placed at the curbside of the residential property with the lids opening toward the street; the placing of carts on neighboring property is prohibited;b.Carts and bulk waste shall be placed no closer than three ...
Bulk Item Disposal
El Paso Environmental Services provides bulk waste collection for large items that do not fit in standard city bins. Residents can schedule bulk pickups by calling 311 or through the city website. Acceptable items include furniture, appliances, mattresses, and large yard debris. Hazardous waste, tires, and construction debris require separate disposal at designated facilities. The city also operates the Citizen Collection Stations for self-drop-off of bulk items.
El Paso Bulk Item Disposal & Large Item Pickup
Light RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 365.012 (Illegal Dumping; Discarding Lighted Materials; 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
El Paso runs a curbside recycling program for residential properties. City Code § 9.04.060(B) requires program recyclable materials to be stored loose (except shredded paper) in the city-issued recycling cart with the lid closed, and § 9.04.090(B) entitles every household to recycling pickup on a frequency the director of environmental services sets.
El Paso Curbside Recycling Cart Rules
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code §§ 9.04.060(B), 9.04.090(A)-(B)
B.Recyclable materials. Program recyclable materials shall be stored, uncontainerized (with the exception of shredded paper), in carts designated by the city for collection of program recyclable materials. Program recyclable materials shall not be accumulated or stored outside of carts, and cart lids must remain closed at all times when not adding program recyclable materials to carts. Recyclab...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping, throwing, or discarding litter on any public or private property in El Paso is prohibited citywide. Illegal-dumping violations carry a criminal fine of up to $4,000, double the $2,000 ceiling for other solid-waste offenses, with each day counted as a separate offense.
El Paso Illegal Dumping Fines. City Code § 9.04.630
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 9.04.630 (Other penalties)
Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine up to two thousand dollars, except that a violation of the illegal dumping provisions of this chapter shall be punished by a fine of up to four thousand dollars. If any such violations of this chapter are continuous, each day that the violation occurs shall constitute a sep...
Dumpster Rules
El Paso requires commercial dumpsters and construction roll-offs to sit on the generator's own property, not the street, unless the environmental services director approves an exception. Containers must carry the owner's name and address or phone number, and construction roll-offs get emptied at least every fourteen days under City Code §§ 9.04.210 and 9.04.310.
El Paso Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Significant RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 9.04.210
A.All carts and/or containers shall be placed on the owner's commercial or mixed-use property unless the director grants an exception that:1.Placement of the collection location on the improved property is neither reasonable nor practical; and2.Placement of the collection location on public right-of-way will not unreasonably interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic and will not constitute...
Looking for El Paso County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement El Paso city rules.
Trash & Recycling in El Paso County →