Trash & Recycling in Houston, TX (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Houston, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Houston bans setting garbage or trash at the curb before 6:00 p.m. the day before your scheduled pickup, and collection begins at 7:00 a.m. on collection day itself.
Houston Curbside Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 39-65(e)
It shall be unlawful to place or to allow to remain any materials at the curbline for basic garbage collection service by the division prior to 6:00 p.m. of the day preceding a day designated by the chief solid waste officer for basic garbage collection service at that location. Basic garbage collection service shall commence at 7:00 a.m. on the day designated by the chief solid waste officer.
Bin Placement Rules
Houston requires garbage and recycling carts to be stored out of street view until pickup day, placed at the curbline no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before, and removed once the truck has passed.
Houston Garbage Cart Placement and Set-Out Rules
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 39-65(e)
It shall be unlawful to place or to allow to remain any materials at the curbline for basic garbage collection service by the division prior to 6:00 p.m. of the day preceding a day designated by the chief solid waste officer for basic garbage collection service at that location. Basic garbage collection service shall commence at 7:00 a.m. on the day designated by the chief solid waste officer. ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Houston provides curbside bulk waste collection for large items like furniture and appliances on a scheduled basis. Chapter 39 governs solid waste disposal. Certain items like hazardous materials, construction debris, and electronics have separate disposal requirements.
Houston Bulk Waste Disposal Rules
Light RestrictionsTexas 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
Houston Public Works' Solid Waste Management division supplies one automated recycling cart per residential unit customer under City Code § 39-62, bundling the cost into the monthly garbage container fee billed through the water account.
Houston Curbside Recycling Container Rules
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 39-62(a)(1)a
The division shall provide one automated service container and one automated recycling container to each residential unit customer. The monthly fee for the provision, management, and use of the containers for basic garbage collection service is stated in the city fee schedule.
Illegal Dumping
Depositing solid waste anywhere it doesn't conform to Chapter 39's pickup rules is an unlawful deposit of litter in Houston. A first conviction runs $50 to $2,000, repeat offenders start at $250, and every day counts as a separate offense.
Houston Illegal Dumping Fines: Up to $2,000 Per Day
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances secs. 39-3 (Littering generally) & 39-4 (Penalties; enforcement) (Ord. No. 2026-0516, eff. July 1, 2026)
Sec. 39-3. ... Any deposit which does not conform in all respects with the provisions set forth in this chapter shall constitute an unlawful deposit of litter which shall be punishable as provided by law. Sec. 39-4(a) ... the violation of any such provision shall be punishable upon first conviction by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $2,000.00 and upon each subsequent conviction by ...
Yard Waste Collection
Houston requires yard waste in biodegradable bags or reusable containers under 50 pounds, with tree trimmings tied in limited bundles for weekly automated pickup.
Houston Yard Waste Bagging Rules
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 39-76
Any person desiring to place yard waste for collection by the city shall cause the same to be placed in biodegradable bags or personal reusable containers not exceeding 50 pounds total weight, provided that tree trimmings having a diameter of less than three inches and related materials may be securely tied in bundles not heavier than 50 pounds and not more than four feet in length nor 18 inche...
Dumpster Rules
Houston requires new developments to place bulk containers, i.e. dumpsters, out of view from public streets and screen them with fences at least six to eight feet high, or face citation under Chapter 39.
Houston Bulk Container Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 39-101(a), (d), (e)
(a) An owner or lessee of property shall place or maintain a bulk container so that it is not visible from any abutting public street right-of-way. ... (d) A bulk container placed on new developments located in a service area between a building and an abutting residential property shall require a minimum eight-foot-high solid fence or screen ... (e) A bulk container placed on new developments l...
Collection Schedule
Houston's Solid Waste Management Department collects heavy trash every other month: up to six curbside pickups a year. Set items behind the curb line between 6:00 p.m. the Friday before and 7:00 a.m. on your scheduled collection day.
Houston Heavy Trash Collection Schedule & Set-Out Rules
Some RestrictionsCity of Houston Solid Waste Management Department — Heavy Trash Collection
Place heavy trash at the curb between 6:00 p.m. the Friday before and 7:00 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. Set items just behind the curb line in front of your home. Do not place items in the street or on sidewalks. ... Heavy Trash: Collected every other month (up to six curbside collections per calendar year for eligible addresses).
Recycling Rules
Houston's chief solid waste officer, not a fixed statute, decides which materials the curbside program accepts, tying the list to state and federal law and the city's active recycling-market contracts. Under Code of Ordinances Sec. 39-50, a cart mixing accepted and unaccepted items can be left at the curb entirely unemptied rather than sorted.
Houston Curbside Recycling: Accepted Materials, Contamination
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 39-50(a), (c)
For tree waste, yard waste, and recyclable material, the items will be accepted based upon applicable laws and regulations and the city's contracts with purchasers of items to be recycled. The chief solid waste officer may impose further restrictions upon items or quantities of items to be collected based upon the safety of city collectors and the capability and capacity of division collection ...
Looking for Harris County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Houston city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Harris County →