Trash & Recycling in Killeen, TX (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Killeen, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Texas law makes it a crime to put out garbage or other solid waste anywhere except an approved disposal site, and Killeen residents who dump loose trash instead of using their curbside account face the same state charge as illegal dumping anywhere else. Penalties scale with the weight or volume of the waste, from a citation up to a state jail felony.
Illegal Trash Dumping in Killeen Is a Crime
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code § 365.012(a), (d), (e), (j)
(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 water of the state. ... (j) The offenses prescribed by this section include the u...
Bin Placement Rules
Killeen's automated cart program sets a strict placement window: containers can't hit the curb before 8 p.m. the night before collection and must be out by 7 a.m. on pickup day, then pulled back by 9 p.m. that evening. Carts left out past that risk a hauler removing them and a fee on the utility bill.
Killeen Regulates Trash Cart Curb Placement Times
Some RestrictionsKilleen, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 24-49(d)-(e)
(d)Point of collection: The container must be placed at the curbside or designated collection point not earlier than 8:00 p.m. prior to the collection day and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. The container must be placed at or near the driveway at least four (4) feet from any mailbox or other obstacle. On streets where "no parking" is allowed, the container shall be plac...
Bulk Item Disposal
Texas law turns illegal bulk dumping into a felony once the pile crosses 1,000 pounds, or 200 cubic feet, or 200 pounds when it's dumped for a business purpose. Killeen residents who skip the city's paid bulk collection service and dump furniture, appliances or construction debris illegally face these state charges, not just a city fee.
Killeen Bulk Trash Dumping Can Be a Felony
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code § 365.012(f), (g), (m)
(f) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor if: (1) the litter or other solid waste to which the offense applies weighs 500 pounds or more but less than 1,000 pounds or has a volume of 100 cubic feet or more but less than 200 cubic feet; or (2) the litter or other solid waste is disposed for a commercial purpose and weighs more than five pounds but less than 200 pounds or has a v...
Recycling Requirements
Killeen doesn't run curbside recycling pickup: residents use two staffed drop-off centers and three unattended trailers instead, and the code sets out exactly what each site takes. Materials left at a site after hours, or items on the banned list like plastics #3 through #7 and Styrofoam, count as illegal dumping.
Killeen Recycling Drop-Off Rules and Banned Items
Light RestrictionsKilleen, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 24-85(a), (b), (d)
(a)The city operates two (2) citizen drop-off sites and three (3) drop-off trailer locations for recyclable materials. Drop off sites are located at Killeen Recycle Center located at 111 East Avenue F and at the Killeen Transfer Station located at 12200 State Hwy 195. Drop-off trailers are located at 3301 South W S Young Drive, 1001 Leadership Place, and 2906 E. Rancier Ave. ... (b)Acceptable m...
Illegal Dumping
Killeen makes it unlawful to throw, drop, sweep or place litter or junk on any private or public property, right-of-way, street or sidewalk. Code enforcement officers and police issue an immediate citation to anyone caught dumping, skipping the seven-day notice given for other nuisances, with the same escalating fines that apply across Chapter 18.
Killeen Bans Illegal Dumping, Immediate Citations
Significant RestrictionsKilleen, Tex., Code of Ordinances Sec. 18-24; Sec. 18-47
Sec. 18-24. - Littering by depositing or dumping. No person shall throw, deposit, drop, sweep, or place any litter or junk into or on any private or public property, right-of-way, street, sidewalk, or other place. All litter shall be disposed of in an approved receptacle. ... Sec. 18-47. - Immediate citation for depositing or dumping. The code enforcement director or a police officer shall imme...
Yard Waste Collection
Killeen collects grass clippings, leaves, shrub trimmings and garden waste once a week as part of the standard trash rate, but only if it's bagged, each bag under 50 pounds, and set at the curb by 7 a.m. on pickup day. Up to six bags go out free; anything more needs the brush or bulk service instead.
Killeen Yard Waste: Bagged, 50 Lbs Max
Some RestrictionsKilleen, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 24-51(a)-(d)
(a)Yard waste shall be placed at curb in bags and shall not weigh more than fifty (50) pounds each. The bags shall have sufficient wall strength and thickness (a minimum of 2.0 mils) to maintain physical integrity when lifted at the top, with the opening secured.(b)Yard waste, in bags, shall be placed at curb not later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day for that service area.(c)The ...
Dumpster Rules
Every commercial business in Killeen using the city's dumpster system has to give the container a site accessible to collection trucks and can't put it in a street, right-of-way, alley travel lane or intersection sight triangle. New dumpster pads also need a six-foot screening wall or fence, concrete apron, and bollards built to exact code dimensions.
Killeen Commercial Dumpster Site and Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsKilleen, Tex., Code of Ordinances §§ 24-69, 24-74(d)
Commercial businesses using the city's container system for the removal of garbage, trash, and rubbish shall provide a readily accessible site for placement of container(s) on the establishment's property. Locating containers in streets, rights-of-way, the traveled portion of alleys, and intersection sight triangles is strictly prohibited. The site must have overhead clearance to allow pickup a...
Collection Schedule
Every residential unit in Killeen that has city water service must open a solid waste account and pay a mandatory monthly fee, which buys standard weekly collection of garbage, brush and yard waste. The city's utility collections division bills the charge with the water bill, and active-duty military households can get the deposit waived.
Killeen Mandatory Weekly Trash Collection
Some RestrictionsKilleen, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 24-46(a)-(b)
(a)Utility account: All residential units that subscribe to water service shall establish a solid waste account with the utility collection division. A mandatory monthly collection fee shall be assessed and shall entitle the residential unit to receive standard weekly collection services. A separate deposit as stated in the adopted fee schedule, shall be required for solid waste services. A wai...
Looking for Bell County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Killeen city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Bell County →