El Paso, TX Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Curb spacing between carts
- At least 3 feet apart
- Clearance from vehicles
- At least 5 feet
- Clearance from fixed objects
- At least 3 feet
- Earliest set-out time
- 6:00 p.m. day before pickup
- Cart removal deadline
- By 7:00 p.m. on collection day
- Corner lots
- Cart on the address-side curb only
Summary
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.
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 feet from other carts and bulk waste along the curbside;c.Carts and bulk waste shall not be placed within three feet from any permanent, fixed objects, i.e., street light poles, mail boxes, utility boxes, cable television boxes, and other public or private property, and five feet from any vehicles;d.Carts and bulk waste shall not be placed in such a manner as to create a pedestrian hazard, impair the use of the sidewalk, or interfere with vehicular traffic... [§ 9.04.090] Carts and bulk waste shall be placed at the location for collection...after 6:00 p.m. on the day preceding the designated collection day and prior to 5:00 a.m. on the designated collection day. Carts shall not be left in the curbside area after 7:00 p.m. on the designated collection day.
Full Breakdown
100(A) governs where residential municipal solid waste and recycling carts must go for pickup. Outside the routes approved for sidedoor or alley service, carts and bulk waste must be placed at the curbside with the cart lids opening toward the street; putting a cart on a neighboring property is prohibited. Carts and bulk items must sit at least three feet from other carts and bulk waste along the curb, and at least three feet from any permanent fixed object such as a light pole, mailbox, or utility or cable box, and five feet from any parked vehicle.
They can't be positioned in a way that blocks the sidewalk, creates a pedestrian hazard, or interferes with vehicle traffic, and on a corner lot the cart has to go on the curb matching the property's actual street address rather than the cross street. on the collection day itself. A limited number of blocks citywide, listed by the traffic engineer or director, get alley collection instead of curbside pickup. 530(A)(2)(m)-(n).
Violations & Fines
Leaving a cart at the curb past 7:00 p.m. on collection day, blocking a sidewalk with a cart, or setting carts within three feet of each other or five feet of a vehicle violates § 9.04.100, and under § 9.04.530(A)(3) the department may charge the residential account an established noncompliance fee for failing to meet the cart-placement requirements, separate from any other remedy the city pursues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close together can I place my trash and recycling carts?
What time can I put my trash cart out in El Paso?
When do I have to bring my cart back in?
Which way should my cart face at the curb?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
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