Laredo, TX Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- 7:00 p.m. night before
- Latest set-out
- 6:30 a.m. collection day
- Cart removal deadline
- 7:00 p.m. collection day
- Placement
- Behind curb or at lot line
- Lid requirement
- Must be fully closed
- Street placement
- No mid-street carts
Summary
Laredo restricts when residential carts can hit the curb: Sec. 14-3(i)(3) bars setting refuse and recycling carts out any earlier than 7:00 p.m. the night before collection and requires empty carts pulled back in by 7:00 p.m. on collection day. Carts go immediately behind the curb or at the lot line as the director of solid waste directs.
Collection services. All refuse and recyclables collection carts at single-family dwellings, multifamily dwellings, or business units comprised of two (2) or less units shall be picked up at curbside, unless otherwise authorized by the director of solid waste. The refuse and recyclables collection carts shall be placed in a manner readily accessible for collection immediately behind the curb at the street or at the lot line, as designated by the director of solid waste no earlier than 7:00 p.m. on the day preceding the day on which collection is scheduled and no later than 6:30 a.m. on the day of collection. The empty carts shall be removed as soon as possible but in no event later than 7:00 p.m. on the day of collection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 3 | Land Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 14-3(i)(3) governs curbside collection for single-family dwellings, multifamily dwellings, and business units with two or fewer units, and it sets a precise window on both ends of the process. Carts must be placed 'in a manner readily accessible for collection immediately behind the curb at the street or at the lot line, as designated by the director of solid waste,' and they cannot go out any earlier than 7:00 p.m. on the day before the scheduled collection or later than 6:30 a.m. on the day of collection itself.
Once emptied, the section requires the carts to be pulled back from the curb 'as soon as possible but in no event later than 7:00 p.m. on the day of collection,' so a cart cannot legally sit at the curb for more than a single overnight cycle plus the collection day. The rule sits alongside two related placement requirements: Sec. 14-3(i)(5) requires the lid to be fully closed or the load will not be picked up, and Sec. 14-3(b)(9) bars city crews from entering private property, meaning the resident, tenant, or lessee must bring the cart to the driveway entrance or the parkway near the street, and 'under most circumstances, refuse or recyclables containers shall not be placed in the middle of the street for collection.'
Violations & Fines
Setting a cart out before 7:00 p.m. the evening before pickup, or leaving it at the curb past 7:00 p.m. on collection day, violates Sec. 14-3(i)(3). Because Article I of Chapter 14 sets no separate fine for early or late placement, the general Sec. 1-6 penalty applies, up to $2,000 for a public-health and sanitation violation, with each day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I put my garbage cart out in Laredo?
How soon do I have to pull my cart back in after pickup?
Can I leave my recycling cart in the street for pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Laredo
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