Killeen, TX Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Program type
- Drop-off only, no curbside recycling
- Locations
- 2 staffed centers, 3 unattended trailers
- Accepted plastics
- #1 and #2 only
- After-hours drop-off
- Treated as illegal dumping
- Removing material
- Charged as theft under state law
Summary
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.
(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 materials vary by drop-off site but are as posted at the site. Generally, acceptable materials at all locations include paper products, metals, plastic containers #1 and #2, and glass jars and bottles. ... (d)Materials brought to the drop-off sites shall be placed in the designated container, or as directed by a site attendant. Materials must not be left at drop-off sites during non-operational or non-public access hours, as this will be considered illegal dumping.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 24-85 sets up the city's two drop-off sites, the Killeen Recycle Center at 111 East Avenue F and the Killeen Transfer Station at 12200 State Highway 195, plus three unattended trailers at 3301 South W S Young Drive, 1001 Leadership Place, and 2906 East Rancier Avenue that consolidate at the W S Young location on weekends and holidays. Acceptable materials vary by site but generally include paper products, metals, plastic containers #1 and #2, and glass jars and bottles; the two staffed locations also take automotive fluids and lead-acid batteries free of charge and scrap tires for a per-tire fee.
Sec. 24-87 bans plastics #3 through #7, plastic bags and film, automotive glass, fuel, paint, chemicals, organic material like brush and grass clippings, and Styrofoam from every recycling location, and treats any of that material left at a site as illegal dumping. Materials also can't be left at a drop-off point outside its posted operating hours; doing so is the same illegal-dumping violation regardless of what's in the bag. Ownership of anything placed in an authorized bin vests in the city the moment it's dropped off under Sec.
24-82, which is why Sec. 24-84 makes it a theft offense, under the Texas Penal Code, for anyone other than a city employee to take material back out of a recycling receptacle or to remove a receptacle itself.
Violations & Fines
Dumping prohibited material, or leaving anything at a drop-off site after hours, is charged as illegal dumping under the city's recycling rules. Separately, picking through or removing material from an authorized recycling bin, or hauling off the receptacle itself, is prosecuted as theft under the Texas Penal Code per Sec. 24-84, since ownership already passed to the city the moment the material was dropped off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Killeen pick up recycling at the curb?
What plastics can't go in Killeen's recycling bins?
Can I take something back out of a Killeen recycling bin?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Killeen
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Killeen to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
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