Baytown, TX Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Curbside recycling fee
- Bundled into $36.95/month refuse bill
- Senior rate
- $33.15/month (65+, 1 can/bag limit)
- Green Center location
- 1601 W. Main Street
- Green Center load fee
- $10-$20 by vehicle/trailer size
- Access requirement
- Residents only, ID + water bill
- Excluded items
- Tires, batteries, paint, e-waste, shingles
Summary
Baytown bundles curb-side recycling into the standard $36.95 monthly refuse charge under Sec. 86-101(b), and backs it with the Baytown Green Center, a residents-only drop-off site at 1601 W. Main Street for debris that does not fit the routine cart. Sec. 86-104 requires proof of residency and charges a per-load fee based on vehicle or trailer size.
(b)Each occupied residential unit within the city limits shall be charged the sum of $36.95, plus applicable sales tax, per month for city refuse collection and curb-side recycling services. ... (a)Applicability. Only residents of the city may utilize the Baytown Green Center upon the payment of the load fee specified in subsection (c) to deposit eligible debris. At the time of deposit, residents must show proof of residency, which shall consist of a city water bill with address on the water bill matching the driver's license address. ... Pick-up truck or car, per load: $10.00 Trailer not more than eight feet in length, per load: $10.00 Trailer over eight feet in length but not more than 16 feet in length, per load: $20.00
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 15 rate. Beyond the curbside cart, Sec. 86-104 sets up the Baytown Green Center at 1601 W. Main Street for residents who want to drop off material a regular cart cannot take. Only city residents can use it, and they must show a city water bill whose address matches their driver's license at the gate. 00 for a trailer between eight and 16 feet, with the fees stacking if a truck is towing a trailer that also carries debris. Sec. 86-104(b) excludes composition shingles, motor oil and filters, tires, batteries, paint, brick, concrete, masonry, dirt, Freon-bearing appliances, and e-waste like televisions, computers, and printers from what counts as "eligible debris" the Green Center will take.
Sec. 86-104(d) bars trailers over 16 feet, requires small items to be boxed or bagged before arrival, prohibits sweeping out truck beds or trailers on site, and closes the Green Center to contractors disposing of debris from their commercial jobs.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 86 does not set a separate criminal penalty for misusing the Green Center; the general enforcement in Sec. 86-31(c) lets the city's public works, health, and code officials cite violations of the chapter, and a conviction is punishable under Sec. 1-14's general fine of up to $500 per offense. A resident who cannot produce a matching water bill and driver's license at the Green Center gate is simply turned away rather than fined.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Baytown charge extra for curbside recycling?
Who can use the Baytown Green Center?
How much does it cost to drop off debris at the Baytown Green Center?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baytown
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Recycling Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Harris County handle recycling rules.