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Houston, TX Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
Code of Ordinances § 39-50
Rules set by
Chief Solid Waste Officer
Contaminated cart
Entire load refused, not sorted
Depository visits
Max 4 per month per household
Scavenging fine
$50 to $2,000 per offense
Last amended
Ord. No. 2026-0516, eff. June 10, 2026

Summary

Houston's chief solid waste officer, not a fixed statute, decides which materials the curbside program accepts, tying the list to state and federal law and the city's active recycling-market contracts. Under Code of Ordinances Sec. 39-50, a cart mixing accepted and unaccepted items can be left at the curb entirely unemptied rather than sorted.

For tree waste, yard waste, and recyclable material, the items will be accepted based upon applicable laws and regulations and the city's contracts with purchasers of items to be recycled. The chief solid waste officer may impose further restrictions upon items or quantities of items to be collected based upon the safety of city collectors and the capability and capacity of division collection equipment. ... City collectors shall not accept any materials that are not authorized for collection under the rules. To the extent that any items placed for collection are mixed so as to include both authorized and unauthorized items, city collectors shall not be obliged to sort the materials and may refuse the entire lot.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Houston's curbside recycling program runs under Code of Ordinances Chapter 39, Article II, most recently amended by Ord. No. 2026-0516 (eff. June 10, 2026). " Copies of the current rules are not buried in city hall: Section 39-50(b) requires them kept at the chief solid waste officer's office and the city secretary's office, and posted at every neighborhood depository and adopt-a-container site. Residents who want to drop off recyclables directly rather than wait for curbside pickup can use those neighborhood depository sites under Section 39-82, capped at four visits per month per household.

Contamination is handled at the truck, not with a warning notice: Section 39-50(c) tells city collectors they "shall not accept any materials that are not authorized for collection under the rules," and if a cart mixes acceptable and unacceptable items, crews "shall not be obliged to sort the materials and may refuse the entire lot," leaving the whole cart at the curb. 00 per conviction, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.

Violations & Fines

Recycling carts mixed with garbage, food waste, or other unauthorized items are not sorted at the curb: the whole cart is left unemptied under Section 39-50(c) until the resident removes the contaminants. Scavenging or removing items from a recycling cart set out for pickup is a separate offense under Section 39-2, fined $50.00 to $2,000.00 under Section 39-4, with each additional day of a continuing violation charged separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I put the wrong items in my recycling cart?
Under Section 39-50(c), Houston collectors are not required to sort a contaminated cart. If it mixes authorized recyclables with garbage or other unauthorized items, the crew can refuse the entire cart rather than picking through it, leaving it at the curb until the resident sorts it out.
Who decides what materials Houston will recycle?
The chief solid waste officer, not city council directly. Section 39-50(a) ties the accepted-materials list to state and federal solid waste law and to the city's active contracts with recycling purchasers, so the list can change as those market contracts change.
Can I drop off recyclables somewhere besides the curb?
Yes. Section 39-82 lets the Solid Waste Management Department run neighborhood depository sites that take junk, tree waste, and city-approved recyclables, but a household cannot use a depository site more than four times in a calendar month.
Is it illegal to take items out of someone else's recycling bin?
Yes. Section 39-2 makes it unlawful to scavenge from, disturb, or remove the contents of a bin, bag, or container set out for city or private collection, including recycling carts. Violators face a fine of $50.00 to $2,000.00 under Section 39-4.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Houston

Collection ScheduleSome RestrictionsBulk Item DisposalLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsPickup Rules & SchedulesSome RestrictionsDumpster RulesSome RestrictionsYard Waste CollectionSome RestrictionsIllegal DumpingSome RestrictionsBin Placement RulesSome RestrictionsRecycling RequirementsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Wildlife FeedingHeavy RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: MicrochippingSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: CompostingFew Restrictions

All Houston rules

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