Irving, TX Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Recycling bag color
- Blue translucent only, Sec. 33-1
- Bag capacity range
- 13 to 30 gallons, Sec. 33-7(a)(1)
- Weight limit
- 50 lbs per bag or bag's own limit
- Bag price
- City's annual bid price plus tax
- Compactors
- Must meet separate city specifications
Summary
Irving requires curbside recyclables to go out in the city's blue recycling bag, which must hold between thirteen and thirty gallons and weigh no more than fifty pounds when full. The city sells the bags itself, pricing them at its annual bid cost plus sales tax, rounded up to the nearest dollar.
Recycling bagmeans a blue translucent plastic bag used to contain recycling materials that meets the specifications of this chapter. ... (a) Garbage bags and recycling bags. (1) Garbage bags and recycling bags shall be a minimum of thirteen (13) gallons and no more than thirty (30) gallons in capacity. (2) Garbage bags and recycling bags contents shall not exceed the lesser of 50 pounds or the weight limit of that specific bag.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4988517; v32 updated 2026-07-30).
Full Breakdown
Section 33-1 of the Code defines a recycling bag as a blue translucent plastic bag used to contain recycling materials that meets the specifications of this chapter, distinguishing it by color from the garbage bag, which must be any color other than blue or red. Section 33-7(a) sets the physical limits that apply to both bag types: garbage bags and recycling bags shall be a minimum of thirteen (13) gallons and no more than thirty (30) gallons in capacity, and the contents shall not exceed the lesser of 50 pounds or the weight limit of that specific bag.
The chapter's weight-limitation definition confirms the same fifty-pound ceiling for any bag and its contents. 1 sets the price: charges for garbage bags and recycling bags are set at the city's annual bid price plus applicable sales tax, rounded up to the nearest whole dollar, so the per-bag cost moves with the city's annual purchasing contract rather than staying fixed in the ordinance. Compactors used in place of bags must independently meet city specifications under Section 33-7(b). 1(b), a nonconforming recycling bag is treated the same way as a contaminated one: it is left at the curb rather than collected.
Violations & Fines
There is no bag-specific fine in Section 33-7; noncompliant recycling, whether oversized, overweight, or the wrong color, is simply left uncollected at the curb rather than emptied. Chronic or accumulated violations of the chapter's sanitation requirements can still draw the Code's general penalty under Section 1-6, up to $2,000.00 per offense, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color must Irving's recycling bags be?
How big can an Irving recycling bag be, and how much can it weigh?
Where do I buy an official Irving recycling bag, and what does it cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irving
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Irving to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Recycling Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle recycling rules.