Texas City, TX Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 53.02 of the Texas City Code of Ordinances defines RECYCLING DROPOFF CENTER as a location, either temporary or permanent, within the city established for the receipt of recyclable solid waste. The definition names newspaper, glass, motor oil, automobile oil filters, automobile and truck tires and aluminum cans as examples, and the list is not exclusive: the words including, but not limited to, keep it open. Because of market demands, the Director of Sanitation determines from time to time the type and amount of recyclable waste accepted at the recycle center. That puts the accepted-materials list in the Director's hands rather than in the ordinance, so it changes with the market instead of by City Commission vote.

Other sections tie into the center. Section 53.11(E) lists tires as material the city will not collect at the curb, with the exception that rimless tires may be taken to the city's recycling center at no charge. Commercial customers who recycle are covered separately by § 53.22, which lets them contract with the city's exclusive franchise hauler or any other recycling service company.

The definition is a definition, not a mandate. It sets no residential recycling duty, container specification or fee, and it does not say where the center is or when it is open. Anyone planning to drop off oil filters, glass or tires should confirm current accepted materials with the Director of Sanitation before loading up, because the code leaves that decision to the Director.