Fort Worth, TX Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard trimmings container
- kraft paper bags only, no plastic
- Kraft bag size
- 30-gallon, two-ply wet-strength paper
- Kraft bag quantity
- unlimited amount accepted
- Small bundled brush
- unlimited, tied with twine or string
- Loose brush cap
- 10 cubic yards per household per collection day
- Oversize/commingled brush
- service charge added to water bill
Summary
Fort Worth requires yard trimmings to go out in kraft paper bags or an optional yard-trimmings cart, never plastic, under City Code § 12.5-823. Small bundled brush tied with twine is unlimited, but loose brush piles are capped at ten cubic yards per household per collection day under § 12.5-823.5.
(a) Except as provided by subsection (d) below, yard trimmings shall be placed for city household collection service either in kraft bags supplied by the service unit, or in an optional yard trimmings cart purchased by the service unit from the city. (b) Kraft bags to be used for yard trimmings shall be designed specifically for lawn and garden use, be of a 30 gallon capacity, and composed of two-ply, multi-grade wet strength natural kraft paper. An unlimited amount of kraft bags may be placed for city household collection service. (c) Only yard trimmings shall be placed in kraft bags or yard trimmings carts for city collection. Plastic bags shall not be used for the disposal and/or collection of yard trimmings. (d) An unlimited amount of small bundled brush may be placed for city household collection service and each bundle shall be securely tied with one or more bands of twine or string.
Full Breakdown
5-823 requires yard trimmings to be placed in 30-gallon, two-ply wet-strength kraft paper lawn-and-garden bags supplied by the resident, or in an optional yard trimmings cart purchased from the city; an unlimited number of kraft bags is accepted, but plastic bags are barred outright for yard trimmings. Only yard trimmings may go in kraft bags or the yard trimmings cart. Small bundled brush, tied with one or more bands of twine or string, is accepted in unlimited quantity. 5, which states "No more than ten cubic yards of brush per household may be placed out for collection per scheduled collection day," and requires brush to be free of hardware, nails and treated wood.
Piles up to three cubic yards are collected the same day; piles between three and ten cubic yards get three yards picked up that day with the remainder collected within 72 hours. Residents cannot add more brush to a pile the collector has already partially cleared, and brush must be kept separate from garbage carts, kraft bags and other waste streams.
Violations & Fines
Section 12.5-823(e)-(f) makes it an offense to place yard trimmings or small bundled brush in violation of the section, to allow such material to remain on your property once improperly placed, or to place non-yard-trimmings material in a kraft bag or yard trimmings cart. Section 12.5-823.5(h)-(j) separately makes improper brush placement an offense and imposes a water-bill service charge for brush piles over ten cubic yards or piles commingled with garbage, recyclables or bagged waste, in addition to any citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put grass clippings in a plastic bag for Fort Worth pickup?
How much brush can I set out at once?
Is there a limit on bagged yard trimmings?
What if my brush pile contains bagged garbage too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Fort Worth to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
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