Waco, TX Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Cart limit
- Up to two green yard-waste carts per household
- Bag limit
- Up to 20 paper yard-waste bags per collection day
- Bag rule
- Plastic bags prohibited for yard waste entirely
- Brush size cap
- Stacks no bigger than four feet per side
- Limb limit
- No limb over four feet long, three inches thick
Summary
Waco gives single-family, duplex and quadriplex households up to two green carts, plus as many as 20 biodegradable paper yard-waste bags per collection day, under Sec. 21-23, but plastic bags are barred outright. Brush must be stacked at the curb in piles no bigger than four feet on a side, with no limb longer than four feet or thicker than three inches, per Sec. 21-24.
Sec. 21-23(a)Only the following yard waste shall be placed for city residential collection service:(1)Yard waste that results from routine and customary residential...yard maintenance...(b)Each service unit...will be provided no more than two carts, green in color, for the collection of yard waste...Yard waste shall be placed for city residential collection service only in:(1)Green yard waste carts provided by the city; or(2)Yard waste bags. No more than 20 yard waste bags may be placed for city residential collection service on a collection day.(c)Plastic bags shall not be used for the disposal and/or collection of yard waste. Sec. 21-24(d)Brush shall be stacked at the curb in a stack measuring no more than four feet long by four feet high by four feet wide (64 cubic feet or 2.4 cubic yards) with no single limb or other brush item being longer than four feet nor larger than three inches in diameter for collection on the scheduled collection day within the set-out period described in this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 21-23 defines what counts as collectible yard waste: material from 'routine and customary' maintenance of single-family, duplex and quadriplex properties (multifamily excluded) that fits in a cart or bag. Each qualifying service unit is issued up to two green yard-waste carts, with extra carts available for a fee, and residents may supplement carts with biodegradable, multi-layer paper yard-waste bags capped at 30 gallons; the code caps set-out at 20 such bags per collection day. Subsection (c) flatly bans plastic bags for yard waste disposal or collection, and subsection (d) makes it unlawful to set out yard waste in violation of the section, to let violating waste sit on the property, or to place a cart or bag that contains non-yard-waste material.
Sec. 21-24 governs brush separately: only brush from routine single-family landscape maintenance qualifies, specifically excluding anything generated by a commercial landscaping company or tree service, and it is collected on the same day as yard waste. 4 cubic yards), and no single limb or item may exceed four feet in length or three inches in diameter. Oversized brush must be hauled to a city disposal facility instead of set at the curb, and brush cannot be commingled with garbage, recyclables, yard-waste bags or bulky waste.
Violations & Fines
Setting out yard waste in a plastic bag, exceeding the 20-bag limit, or stacking brush beyond the four-by-four-by-four-foot cap violates Sec. 21-23(d) or Sec. 21-24(h) and is unlawful; letting violating material remain on the property is a separate offense from placing it. Both sections funnel into the chapter 21 general violation at Sec. 21-15, with fines up to $2,000.00 under Sec. 1-14(b) and each day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use plastic bags for yard waste in Waco?
How big can my brush pile be for pickup?
How many yard-waste bags can I set out at once?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Waco 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.