Trash and Recycling in Houston: The Full Picture

If you live inside Houston city limits in a single-family home or small apartment (4 units or fewer), the City of Houston picks up your trash, recycling, and yard waste — included in your water bill. You do not pay a separate trash bill. Larger apartments and commercial properties arrange their own service through private haulers.

Houston's recycling program is single-stream — everything goes in one green bin. But what actually gets recycled depends on what you put in there.

Source: City of Houston Solid Waste Management; Houston Public Works

Your three bins:

• Black bin (trash) — picked up once per week. Bag your trash. Lid must close.
• Green bin (recycling) — picked up every other week. Single-stream: paper, cardboard, plastic bottles/jugs (#1 and #2), metal cans, glass bottles. NO plastic bags, NO Styrofoam, NO food waste.
• Brown bin or yard waste bags — tree trimmings and yard waste picked up every other week (alternates with recycling). Limbs must be cut to 4 feet or shorter, bundled and tied. Leaves and grass in city-approved bags (sold at hardware stores) or your brown bin.

What NOT to put in recycling (common mistakes):

• Plastic bags (they jam the sorting machines — return them to grocery stores instead)
• Styrofoam
• Food-soiled paper (greasy pizza boxes)
• Diapers
• Garden hoses, clothing, electronics

Heavy trash / junk waste: The city picks up large items (furniture, appliances, mattresses) on a monthly rotating schedule — check your quadrant's pickup week at houstontx.gov/solidwaste. Set items at the curb the weekend before your pickup week.

Hazardous waste: Paint, chemicals, batteries, electronics, tires — take these to a City of Houston Environmental Service Center. Two locations: 11500 South Post Oak (south) and 5614 Neches (north). Free for Houston residents.

Source: City of Houston Solid Waste Management

Find your pickup schedule:

1. Go to houstontx.gov/solidwaste and enter your address
2. It shows your trash day, recycling week, yard waste week, and heavy trash month
3. Set bins at the curb by 7 AM on pickup day. Remove bins by 10 PM.

Missed pickup?

• Call 311 or file online at houston311.org
• The city will schedule a return trip within 1-2 business days

Need a new bin?

• Call 311 to request a replacement trash, recycling, or yard waste bin — free

Illegal dumping?

• Report it at 311. Include the location and photos if possible. The city has cameras at chronic dumping spots.

City of Houston Solid Waste:

• Schedule lookup: houstontx.gov/solidwaste
• 311: report missed pickups, request bins

Hazardous waste drop-off:

• South: 11500 South Post Oak Road
• North: 5614 Neches Street
• Hours and accepted items: houstontx.gov/solidwaste/esc