Understanding Houston’s Trash, Recycling, and Yard Waste Pickup Schedule

The City of Houston provides trash, recycling, and yard waste collection for over 2.3 million residents across its 600+ square miles. With such a vast service area, Houston has implemented an organized collection system to efficiently serve all households and properties. This article explains how to find your personalized pickup schedule, what materials are accepted, holiday schedule changes, and key tips for proper curbside set-out in Houston.

Finding Your Exact Trash and Recycling Schedule

Houston provides weekly curbside collection on designated days depending on your address.

To look up your personalized collection schedule:

1. Visit the Solid Waste Management Collection Schedule Lookup

2. Enter your street number, street name, and zip code

3. Select your address from the dropdown list

4. Your collection days for trash, recycling, heavy trash, and yard waste will display

You can also call 3-1-1 for assistance obtaining your pickup days.

Holiday Schedule Changes

On major holidays, Houston shifts collection days later that week:

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Jr Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

For example, Monday collection moves to Tuesday. Friday pickup shifts to Saturday.

Houston’s Curbside Collection Policies

To ensure successful pickup, be sure to follow the guidance for curbside set-out:

Trash

• Bag all materials
• Use city-provided bins
• Place at curb by 7am on pickup days

Recycling

• Sort properly into bins
• Avoid bagging recyclables
• Flatten cardboard boxes

Yard Waste

• Leaves, grass clippings in paper bags
• Bundle branches under 4 feet long

Heavy Trash

• Furniture, appliances scheduled separately

All Materials

• Never place in ditches or on vacant lots
• Don’t obstruct sidewalks or streets

What To Do If Pickup is Missed

If your properly sorted materials are not collected on your scheduled day:

• Confirm they were placed curbside by 7am
• Check for holiday schedule changes
• Call 3-1-1 to report the issue right away

The city will dispatch a truck to collect your materials within 1 business day.

Drop-Off & Recycling Centers

In addition to curbside collection, Houston operates 7 Neighborhood Depositories and Recycling Centers accepting wide ranging materials for drop-off.

Items accepted include:

• Traditional curbside trash and recycling
• Yard waste and tree debris
• Scrap metal and tires
• Mattresses and furniture
• Household hazardous waste
• Electronic waste

Centers provide expanded recycling options for city residents. Locations are spread across Houston for convenience.

View details on accepted items and center locations.

Keeping Houston Clean Through Proper Waste Management

With over 560 trash trucks collecting 240,000 tons of waste each month, organization is critical to providing this essential city service efficiently.

Following the guidance around collection schedules, preparation methods, and drop-off options will ensure your materials are handled properly. Use the resources on the Solid Waste Management website or call 3-1-1 for personalized assistance.

Proper trash, recycling, and yard waste management keeps Houston neighborhoods clean and minimizes environmental impact across the city.