Houston Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling, Tree Waste & Junk Waste 2026

Find your Houston garbage day, every-other-week recycling schedule, monthly tree or junk waste pickup, holiday delays, and official drop-off options.

City of Houston · Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) · Updated March 2026

⭐ Collection Day Finder

Find Your Houston Collection Day

Select your garbage day to see your weekly trash schedule, biweekly recycling, monthly heavy trash timing, and 2026 holiday impact.

👈 Select your day above to see your complete Houston collection schedule.

⚠ Need your exact recycling week or monthly heavy trash week? Use HoustonRecycles.org or the HTX Collects app. See official options ↓

At a Glance

Houston Waste Collection — Quick Facts

Houston SWMD provides weekly garbage collection, every-other-week curbside recycling, weekly yard waste, and once-a-month heavy trash collection for eligible City-served homes. Monthly heavy trash alternates between Tree Waste in odd-numbered months and Junk Waste in even-numbered months.

🗑

Garbage

Weekly

Black city cart

♻

Recycling

Every other week

Green cart

🌿

Yard Waste

Weekly

Bags, containers, bundles

📦

Heavy Trash

Monthly

Tree / junk waste

⚠

HHW & E-Waste

Drop-Off

Environmental Service Centers

⚠ Heavy trash in Houston is not weekly. It is collected once a month, and the material type changes by month: tree waste in odd months and junk waste in even months.

🔗 Related Guide Want to understand how trash collection works across the US? Read: How Trash Collection Works in the US (Schedules, Times & Rules)

Collection Basics

Garbage, Recycling & Heavy Trash — How Houston Collection Works

Houston uses a city-issued cart system for regular garbage and recycling. Garbage is collected weekly, recycling every other week on the same day as garbage, and heavy trash once a month. Yard waste is collected weekly under the City’s yard waste rules.

🗑

Black Cart — Garbage

Bag household trash and place it inside the city-issued black garbage cart. Lid should close completely.

Collected weekly.

Weekly • City-issued cart

♻

Green Cart — Recycling

Collected every other week on the same day as garbage. Recyclables must be empty, clean, and placed loose in the cart.

Collected biweekly.

Every other week • No bags

⏰ Core Houston Rules

Place the city-issued garbage cart at the curb between 6:00 p.m. the day before and 6:00 a.m. on collection day.
Position the cart with the handle facing your house.
Keep carts at least 3 feet apart from each other, mailboxes, trees, and parked cars.
Remove carts from the curb and store them by 10:00 p.m. on collection day.
Blocked or inaccessible carts will not be emptied.

🔗 Related Guide See how the US trash and recycling system compares city to city: Trash and Recycling Guide in the US (Rules, Pickup & Recycling Explained 2026)

Set-Out Rules

Houston Cart Placement & Set-Out Rules

Houston collection is automated for regular carts, so proper placement matters. Heavy trash and yard waste also have their own timing and size limits. Residents should use the HTX Collects app or HoustonRecycles.org to confirm their exact service calendar.

📍 Garbage & Recycling

Put carts out between 6 p.m. the day before and 6 a.m. on collection day.

Handle faces the house. Keep 3 feet of clearance for the truck arm.

📦 Heavy Trash

Place heavy trash between 6 p.m. Friday before your collection week and 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day.

Do not place piles in the street, on sidewalks, or under utilities, wires, signs, or mailboxes.

💡 Best move for new Houston residents: look up your address online first. Houston’s tools can show your garbage day, recycling week, monthly heavy trash week, and reminders in one place.

Holiday Schedule

Houston Holiday Garbage Schedule 2026

Houston publishes a detailed annual holiday list for SWMD operations. In 2026 the department lists New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Spring Holiday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day (observed July 3), Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day as SWMD holidays. Around these dates, service changes can affect garbage, recycling, yard waste, heavy trash, and facility access, so residents should confirm their exact address schedule in the official calendar.

Holiday	2026 Date	Service Impact	Best Action
New Year’s Day	Thu, Jan 1	Check address calendar	Verify HoustonRecycles / HTX Collects
Martin Luther King Jr. Day	Mon, Jan 19	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Presidents’ Day	Mon, Feb 16	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Spring Holiday	Fri, Apr 3	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Memorial Day	Mon, May 25	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Juneteenth	Fri, Jun 19	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Independence Day (Observed)	Fri, Jul 3	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Labor Day	Mon, Sep 7	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Veterans Day	Wed, Nov 11	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Thanksgiving Day	Thu, Nov 26	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Day After Thanksgiving	Fri, Nov 27	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Christmas Eve	Thu, Dec 24	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts
Christmas Day	Fri, Dec 25	Check address calendar	Verify official alerts

💡 Houston uses address-based holiday updates. The safest way to avoid a missed set-out is to check your address in HoustonRecycles.org or the HTX Collects app each holiday week.

🔗 Related Guide Holiday delays compared across all major US cities: Holiday Trash Pickup in the US (Schedule Changes & Delays Explained)

Green Cart Recycling

Houston Green Cart — What’s Accepted

Houston curbside recycling is collected every other week on the same day as garbage pickup. All items must be empty, clean, and placed loosely in the cart. Do not bag recyclables.

✅ Accepted in Houston Recycling

Metal cans: empty, rinsed aluminum and tin cans
Cartons: milk, juice, broth, and dairy-alternative cartons
Glass bottles and jars
Paper: newspapers, magazines, catalogs, office paper, junk mail
Flattened cardboard boxes with packing materials removed
Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and jars labeled #1 through #5 and #7

🚫 Never in the Green Cart

Plastic bags or bagged recyclables
Food, liquids, or dirty containers
Foam products and many film plastics
Electronics, batteries, and light bulbs
Garden hoses, cords, chains, and tanglers
General garbage or hazardous waste

⚠ Do not bag recyclables. Houston specifically instructs residents to place all accepted recyclables loosely in the cart.

🔗 Related Guide Learn the most common US recycling mistakes and how to avoid them: How to Recycle Properly in the US (Rules, Bins & Common Mistakes)

Yard Waste

Houston Yard Waste Collection

Houston collects yard trimmings weekly under updated city rules. Residents may use 100% biodegradable or compostable bags that meet approved standards, personal reusable refuse containers, or tied bundles for small logs.

🌿 Yard Waste Rules

Use biodegradable / compostable bags that meet ASTM D6400 or EN 13432 specifications.
Residents may also use personal reusable refuse containers for yard waste.
Do not use the city-issued 95-gallon refuse cart for yard waste.
Small logs may be tied and bundled in 4-foot lengths.
Do not place yard waste in the regular garbage cart.

💡 Houston changed the rules: City-seal bags are no longer the only option. Standard approved compostable / biodegradable bags are now allowed if they meet the required specs.

🔗 Related Guide Yard waste rules compared across the US: Yard Waste Pickup Rules in the US (What’s Allowed & What’s Not)

Heavy Trash

Houston Tree Waste & Junk Waste — Monthly Heavy Trash

Houston collects heavy trash once per month. The material type alternates by month: odd-numbered months = Tree Waste; even-numbered months = Junk Waste. Residents should confirm the exact collection week for their address in the official schedule tools.

🌲 Odd-Numbered Months — Tree Waste

January, March, May, July, September, November.

Includes clean wood such as limbs, branches, and stumps.

📦 Even-Numbered Months — Junk Waste

February, April, June, August, October, December.

Includes furniture, appliances, and other large household materials.

📅 Heavy Trash Rules

Place heavy trash at the curb between 6:00 p.m. Friday before your collection week and 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day.
Keep material accessible and away from signs, wires, mailboxes, hydrants, and meters.
Do not place heavy trash in the street or on the sidewalk.
Limit set-out to 8 cubic yards total, about the size of a minivan.

✅ Accepted Heavy Trash

Tree limbs, branches, stumps
Furniture
Appliances
Large household materials
Up to 4 cubic yards of resident-generated building material, excluding shingles, brick, plaster, or concrete
Up to 4 tires during bulk waste months, separated from the pile

🚫 Not Accepted

Contractor-generated debris
Roofing, remodeling, or commercial debris from contractors
Mixed authorized and unauthorized materials
Building material above city limits
Improperly placed piles

⚠ If authorized and unauthorized items are mixed, the entire pile may be refused. And appliances containing refrigerant must show a certified technician tag proving the refrigerant has been removed.

🔗 Related Guide How bulk trash pickup works across the US, city by city: Bulk Trash Pickup in the US (Rules, Scheduling & What’s Accepted)

Extra Capacity

Houston Tags for Bags Program

If you sometimes have extra garbage that will not fit in your city cart, Houston offers the Tags for Bags program. Each official sticker allows one extra bag or box of garbage to be collected on your regular collection day.

🏷 How Tags for Bags Works

One official sticker = one extra bag or box
Extra tagged bags are collected on your regular garbage day
Tags can be purchased online, by mail, or at participating HEB and Kroger stores in the Houston area
Residents can also call 3-1-1 for help

Drop-Off Locations

Houston Neighborhood Depositories & Recycling Centers

Houston residents can use City drop-off centers for extra waste and recycling. Neighborhood Depositories are generally available up to four times per month for Houston residents with proper proof of residency.

📍 Neighborhood Depository Locations

North — 9003 N Main, Houston, TX 77022
Northwest — 14400 Sommermeyer, Houston, TX 77041
Northeast — 5565 Kirkpatrick, Houston, TX 77028
Southeast — 2240 Central Street, Houston, TX 77017
South — 5100 Sunbeam, Houston, TX 77033
Southwest — 10785 SW Freeway, Houston, TX 77074

⏰ Depositary Hours

Tuesday–Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday & Monday: Closed
Residents are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes before closing time

♻ Additional Recycling Centers

Westpark Center — 5900 Westpark, Houston, TX 77057 · Tue–Sat 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Clear Lake / Ellington Airport — 246 Loop Rd., Houston, TX 77034 · Open 7 days a week, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Kingwood — 3210 W. Lake Houston Pkwy, Houston, TX 77339 · Sat–Sun 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Reuse Warehouse — 9003 N. Main, Houston, TX 77022 · Tue–Sat 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Environmental Service Centers

Houston HHW, Electronics & Environmental Service Centers

Houston residents should never place household hazardous waste or residential e-waste at the curb. Instead, use one of the City’s Environmental Service Centers (ESCs), which accept hazardous waste and residential electronic scrap.

✅ ESC Locations

North ESC — 5614 Neches St., Houston, TX 77026
South ESC — 11500 S. Post Oak Rd., Houston, TX 77035
Drive-through and drop-off service for Houston residents
Accepts household hazardous waste and residential electronic scrap

🚫 Never Put at the Curb

Household chemicals
Computer equipment and electronics
Batteries and bulbs
Hazardous liquids
Hot ashes or coals
Construction / demolition debris in the regular garbage cart

⚠ Household hazardous waste and residential electronic scrap should not be placed on the curb or in your automated container.

Missed Pickup

What to Do If Your Trash Wasn’t Collected in Houston

Check your address schedule first in HoustonRecycles.org or the HTX Collects app.
Verify set-out time: garbage cart should be out between 6 p.m. the day before and 6 a.m. on pickup day.
Check placement: handle facing the house and 3 feet of clearance around the cart.
Check whether it is a holiday week or an active citywide service alert.
Call 3-1-1 or contact Houston SWMD if the set-out was correct and service was missed.

Houston reminder: blocked carts, inaccessible piles, or mixed heavy-trash material can be left behind even if the material was out on time.

Local Tips

Houston Trash & Recycling Tips Every Resident Should Know

🏠 New to Houston?

Start with HoustonRecycles.org or the HTX Collects app. These tools show your garbage day, recycling week, heavy trash month, and service alerts.

🌲 Tree vs. Junk Months Matter

Houston separates heavy trash into tree waste and junk waste months. Tree waste is collected in odd-numbered months; junk waste in even-numbered months. Putting the wrong material out in the wrong month can cause your pile to be refused.

🚫 5 Common Houston Mistakes

Bagging recyclables before putting them in the green cart
Putting yard waste inside the black garbage cart
Setting heavy trash out under wires, meters, or mailboxes
Mixing contractor debris into residential heavy trash piles
Forgetting that heavy trash is monthly, not weekly

Contact

Contact Houston Solid Waste Management

Contact	Details
Houston 311	Call 3-1-1 for missed pickups, service questions, Tags for Bags assistance, and SWMD help
SWMD Office	611 Walker Street, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77002
HTX Collects	HTX Collects — app and reminders for garbage, recycling, heavy trash, and alerts
HoustonRecycles.org	houstonrecycles.org — personalized collection calendar, reminders, and schedule lookup
Drop-Off Centers	Neighborhood Depositories & Recycle Centers
Environmental Service Centers	ESC / E-Waste information — HHW and electronics drop-off
Tags for Bags	Tags for Bags — extra garbage capacity stickers

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions — Houston Trash Pickup

Your Houston garbage day depends on your address. Use HoustonRecycles.org or the HTX Collects app to confirm your exact garbage day, recycling week, and monthly heavy trash week.

Houston curbside recycling is collected every other week on the same day as garbage pickup for eligible City-served homes.

Yes. Houston collects yard waste weekly under its yard waste rules. Residents can use approved biodegradable bags, personal reusable containers, or tied bundles for small logs.

Heavy trash is collected once a month. Tree waste is collected in odd-numbered months and junk waste is collected in even-numbered months.

Place your city-issued garbage cart at the curb between 6:00 p.m. the day before and 6:00 a.m. on collection day. Remove it from the curb by 10:00 p.m. that day.

No. Houston says recyclables must be empty, clean, and placed loosely in the green recycling cart. Do not bag recyclables.

Junk waste months are the even-numbered months: February, April, June, August, October, and December. These months are for furniture, appliances, and other large household materials.

Tree waste months are the odd-numbered months: January, March, May, July, September, and November. These months are for clean wood materials such as tree limbs, branches, and stumps.

Use one of Houston’s Environmental Service Centers. The City directs residents to the North ESC at 5614 Neches St. or the South ESC at 11500 S. Post Oak Rd. for HHW and residential electronic scrap.

First confirm your address schedule, set-out time, and cart placement. If everything was correct, call Houston 311 or contact SWMD through the official channels.

Official Source

Still Can’t Find Your Collection Day?

If the Collection Day Finder above hasn’t resolved your question, use Houston’s official lookup tools. They can show your personalized garbage day, recycling week, monthly heavy trash week, and service alerts.

🔍 Official Houston Lookup & Contact Options

All of the following are free and help confirm your exact schedule:

🔍 Look Up My Schedule 📞 Call 311

Schedule Lookup	HoustonRecycles.org — personalized collection calendar, reminders, recycling week, and heavy trash schedule
HTX Collects	HTX Collects — mobile app, service alerts, reminders, and Waste Wizard
Holiday Schedule	2026 Holiday Schedule — official SWMD holiday calendar
Heavy Trash Rules	Bulk Waste / Tree Waste — monthly rules, limits, and placement
Drop-Off / HHW	Drop-Off Locations · ESC / E-Waste

You will leave this website when using any of the links above.

Outside Houston city limits? Pasadena, Sugar Land, Pearland, The Woodlands, Katy, and many surrounding communities use different collection systems and providers.

Nearby Cities

Trash & Recycling Schedules for Cities Near Houston

Looking for waste collection information in another nearby city? Here are five city pages we’ve already covered:

🏢Dallas 🏢Fort Worth 🏪Memphis 🎵Nashville 🌴Phoenix