Curbside Garbage Information

The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) provides weekly garbage and yard waste collection to more than 390,000 households and small businesses.

Automated collection using 96-gallon garbage carts is cleaner, safer, and more efficient than manual collection. It has significantly reduced worker injuries and lowered costs for the City. The carts are also environmentally friendly, made with 50% recycled materials.

Garbage Collection Guidelines

• 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.
• Position the cart with the handle facing your house.
• Keep carts at least 3 feet apart from recycling carts, mailboxes, trees, or parked cars so trucks can safely operate.
• Remove carts from the curb and store them in a secure location by 10:00 p.m. on collection day.
• Blocked or inaccessible carts will not be emptied.

Do NOT put the following in your BLACK GARBAGE container: Household chemicals, computer equipment, yard trimmings, hot ash/coal, dead animals and construction/ demolition remodeling debris.

*Chemicals and hot ashes cause truck fires.

Yard Trimmings Collection

Houston residents receive weekly yard waste collection for grass, leaves, and small branches as part of their solid waste services. Yard waste is collected on the same day as garbage.

Per City ordinance, yard waste must be placed in City-approved compostable bags for collection. The City currently approves two options:

• BioBag USA City of Houston Lawn & Leaf Bags
• WasteZero City of Houston 100% Compostable Lawn & Leaf Bags

These bags are available at most local grocery and hardware stores.

The service is available to all households that receive automated garbage collection. Yard trimmings make up about 30% of Houston’s residential waste stream. Recycling them helps reduce landfill costs and extends landfill life.

Set-out guidelines:

• Grass clippings, leaves, and small branches must not go in the garbage cans.
• Yard trimmings must be placed in approved bags weighing no more than 50 pounds.
• Place bags at the curb at least 3 feet from the garbage cart.
• Small branches may be bundled if each bundle is less than 4 feet long, 18 inches in diameter, and under 50 pounds.
• Yard trimmings mixed with paper, plastic, or other waste will not be collected.

Extra Capacity Garbage Collection

If you regularly generate more garbage than your cart can hold, the SWMD offers extra capacity collection options. Learn More >>

What Goes Where?