Trashfacts - houstontx.gov

1 The Sylvester Turner, Mayor TRASH FACTS. The Citizen's Guide to City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department Services Harry J. Hayes Director Residential Services: Adopt - A- container Program At Your Curbside organizations may request large bulk containers for weekend Garbage Collection neighborhood cleanup campaigns. Requests must be sent to the SWMD. Household garbage must be put in- in writing at least 14 days prior to the side the city-provided container which anticipated cleanup date. Bulk con- should be placed at the curb between 6 the day before and 7 on the scheduled collection day. The contain- Friday and collected on Monday. Only er must be accessible to the automated - collection truck and not blocked by ob- ganizations coordinating a neighbor- stacles, including parked cars. Drivers hood cleanup campaign are eligible will not move improperly placed con- to sponsor bulk containers.

2 For more tainers. Containers must be removed information, call 3-1-1. from the curbline and/or public view by 10:00 on the day of collection and stored in a secure location. The garbage container is for disposing of regular household garbage only. Certain items should not be disposed of in your garbage container either because they are too heavy for SWMD equipment or because they may harm employees, prop- Dead Animals erty, neighbors, pets, and the environment. Therefore, do not put 1) household chemicals, 2) construction, demolition, and remodeling debris, 3) dead animals, Dead animals can be picked up by call- 4) computer equipment, 5) recyclables or 6) yard trimmings in the container . ing 311, the City's Customer Service Hotline. A fee is required for large dead animal pickup. For large animal pickup degradable/C during the weekend, please call 311.

3 On Bio om yard Trimmings from 7:00 to 3:00 Do not st po place dead animals with household ou sta City of H. yard Trimmings, grass clippings, small branches and leaves garbage or tree waste / junk waste ble Bag must not be placed in the automated garbage cans. They collection. must be in city-approved compostable bags not weighing more than 50 pounds, and placed at the curb 3 feet away For dead animals on the freeway and City from the automated container for separate yard trimmings feeder, call TXDOT at 713-802-5000. Approved collection. Small branch- es may be put in bundles as long as each bundle is Fines less than 4 feet in length and 18 inches in diameter Violation of any provision of the solid and weighing less than waste ordinance is punishable upon 50 pounds. yard Trim- mings mixed with paper , $50 nor more than $2,000. Each sub- plastic, or any other type sequent conviction is punishable by of waste will not be col- lected.

4 Work performed than $2,000. Each day that any viola- by a contractor must be tion continues may be punishable as a removed by the contrac- tor. D! E. FO IM G M ST. E. SU. IN AN IN SW WA. IS..for more information, AD YC IT NK. IS. TH. DE REC N W / JU. H. visit our website at or call 3-1-1. IN. AL. EE TE. L. GR AS. GO E W. ~Printed on Recycled paper ~. E. TR. Page 2 The TRASH FACTS. Tree Waste / Junk Waste Recycling Program The City will collect tree waste exclusively on odd months on the resident's current tree waste /junk waste collection day. Tree waste , which consists of tree limbs, branches or stumps. Lumber, furniture and treated wood will not be accepted. On even months residents may set out their junk waste at the curb for city collection. Junk waste . is used to describe items such as furniture, appliances and other bulky materials.

5 These items should be placed adjacent to The Tree Waste Program diverts waste from the front curb in a location eas- ily accessible to the collection vehicle between the hours of 6:00 the Friday before, and space. 7:00 on the scheduled col- lection day. No more than eight cubic yards per residence will be collected on the scheduled tree waste/junk waste collection day. signs, or mailboxes; next to fences property. It is the responsi- than eight units. Of this amount, only a maximum or posts; or on top of water meters, bility of the contractor to re- of four cubic yards of building move, or cause to be removed, Tree Waste/Junk Waste exposed utility components. Also, all debris that may arise from Collection Schedule shingles, brick, plaster or con- materials should not be placed the course of his or her activi- crete) generated by the resident in the street, on the sidewalk, or ties.

6 These contractor related in connection with the mainte- other right-of-way, or in activities include, but January Tree Waste nance of the residential property any manner that would are not limited to, trim- Feburary Junk Waste interfere with pedestrian ming and removal of March Tree Waste may be collected by department trees, remodeling, new personnel. A maximum of four waste and junk waste col- April Junk Waste construction and roof- (4) tires per month, per house- lection is limited to resi- ing. If authorized items May Tree Waste hold may be placed curbside dential units and vacant placed for collection June Junk Waste for collection. Sheet rock must residential lots only if the are mixed with unau- July Tree Waste be bagged. Appliances con- waste generated is in con- thorized items, depart- August Junk Waste taining refrigerant must have a nection with the main- ment personnel shall September Tree Waste tag attached to them certifying tenance of the property.

7 Not be obligated to sort The SWMD is not allowed the materials and may October Junk Waste that a to collect any material that refuse the entire load. November Tree Waste removed the refrigerant. Ma- was generated by contractors who Solid waste collection services December Junk Waste terials should not be stacked were retained by a resident to per- are not available to multi- under low overhead cabling, form work on his or her residential residential structures of more Neighborhood Depositories/Recycling Centers R esidents may dispose of tree waste / junk waste at one of the City's neighborhood personnel will not unload your tires or tree waste / junk waste. Neighborhood Depository &. Residents may use depositories Recycling Center Locations depository facilities. Each user four times per month. Locations must provide proof of residen- are now open Wed.

8 - Sun., except North 9003 N Main 3-1-1. cy, including a Texas Driver's Li- holidays from 10 to 7 * Northwest 14400 Sommermeyer 3-1-1. cense or ID, a current utility bill Citizens are encouraged to arrive Northeast 5565 Kirkpatrick 3-1-1. or city property tax receipt. The at least 30 minutes before closing South 5100 Sunbeam 3-1-1. depositories accept the same to allow adequate time to unload. Southwest 10785 SW Freeway 3-1-1. materials as the tree waste / All depositories also accept recy- Southeast 2240 Central Street 3-1-1. junk waste collection (furni- clables. Materials accepted include ture, stoves, refrigerators, etc.) aluminum and tin cans, tree waste, Depositories will accept up to plastic bottles and jugs (#I-#5 and City Recycling Centers (Junk Waste not accepted). 10 tires per month, per house- #7), newspapers and magazines, Westpark Recycling Cntr.

9 Kingwood Recycling Cntr. hold. Residents must unload glass bottles and jars, and used 5900 Westpark, 77057 3210 West Lake Houston Pkwy their tires and place them in a motor oil. Ellington Airport/Clear Lake brought in a commercial vehi- * Daylight Savings - Hours change 246 Loop Rd., 77034. cle will not be accepted. SWMD from 9 to 6 ..for more information, visit our website at or call 3-1-1. Page 3 The TRASH FACTS. Going Green with SWMD. Automated Recycling - utilizes a 96-gallon green cart rolled to the curb for collection. Recycling must be put inside the city-provided container which should be placed at the curb between 6 the day before and 7 on the scheduled collection day. The container must be accessible to the collection truck and not blocked by obstacles, including parked cars. Drivers will not move improperly placed containers.

10 Containers must be removed from the curbline and/or public view by 10:00 on the day of collection and stored in a secure location. What items can you recycle? Newspaper Plastic Containers #1 - 5 and 7 (rinsed & drained). Magazines Aluminum and Tin Cans (rinsed & drained). Catalogs Phone Books Used Motor Oil curbside recycling bin. You may still recycle glass at all City website Environmental Service Centers as anti-freeze, batteries, fuel, oil, paint, paint thinner, pesticides, herbicides and household cleaners. Residential electronic scrap items will also be accepted (monitors, televisions, printers, keyboards, mice, scanners, fax machines, telephone handsets, VCRs, CPUs, cellular phones and other small consumer electronics). These items should not be placed on the curb with or in your container for collection with garbage or tree waste /.