Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my garbage, brush, bulky, and recycling collection day?

Garbage, brush and bulky is collected each week. Recycling is bi-weekly and collected by Brazos Valley Recycling.

Visit cstx.gov/Curbside to find your collection days.

You can also download our free mobile app called College Station Curbside to never miss a collection day again! You can set reminders, report service issues, receive alerts, and more.

What is considered brush or bulky waste for collection?

BRUSH items include tree limbs, shrubs, woody vines, other herbaceous or woody plants, bagged grass clippings and leaves. Collections are hauled to the Twin Oaks Landfill where the materials are shredded into Tier 1 & 2 compost and mulch that is available for purchase at a low cost.

• Please limit your brushy waste to 10 total bags, bundles or cans.
• Use heavy-duty plastic bags. Bags must weigh less than 50 lbs for collection.
• Tie tree limbs and branches, no more than 5 feet long and no heavier than 50 lbs.

BULKY items include furniture, household appliances, and other items too large to fit in a garbage container. This does NOT include bags of household garbage. Consider donating items in good condition and that can still be used to a local non-profit organization before placing at the curb.

Brush and Bulky items should be placed in separate piles for collection.

What are the collection guidelines?

Brush items include tree limbs, shrubs, woody vines, and other herbaceous or woody plants.

Bulky items include furniture, household appliances, and other items too large to fit in a garbage container. This does NOT include bags of household garbage.

Brush and Bulky items should be placed in separate piles for collection.

Do not pile bags, recyclables, trash, or etc. around or on top of your container, or it will not be collected.

Containers and items for collection must be placed at the curb in front of your residence before 8 a.m. on your collection day.

Do not place them:
• Closer than 4 feet from other containers, mailboxes, parked vehicles, trees, etc.
• On a sidewalk or in the street.
• Over sprinkler heads, water or gas meters, or cable/electrical boxes.

Do not set out your container earlier than 12 hours before your scheduled collection day. In addition, the container needs to be removed from the curb within 12 hours after collection.

>> Click here to view our Solid Waste & Recycling Collection Guide.

Email [email protected] or call 979.764.6228 to request an additional recycling container for a minimal, additional monthly charge.

>> Click here to request an extra garbage collection.

Email [email protected] or call 979.764.3690 to request an additional garbage container for a minimal, additional monthly charge.

What items should never be placed in my recycling or garbage container?

Please do not place any household hazardous wastes in your garbage or recycling container. These items pose a serious health and safety risk to our staff and waste/recycling contractors.

>> Click here to view a list of household hazardous wastes and how to dispose of them.

How do I report a missed collection?

>> Click here to report a missed recycling collection.

>> Click here to report a missed garbage, brush or bulky collection.

Why were items that I placed around my container not collected?

The collection trucks have automated arms used to pick up the container and directly dump the contents into the truck. Staff is not getting out of the truck to collect containers or items placed around containers.

>> Click here to view our Solid Waste & Recycling Collection Guide.

How do I report a missing or damaged container?

>> Click here to report a missing or damaged recycling container.

>> Click here to report a missing or damaged garbage container.

How can I prevent litter after my container is collected?

Never overfill your container, this promotes spillage when your container is serviced. Do not place excess outside of your container, automated side loading trucks are used for collection, we do not have crew members to get out and pick up excess materials. Always bag and tag your garbage.

>> Click here to view our Solid Waste & Recycling Collection Guide.

I have too much garbage/recycling for my container, what are my options?

>> Click here to request an extra recycling collection.

Request an additional recycling container for a minimal, additional monthly charge by contacting BVR directly at 979.260.0006.

>> Click here to request an extra garbage collection.

Email [email protected] or call 979.764.3690 to request an additional garbage container for a minimal, additional monthly charge.

Does the city provide rollout assistance for disabled residents?

Yes, please fill out the Disability Service Application and email it to [email protected].

I’m moving, do I take my container with me?

No, the container is assigned to the address not to the homeowner.

How can I recycle my vehicle?

Veteran Car Donations is currently accepting vehicle donations.

Veteran Car Donations
877.594.5822

Why is recycling bi-weekly instead of weekly?

The amount of recycling collected each year has not increased enough in comparison to the monthly diversion rates to make it financially feasible to go to weekly recycling collections.

What are accepted recyclables?

All recyclables must be dry and free of food debris. This is not only important for the "hygiene" of your container, but to ensure clean recyclables make it to market for processing.

• Aluminum, Tin and Steel Cans
• Glass (All Colors)
• #1 & #2 Plastic Bottles and Containers (NO plastic bags.)
• Mixed & White Paper
• Magazines
• Junk Mail
• Newspapers w/ Inserts
• Brown Paper Bags
• Phone Books
• Flattened Cardboard
• Shredded Paper (Must be bagged in clear plastic bags to prevent windblown litter).
• Paperboard (Cereal, shoe, frozen food boxes, etc.)
• Wax Coated Drink Cartons

Placing items in your recycling bin that cannot be recycled at your local sorting facility can contaminate the recycling stream. After these items arrive at the sorting facility, they can cause costly damage to the facility’s equipment and infrastructure. Once these items are removed from the recycling stream, they must be disposed of at a landfill, raising costs for the sorting facility. It’s important to check with your local recycling provider to ensure what items can be accepted prior to placing them in your bin.

Our local sorting facility utilized for the City’s single stream program does not accept some widely used plastics due to lack of appropriate infrastructure as well as our geographical location to certain markets for those commodities. Always check the City’s webpage or the placard on your recycling bin’s lid to see what commodities are accepted for our area. We do not accept types 3-7 plastics.

The RECYCLING SYMBOL on packaging can mean a few things, either the item was made out of recycled materials or it is indicating that the material can be recycled after use. The rule of thumb is: if the symbol has a number within the recycling symbol, this indicates the type of plastic the material is made out of. It is always important to check with your local recycling program to see what types of plastics are accepted at your local sorting facility.

>> Click here to view our Solid Waste & Recycling Collection Guide.

Can I recycle plastic bags, wrap/film or grocery bags?

No, these commodities are not accepted at our local sorting facility. These types of soft plastics tangle the facility’s equipment and cause damage. Please recycle single-use plastic bags at your nearest grocery store.

Does the city’s recycling program accept textiles?

No, we cannot accept textiles at this time. Reach out to local nonprofit organizations on their gently used clothing needs, including charitable organizations or animal shelters.

Does the city have a drop-off recycling location?

No, the City of College Station does not own or maintain a drop-off recycling location.

What options are for businesses/apartments/outside of city limits?

Services may be requested through private haulers.

>> View the list

What is the Household Hazardous Waste Event?

The Household Hazardous Waste Event, typically held each spring and fall, is free to Brazos Valley residents and offers drive-thru, drop-off of household hazardous wastes.

>> Click here for details on the next event and a full list of accepted items.

How do I dispose of appliances?

Appliances containing Freon must be tagged to certify that a qualified technician has removed the refrigerant. For increased disposal safety, we ask that residents disposing of refrigerators properly secure doors with duct tape.

Residents have the option of disposing of Freon-containing appliances at the Twin Oaks Landfill for a special waste fee.

For other appliance disposal questions, please email [email protected] or call 979.764.3690.

How do I dispose of construction or demolition debris?

The city will not collect commercial construction and demolition debris.

Small, residential debris made by the resident can be placed in garbage container or taken to the Twin Oaks Landfill for no extra charge if the customer can confirm their residence by ID and recent utility bill.

How do I dispose of used oil, automotive batteries or tires?

The Twin Oaks Landfill accepts:

• Cooking oil/grease
• Automotive oil
• Antifreeze
• Used oil filters
• Automotive batteries
• Tires (for a fee)

Local auto repair shops may also accept automotive batteries, tires, or oils, call to check first.

How do I dispose of old fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides?

Use what you can, donate to a neighbor, or store until the next scheduled Household Hazardous Waste Event.

How do I dispose of helium tanks and other pressurized tanks?

Propane tanks must be completely empty with 2 holes circled in permanent marker, as well as 'empty' written in permanent marker where we can see it. The empty tanks can then be disposed of at the HHW event.

Propane tanks cannot be disposed of in your household garbage or recycling containers. If it is not emptied correctly, this poses a safety risk for our collection crew members. An additional option is to call a metal buyer or the supplier of the propane tanks for additional disposal or recycling options.

>> Click here for instructions on safe disposal.

How do I dispose of light bulbs?

Incandescent, LED, and halogen bulbs can be wrapped in paper and disposed of in your garbage container.

Fluorescent lamps/bulbs contain mercury and are considered hazardous waste, dispose of these at the next Household Hazardous Waste Event or at a home improvement store.

How do I dispose of unused medications or medical sharps?

Expired or unused medications drop-off kiosks:

Brazos County Sheriff’s Office lobby
1700 HWY 21 W, Bryan, TX 77803
No sharps, liquids or glass.

Medical sharps pose a SEVERE HEALTH RISK to collection and and processing crews if not disposed of properly. Medical sharps must be contained in an empty sharps container, coffee can, or laundry detergent bottle, and the container must be taped shut. This can then be disposed of in your regular garbage container, not for bulky collection. Do not place sharps directly into a garbage bag or container.

What materials will Twin Oaks Landfill accept?

Visit Twin Oaks Landfill for more information.

What haulers will collect construction/demolition debris/roll-off?

Services may be acquired through any of the following private haulers.