Welcome New and Potential Customers

When a new residential customer occupies an existing home that receives Solid Waste services, the existing size brown trash cart and fees for that size of brown trash cart apply to the new residential customer. Collection service begins when the CPS Energy account is established. Trash carts come in large, medium and small sizes.

For customers that have moved into a newly constructed house that does not have existing carts, please call 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000 and carts will be delivered. Please note, the medium trash cart is the default size for the brown cart.

San Antonio also has recycling and organics/composting programs. In addition to the brown trash cart, customers should have a blue recycling cart and a green organics/composting cart. Only traditional single-family home customers should have blue or green carts. If you are missing any of these please contact 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000.

Private/gated communities, new developments, non-traditional properties such as In-Fill Development Zones (IDZs) and Planned Unit Developments (PUDs), multifamily properties of 5 or more units, and small businesses may be eligible for City waste collection services by exception. The property owner, HOA or community’s authorized representative must contact 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000 to request a Property Assessment.

For information and requirements please visit City Ordinance for Solid Waste and Information Bulletin 576.

To help you participate in the organics/composting program, free counter-top kitchen bins for food waste are available. Please call 210-207-6428.

Monthly collection fees are assessed by the size of the brown trash cart and billed to your CPS Energy bill. There is a $3.00 fee called the Environmental fee that allows access to the Solid Waste drop-off centers. In addition, a $1.50 Parks fee is also included on your CPS Energy bill. The current collection fees are:

• Small brown trash cart (48 gallon) - $14.76 per cart
• Medium brown trash cart (64 gallon) - $20.26 per cart
• Large brown trash cart (96 gallon) - $30.75 per cart
• Residents are allowed up to 3 carts max each for garbage, recycling, or organics.

As the fees above show, the smaller the cart, the lower the fee. If you are not filling up your brown trash cart, why pay for empty space? Customer can request to downsize their brown cart.

The blue recycling and green organics carts are serviced free of charge. Recycling and organics/composting are collected one day out of the week by two different trucks and trash is collected a different day of the week. Use our Collection Day Finder to find out when your carts are picked up.

Each of our three programs for trash, recycling and organics/composting have specific guidelines about what is and is not accepted in the brown, blue and green cart. Also, there are policies for collection day to follow. These tips will ensure your carts are serviced.

If you think your cart has been missed, please wait until 5:00 pm and then call 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000. The driver may just be a little behind.

It is unlawful for residents to deface, paint, write, stain, carve, scratch on any public refuse or recycling containers.

Four times per year, curbside collection is provided for large brush piles and bulky items – twice for each. Customers receive a door hanger telling them of their collection week or you can use our Collection Day Finder to determine your schedule.

Putting the wrong item in the wrong cart is an expensive issue for San Antonio. We call this contamination. For repeated contamination, customers at that address may be assessed a fine. Learn how you can avoid a fine.

Solid Waste operates Drop-off locations around the City for large brush, bulky items and household hazardous waste - good to know after you are done unpacking. Learn about locations and hours of operation.

The SWMD provides an assistance service at no cost to customers who are not physically able to roll their carts to and from the curb. Contact 3-1-1.

We communicate with customers in a variety of ways including door hangers and cart tags. If you receive one, you can find out what it means here. Follow us on Facebook for the latest information on holiday schedules, special events, weather updates and so much more.