Trash and Recycling
Trash pickup for the Kempwood subdivision is handled by the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department. Services include:
Household Garbage
Household garbage is collected weekly on regular trash days (usually Friday). It should be bagged and placed in the 90-gallon black garbage container provided by the city. Follow the directions stamped on the lid for proper placement of the bin for automated collection. Yard trimmings must not be placed within this container. The container should be curb-side before 7 A.M. on the day of collection. The garbage container should be returned to a place not visible from the street prior to 10 P.M. on the day of collection. If your trash sometimes does not fit in the city-supplied garbage can, additional bags require a Tags for Bags sticker.
For more information on household trash and trash cans, Tags for Bags, or additional trash cans, visit this page or call 311 for assistance.
Curbside Recycling
Curbside recycling is offered every other week on regular trash days.
Kempwood is part of the City of Houston's Automated Recycling pilot program as of 2010. Place recyclable items in the large rolling green bin provided for your house, and place the bin at the curb for pickup by the recycling service trucks. The bins have identification tags. If you choose to register your bin, you may participate in the RecycleBank incentive program.
Acceptable items for recycling include:
- #1-5, and #7 plastics (NOT toys, packing materials, flower pots, styrofoam, plastic bags, or plastic furniture)
- aluminum and tin cans (rinsed and drained; labels okay) and aerosol cans
- clean corrugated cardboard, cut down to no larger than 3x3 foot squares (no cardboard food packaging)
- newspapers, magazines, catalogs
- telephone books
- envelopes
- home and office paper, mail (no dark colors or foil)
- used motor oil, in original container or screw-top gallon jug
Styrofoam and other #6 plastics are also not accepted for recycling. Glass may not be placed in the green curbside bin, but is accepted at other city locations.
Yard Trimmings
Yard trimmings are collected weekly on regular trash days. Grass clippings, leaves and small branches must be bagged and placed near the garbage container. Branches may be put in bundles up to 4 feet long and 18" in diameter, not weighing more than 50 pounds. Larger limbs should put out on tree waste collection days (see below). Yard trimmings mixed with paper, plastic or any other type of waste will not be collected.
NEW!
Starting April 5, 2010, the city will require "compostable" bags for yard trimmings. Only approved green bags may be used for yard trimmings. Approved bags are marked with the seal as shown here.
Junk Waste
Junk Waste includes furniture, appliances, and other bulky material. It is collected on the 2nd Friday of every other month (February, April, June, August, October, December) alternating with Tree Waste. You can put out up to 8 cubic yards of material, but with no more than 4 cubic yards of building materials (other than brick or concrete). Contractors performing maintenance on the property must remove the waste they generate. Junk Waste may be placed on the curb no earlier than the evening of the previous Friday (one week in advance of scheduled pickup).
NOTE: Junk Waste and Tree Waste are collected by mechanical claw. Do not put the waste under power lines, or near anything that might damaged by the claw such as your mailbox or water meter.
Tree Waste
Tree Waste is natural wood waste such as tree limbs, branches, and stumps. (Furniture, lumber, and other wood products are considered Junk Waste.) Tree Waste is collected on the 2nd Friday once every other month (January, March, May, July, September, and November) alternating with Junk Waste. It is taken to a recycling facility to be rendered into mulch. Tree Waste may be put out on Junk Waste days, but it will be landfilled instead of recycled.
Hazardous Waste
Household hazardous waste may be dropped off at 5900 Westpark Drive. Items accepted include glass, electronics, fluorescent lamps, latex paint, used motor oil and filters, antifreeze, and tires.
Other recycling ideas
- Car batteries may be recycled for free at many auto parts suppliers such as AutoZone.
- Small rechargeable batteries are accepted for recycling at RadioShack, Lowe's, and many other places.
- Batteries Plus also recycles batteries.
- Thin plastic shopping bags may be recycled outside H-E-B stores.
- Compact fluorescent bulbs may be brought to Ikea for recycling.
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