Fort Worth trash & bulky-item rules

Eligible Fort Worth residential customers receive monthly bulk-waste collection for items too large for the normal garbage cart. The standard allowance is up to 10 cubic yards per household, and the pile must be ready by 7 a.m. Monday of the assigned bulk-collection week.

Keep the pile at least two feet from trees, mailboxes, meters, fences and other obstructions. Once crews have serviced a street, do not add a second pile for that month's collection.

Fort Worth excludes contractor remodeling and demolition debris, shingles, wallboard, construction lumber, electronics, tires, dirt, rock, concrete, ceramic tile, glass, liquids, poisons and explosives.

It also excludes refrigerators, air conditioners, lawnmowers and other household equipment containing coolant, gasoline or chemicals. Those items may have a separate Drop-Off Station route even though they are not curbside-eligible.

Putting bulk out at the wrong time or mixing in prohibited material can be expensive. Fort Worth's current published rate is $123.52 for the first 5 cubic yards and $107.40 for each additional 5 cubic yards, up to 30 cubic yards. The $123.52 minimum applies to the household.

The city specifically points residents toward the Drop-Off Stations as the free alternative when they cannot wait for their scheduled bulk week.

Fort Worth operates four Drop-Off Stations: Brennan, Southeast, Old Hemphill Road and Hillshire. For household garbage, bulk waste, brush/yard waste and small home-repair waste, a resident with a city solid-waste account must bring a matching driver's license and a current Fort Worth water bill showing sanitation service.

The stations accept bulky waste, yard waste, scrap metal, appliances, electronics and passenger tires. Crucially, refrigerators and air conditioners are accepted without removing the Freon first. Small home-repair/remodeling waste is limited to one visit per month and up to 5 cubic yards.

Passenger tires are limited to four per household every six months, with rims separated. Computers and televisions are limited to two electronics every six months.

Apartment residents do not get the full Drop-Off Station disposal entitlement merely because they live in Fort Worth. The city specifically allows apartment residents to use the stations for recycling and household hazardous waste with a driver's license (or current Fort Worth water bill if available); other waste types are limited to qualifying solid-waste-account holders.

The Drop-Off Stations themselves accept limited quantities of household hazardous waste. Fort Worth also operates the Environmental Collection Center for materials such as automotive fluids, batteries, cleaners, chemicals, cooking oil, lawn/garden/pool chemicals, bulbs, paint and painting supplies. Appliances, electronics, bulk trash and tires are not part of the ECC's HHW stream.

For Fort Worth, start with the local authority links below. Recheck them before a special trip or unusual set-out because programs, prices and facility hours can change.

• Bulk Waste CollectionMonthly service, prohibited items and current out-of-cycle/non-compliant fees.
• Drop-Off StationsFour locations, eligibility, remodel limit, Freon appliances, tires, electronics and hours.
• Electronic RecyclingCurrent electronics types and two-per-six-month limit.
• Household Hazardous WasteECC accepted/prohibited HHW categories and quantity limits.