Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Belton
Texas residential services run Monday through Friday. Please refer to your neighborhood's specific zoning map for your exact day.
State Mandate
Bag all trash to prevent pests.
Cart with Green Lid Bin (Trash)
Only Waste Management carts are picked up. Do not use personal containers. Carts must be placed curbside by 6:00 a.m. and returned to your property by 7:00 p.m.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable materials
Cart with Yellow Lid Bin (Recycling)
Single-stream recycling is collected every-other Wednesday based on your Green or Gold week zone. Place curbside by 6:00 a.m. Never bag recyclables.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Foil and pie tins
- ✓Plastic containers No. 1-7
- ✓Paperboard containers
- ✓Cardboard and food boxes
- ✓Junk mail and phone books
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass
- ✕Styrofoam packaging
- ✕Soiled food containers (pizza boxes)
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Electronics
- ✕Ceramics or dishes
- ✕Wire clothes hangers
Yard Waste Bin
Brush piles must be out by 6:00 a.m. on collection day. Piles are limited to 6 cubic yards. Limbs must be under 12 feet long and 8 inches in diameter. Bagged leaves are not collected as brush and must be put out on bulk Wednesdays.
Accepted Items
- ✓Tree limbs
- ✓Brush
- ✓Shrub trimmings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Monthly on Wednesdays
Placement
Look up your specific Green or Gold Wednesday on the collection schedule and place items at the curb by 6:00 a.m.
Accepted
- ✓ Household furniture (couches)
- ✓ Mattresses (twin and full only)
- ✓ Appliances with CFCs removed
- ✓ Carpeting (cut into 4-foot bundles)
- ✓ Bags of leaves
- ✓ Items that weigh under 50 pounds
Not Accepted
- ✕ Items that weigh over 50 pounds (excluding specific furniture)
- ✕ Construction debris
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Appliances containing Freon
- ✕ Hazardous waste
Included in standard service. Unaccepted heavy items can be taken to the bi-monthly drop-off events or the Temple Landfill (where a fee is assessed).
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
When a holiday falls on a weekday, Waste Management garbage and recycling collections run a day late for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
The City of Belton brush collection trucks do not operate on City-observed holidays and will resume service on the next scheduled collection day.
Always place carts out by 6:00 a.m. regardless of holiday week schedule adjustments.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Ditch the Glass
Unlike some neighboring cities, Belton's single-stream recycling program does not accept glass of any kind. Glass bottles and jars can shatter and contaminate the paper stream, so they must be safely placed in your green-lidded trash cart.
Keep Hangers Out
Wire clothes hangers are strictly prohibited in the yellow-lidded recycling cart. The wire tangles and severely damages the sorting machinery at the material recovery facility. Donate them or throw them in the trash.
No Plastic Bags
Never bag your recyclables. Grocery store plastic bags jam up the rotating screens at the recycling center. Keep all your paper, plastics, and cans completely loose in the cart.
Seasonal Information
Spring
March - MayCentral Texas spring storms often bring down large tree limbs. Remember that brush piles can be up to 12 feet long, but piles exceeding the 6-cubic-yard limit will automatically incur a $50 surcharge per extra load.
Summer
June - AugustHot Texas summers cause trash to produce odors rapidly. Make sure all food waste is tightly bagged before tossing it in the green-lidded cart to deter pests and control neighborhood smells.
Fall
September - NovemberBagged leaves are classified differently than woody brush. Do not mix bags of leaves with your loose brush piles; instead, hold them and place bagged leaves out on your scheduled monthly Wednesday bulk collection day.
About Belton Waste Management
Partnership Between Belton and Waste Management
The City of Belton utilizes a hybrid approach to residential waste management. While weekly trash and bi-weekly recycling are managed through an exclusive contract with Waste Management, the City's Public Works department handles the weekly rotating brush collection independently. Residents receive specific carts—a green lid for garbage and a yellow lid for recycling—which must be placed at the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on scheduled days to ensure automated collection.
Mastering the Monthly Bulk Wednesdays
Navigating bulk waste in Belton requires adherence to specific constraints. Waste Management provides a monthly curbside bulk collection every Wednesday, tailored to your designated zone. You can safely discard certain large items like couches, twin or full mattresses, four-foot carpet bundles, and CFC-free appliances. However, for general loose debris or miscellaneous items, Belton imposes a strict 50-pound weight limit per item for curbside pickup.
At Your Door Household Hazardous Waste
Disposing of hazardous materials such as old paint, motor oil, and broken televisions is remarkably convenient for Belton residents. Built into your residential service is access to Waste Management's 'At Your Door Special Collection.' Instead of driving to a remote county facility, residents simply call the toll-free hotline to request a collection kit, pack their hazardous materials or e-waste, and have it retrieved right from their doorstep at no extra charge.
The Six-Cubic-Yard Brush Rule
Tree limbs and storm debris are tackled by the City of Belton's dedicated brush trucks, operating on a five-zone weekly rotation. Residents can set out up to six cubic yards of brush—roughly the size of a standard pickup truck bed—for free. Limbs must not exceed 12 feet in length or 8 inches in diameter. If a landscaping project exceeds this volume, the city will still collect it, but a $50 fee will be automatically assessed for each additional six cubic yards.
Bimonthly Bulk Drop-Off Events
To complement the curbside program, Belton organizes six bimonthly bulk drop-off events at the Public Works facility throughout the year. These events are the perfect opportunity for residents to responsibly dispose of heavier items over 50 pounds, oversized king mattresses, and other heavy residential junk that the Wednesday curbside trucks cannot accept. Proof of residency, such as a driver's license and Belton utility bill, is strictly required for entry.
Drop-off Facilities
Temple Landfill
706 Landfill Road, Temple, TX 76504
Materials Accepted
Waste Management At Your Door Special Collection
Direct Doorstep Service (Belton, TX)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should I put my trash cart out in Belton?
All Waste Management carts (both trash and recycling) must be placed at the curbside by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day, and they must be returned to your property by 7:00 p.m. that same evening.
How do I dispose of a king-sized mattress in Belton?
The monthly Wednesday curbside bulk pickup only accepts twin or full mattresses. For larger mattresses, such as queen or king, you must utilize one of the six annual bulk drop-off events at the Public Works facility or take it directly to the Temple Landfill.
Can I put glass in my yellow-lidded recycling cart?
No. Glass is strictly prohibited in Belton's curbside recycling program. You must place all glass items in your green-lidded garbage cart.
How do I get rid of leftover paint and old electronics?
Belton residents have free access to Waste Management's 'At Your Door Special Collection.' Simply call 1-800-449-7587 to schedule a doorstep pickup for household hazardous waste, needles, and e-waste.