Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Fort Hood
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.
Brown Cart Bin (Trash)
Place your brown refuse cart out on your designated weekly collection day. Bins must be thoroughly rinsed and emptied prior to your final move-out inspection.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Dried-out latex paint
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
Blue 95-Gallon Cart Bin (Recycling)
Participation requires enrolling in the R3P initiative via the community office. Recyclables are collected bi-weekly on your scheduled day and must not be bagged.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cardboard (clean, flat, and dry)
- ✓Plastics #1 and #2 (e.g., milk jugs, soap bottles)
- ✓Aluminum, tin, and steel cans
- ✓Office paper, newspaper, and magazines
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass of any kind
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Plastic shopping bags or film
- ✕Ammunition or hazardous materials
- ✕Food or liquid waste
Yard Waste Bin
Yard waste is typically collected alongside regular household trash. Check with your specific neighborhood community manager for limits on bags or bundling requirements.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Small tree branches
- ✓Leaves and yard trimmings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Collected with weekly household trash
Placement
Place items curbside on your standard collection day. Bulk items absolutely cannot be left outside on the day of a resident's final move-out inspection.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Large gently used household items (donation recommended instead)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Propane tanks
- ✕ Automobile tires
- ✕ Motor oil and antifreeze
- ✕ Hazardous materials or wet paint
Bulk trash collection is an included service for all on-post Cavalry Family Housing residents with no additional fees.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Standard collection schedules may shift by one day following major federal holidays. Always refer to community announcements via the Centinel Communities App for specific holiday adjustments.
Yard Waste Exception
Any changes to the regular refuse schedule apply simultaneously to yard waste and bulk pickup.
Because Fort Hood is a federal installation, access and staffing can vary around long 4-day pass weekends. Stay tuned to Cavalry Family Housing alerts.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Glass Out of the Blue Bin
The Fort Cavazos recycling program does not accept any glass products in the curbside single-stream bins. Throwing glass in your blue bin contaminates the load and sends potential revenue to the landfill.
Ban the Tanglers
Never place plastic grocery bags, garden hoses, electrical cords, or rope in your recycling cart. These items wrap around the sorting gears at the recycling facility, causing dangerous jams and costly mechanical failures.
Empty, Clean, and Dry
Residual food or liquids can ruin an entire batch of high-quality recyclable paper and cardboard. Always rinse out your milk jugs, detergent bottles, and tin cans before tossing them in the bin.
Seasonal Information
Summer PCS Season
May to AugustDuring peak moving season, plan your bulk waste disposal carefully. Do not wait until your final inspection day to drag furniture to the curb; all large items must be collected on your regular weekly trash day prior to your departure.
Post-Storm Recovery
Year-RoundTexas weather can be unpredictable. Following high winds or intense storms, bundle fallen yard debris and secure your trash carts to prevent wind-blown litter from contaminating training areas on the installation.
Winter Holidays
December to JanuaryWhile broken holiday string lights cannot go into your blue curbside recycling cart (they are considered 'tanglers'), you can drop them off directly at the Fort Cavazos Recycle Center on Railhead Drive for safe processing.
About Fort Hood Waste Management
Navigating Waste Services at Fort Cavazos
For families living on-post at Fort Hood (now officially designated Fort Cavazos), residential utilities, including trash collection, are seamlessly bundled with housing under Cavalry Family Housing. Inland Services manages weekly curbside refuse pickup for all neighborhoods, ensuring that the installation's rigorous cleanliness standards are met. By standardizing collection, the Directorate of Public Works (DPW) maintains an organized, low-stress environment for service members and their families.
The R3P Voluntary Recycling Initiative
Unlike typical municipal waste programs, curbside recycling on the installation is strictly an opt-in service known as the Residents Recycle Responsibly Program (R3P). To participate, residents must pledge to keep their materials contamination-free. In return, they receive a complimentary 95-gallon blue recycling bin and bi-weekly collection. Proceeds generated by the Fort Cavazos Recycle Center are reinvested directly into safety, pollution prevention projects, and morale events for Soldiers and their families.
Handling PCS Move-Out Debris
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves are a routine part of military life, but they require strict adherence to move-out protocols. When clearing your home for final inspection, you cannot leave bulk trash items sitting at the curb. All bulk disposal must be handled during your regular, scheduled weekly trash day prior to your final walk-through. Unused paint can be dried out and thrown away, but tires and motor oil must be discarded off-post independently.
Special Processing at the Fort Cavazos Recycle Center
While the curbside R3P bins only accept standard single-stream materials (cardboard, paper, metal cans, and plastics #1 and #2), the physical Fort Cavazos Recycle Center at 72nd Street and Railhead Drive offers expanded drop-off capabilities. Residents can safely recycle items that would otherwise damage sorting machinery, such as small household electronics, sealed lead-acid batteries, scrap metal, holiday lights, and even cooking oil.
Drop-off Facilities
Fort Cavazos Recycle Center
Bldg. 4626, 72nd Street & Railhead Drive, Fort Cavazos, TX 76544
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sign up for recycling at Fort Cavazos?
Curbside recycling is not automatic. You must actively opt into the Residents Recycle Responsibly Program (R3P) through your Cavalry Family Housing community office. Once you pledge to recycle properly, you will receive a 95-gallon blue bin for bi-weekly collection.
Can I leave a couch on the curb when I move out?
Yes, but you must time it correctly. Bulk items are collected on your regularly scheduled trash day. However, you are strictly prohibited from leaving bulk trash on the curb on the actual day of your final move-out inspection.
Where can I dispose of old motor oil or car tires?
Motor oil, automotive batteries, and tires are not accepted in standard curbside pickup or bulk collection. Residents are responsible for properly disposing of these automotive and hazardous materials at specialized off-post facilities prior to clearing housing.
Does the blue recycling bin take glass?
No. Glass is completely excluded from the single-stream recycling program at Fort Cavazos. Placing glass in your blue bin can shatter and contaminate the entire load, diverting it to the landfill instead of generating funds for Soldier morale programs.