Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Georgetown
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.
Standard TDS Cart (Typically Tan/Gray) Bin (Trash)
Trash must fit completely inside the cart with the lid closed. Place carts at the curb by 7:00 a.m. (6:00 a.m. during summer months). Leave a 5-foot clearance around the cart, keeping it away from mailboxes, vehicles, and low-hanging branches.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Styrofoam and pet waste
Recycling Cart (Typically Green/Blue) Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables must be placed in the cart clean, empty, and loose. Never bag your recyclables. Cardboard boxes must be broken down to save space and prevent blockages during automated collection.
Accepted Items
- ✓Paper, magazines, and mail
- ✓Cardboard and boxboard (broken down)
- ✓Empty plastic bottles and yogurt containers
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Food or liquid waste
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Garden hoses or tanglers
- ✕Clothing or textiles
- ✕Batteries or light bulbs
Yard Waste Bin
Yard trimmings should be bagged or tied into small bundles measuring no more than 4 feet in length and weighing under 40 pounds. These can be placed as part of standard allowances; major brush requires a bulk schedule.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Small branches and twigs
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Four free collections per year by request
Placement
Do not place items on the curb more than 24 hours before your scheduled pickup date. Keep bulk piles at least 5 feet away from your normal trash carts, mailboxes, and parked cars.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, tables)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Carpet
- ✓ Appliances (see fee notes for Freon)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Tires and vehicle batteries
- ✕ Concrete, bricks, or rocks
- ✕ Construction waste (sheet rock, porcelain tubs, sheet glass)
- ✕ Hazardous materials
The first 4 pickups (up to 3 cubic yards each) are free. Additional fees apply for appliances requiring Freon removal (like refrigerators or AC units) and for volumes exceeding the 3-cubic-yard limit.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your regular trash or recycling collection day falls on an observed holiday, the collection will be delayed to the following day. Subsequent days in that week will also be pushed back by one day.
Yard Waste Exception
Scheduled bulky waste and yard waste collections follow the same holiday delay schedule as standard cart collection.
The TDS Georgetown facility/transfer station is also closed on President's Day, but residential curbside routes usually remain active unless specifically announced otherwise.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep the Tanglers Out
Never place garden hoses, wire hangers, or extension cords in your recycling cart. These items are known as 'tanglers' because they wrap around the sorting equipment at the TDS materials recovery facility, causing major damage and delays.
Unbagged Recyclables Only
Plastic garbage bags are the number one contaminant in single-stream recycling. You must place your cans, paper, and bottles loose directly into the cart. If you put recyclables inside a plastic bag, the entire bag is usually thrown in the landfill for safety reasons.
Pizza Boxes: The Grease Rule
While clean cardboard is highly recyclable, grease ruins paper fibers. If the bottom of your pizza box is soaked in grease or covered in cheese stuck to the cardboard, tear off the clean top half to recycle and throw the greasy bottom in the trash.
Seasonal Information
Summer
Late May - AugustDue to extreme summer heat, TDS shifts collection times to protect workers. From approximately May 27 through August 31, you must place your carts at the curb by 6:00 a.m. instead of the standard 7:00 a.m.
Winter
November - JanuaryHoliday schedules will delay service by one day if your normal collection falls on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, or New Year's Day. If your day is Wednesday and the holiday is Wednesday, your pickup shifts to Thursday.
Spring & Fall
Variable (Announced Bi-Annually)Watch the city's calendar for the two Community Collection Events hosted each year. These are prime times for major spring cleaning, allowing you to drop off old electronics, tires, and mattresses safely.
About Georgetown Waste Management
Comprehensive Services via Texas Disposal Systems
The City of Georgetown partners with Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) to provide residential landfill disposal and single-stream recycling. Residents benefit from a streamlined, weekly curbside trash pickup and a bi-weekly recycling schedule. For ultimate convenience, the city strongly encourages residents to download the TDS Waste Wizard app to set up automated text or calendar reminders for their specific zone.
Beat the Texas Heat: Summer Cart Placement Rules
To protect sanitation workers from severe Texas summer temperatures, Georgetown enforces a unique seasonal collection schedule. Between late May (typically around May 27) and August 31, all residential carts must be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. For the rest of the year, the standard set-out time is 7:00 a.m. Missing this early summer deadline is the most common reason for a missed pickup.
Four Free On-Demand Bulky Waste Collections
Rather than assigning a fixed monthly bulk day, Georgetown allows residents to request up to four free curbside bulky waste collections per calendar year. This flexible program covers items like mattresses, furniture, and carpet. Residents must call TDS directly at 512-930-1715 to schedule the pickup in advance. To keep neighborhoods tidy, items cannot be placed at the curb more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled date.
Handling Excess Waste at the Local Transfer Station
When a household project generates waste that exceeds the 3-cubic-yard bulk collection limit, or involves restricted materials, the Georgetown Transfer Station on W.L. Walden Drive offers a local solution. Available to the public for a fee assessed at the gatehouse, this facility is the best option for immediate disposal of oversized loads that cannot wait for a scheduled curbside appointment.
Biannual Community Collection Events
To help residents responsibly dispose of items completely banned from the landfill carts, the Georgetown Environmental Services Department hosts two major Community Collection Events each year. These special weekend events are the perfect opportunity to offload difficult items such as passenger tires, old electronics, and specific types of household hazardous waste.
Drop-off Facilities
Georgetown Transfer Station (TDS)
250 W.L. Walden Drive, Georgetown, TX 78626
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I request a bulky waste pickup in Georgetown?
Georgetown residents receive four free bulky waste collections per year. You must call Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) at 512-930-1715 in advance to schedule your pickup. Keep in mind that your pile cannot exceed 3 cubic yards.
Why didn't my trash get picked up during the summer?
Between late May and August 31st, collection trucks start their routes an hour earlier to avoid the extreme Texas heat. During these summer months, you must have your carts at the curb by 6:00 a.m. instead of the standard 7:00 a.m. If you missed this cutoff, your cart will not be emptied until the next scheduled day.
Can I leave construction waste on the curb for my scheduled bulk pickup?
No. Construction and demolition materials—such as concrete, bricks, sheetrock, porcelain tubs, fiberglass insulation, and sheet glass—are strictly prohibited from curbside bulk collection. You must haul these materials to the Transfer Station on W.L. Walden Drive, where gatehouse fees will apply.
Where can I recycle an old television or computer?
Electronic waste is not accepted in your standard recycling cart or your curbside bulk pickup. You can bring electronics to one of the city's two annual Community Collection Events, or take computer components directly to Goodwill in Georgetown, where they are either resold or safely recycled.