Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Lake Jackson
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.
Customer-Provided Bags ONLY (No Cans) Bin (Trash)
Place tightly closed 10-35 gallon plastic bags at the curb between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. NO garbage cans are allowed. Keep away from water meters and hydrants.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Contained sharps/glass in coffee cans
Blue or Clear Plastic Bags Bin (Recycling)
Curbside pickup is once weekly on your second trash day. All containers must be rinsed. Place newspaper and junk mail in a separate paper, blue, or clear bag. Do NOT use blue bags for regular trash.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastics
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Corrugated cardboard
- ✓Paper
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass of any kind
- ✕Household garbage
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Hazardous chemicals
Yard Waste Bin
Brush and yard waste are collected during your designated heavy trash Monday (up to 4 cubic yards free). For larger landscaping piles, a minimum fee of $30 per cubic yard applies.
Accepted Items
- ✓Tree limbs
- ✓Brush
- ✓Yard debris
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Twice monthly on designated Mondays
Placement
Place bulk items and brush at the curb away from meters, hydrants, and parked cars by 8:00 a.m. on your designated Heavy Trash Monday.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Brush
- ✓ Up to 4 cubic yards of bulk waste
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous waste
- ✕ Liquid paint
- ✕ Anti-freeze
- ✕ Toxic cleaners
The first 4 cubic yards are included in your $27.50 monthly residential fee. Any trash or brush exceeding 4 cubic yards incurs a $30 minimum fee. Special appliance pickup costs $40 per item.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Household garbage is picked up on all holidays except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. If your regular collection falls on one of these three days, it will be skipped and picked up on your next regularly scheduled service day.
Yard Waste Exception
Heavy trash Mondays that fall on a major observed holiday will typically be rescheduled or skipped; always check the city's Heavy Trash Calendar for exact makeup dates.
For all other holidays not listed (e.g., Memorial Day, Labor Day, 4th of July), place your bags at the curb as normal by 8:00 a.m.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Glass Out of Blue Bags
Glass is strictly prohibited in the Lake Jackson curbside blue bag program. Glass shards pose a massive danger to workers handling bags. Take your glass to the DIY bin at the Convenience Center on Canna Lane.
Separate Your Paper
While plastics and metals can be co-mingled in your primary blue bag, the city requires residents to place newspapers and junk mail into a separate paper bag or a separate blue/clear plastic grocery bag to prevent contamination.
Reserve Blue Bags for Recycling
Never use blue bags for your standard household garbage. Sanitation crews are trained to identify blue bags exclusively as recyclable materials, and using them for wet trash disrupts the collection routes and sorting processes.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - JanuaryFollowing the holidays, the city's Sanitation Department typically offers special collections for bare, decoration-free Christmas trees. Additionally, keep an eye out for any shifts around the New Year's Day holiday, as routes slide to the next scheduled day.
Spring
April - MayKeep Lake Jackson Beautiful often sponsors free Shred Days in the spring at the Recreation Center on Lake Road. This is the perfect time to securely recycle up to 5 boxes of sensitive personal documents and tax papers.
Summer
June - AugustSummer heat can exacerbate garbage odors. Since Lake Jackson uses a bag-only system, ensure all food waste is double-bagged if necessary, and strictly avoid placing bags out before 5:00 a.m. to prevent overnight scavenging by neighborhood wildlife.
About Lake Jackson Waste Management
The Unique 'No Trash Cans' Policy
Lake Jackson has a highly unique ordinance regarding residential garbage collection: the city strictly forbids the use of traditional plastic or metal garbage cans at the curb. Instead, residents must place their household trash in securely tied 10 to 35-gallon plastic bags directly on the curb. Collection occurs twice weekly—either Monday and Thursday for homes north of Oyster Creek Drive, or Tuesday and Friday for those south of it.
Blue Bag Recycling System
To manage curbside recycling without bulky automated carts, Lake Jackson utilizes a specialized Blue Bag system. Every week, on the second day of your scheduled household garbage collection (either Thursday or Friday), residents can place co-mingled recyclables in blue or clear plastic bags. You can purchase rolls of 13-gallon blue bags directly at City Hall, or use any compliant blue or clear bag from a local retail store.
Mastering Heavy Trash Mondays
Navigating bulky waste is easy with the city's scheduled heavy trash days, which always fall on a Monday. If your regular garbage days are Monday and Thursday, your heavy trash is collected on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. If your schedule is Tuesday and Friday, aim for the 2nd and 4th Monday. Residents are allotted up to 4 cubic yards of bulk trash per pickup for free, while oversized piles will incur a special minimum fee of $30 per cubic yard.
Convenient Drop-Offs at Canna Lane
While glass is strictly prohibited in the blue bag curbside recycling program, Lake Jackson residents have a great alternative. The city's Convenience Center and Mulch Site, located at 103 Canna Lane, features a DIY bin specifically for glass recycling (labels can even remain on the bottles). Additionally, this facility accepts used cooking oil and grease in designated containers to keep local sewer systems clear and healthy.
Special Handling for Medical Sharps
Given the manual lifting nature of the bag-only system, the safety of Lake Jackson's sanitation workers is a top priority. Diabetic needles, syringes, and broken glass cannot simply be tossed into standard plastic garbage bags. Residents must contain all sharp items inside a puncture-proof container, such as a hard plastic coffee can with a secure lid, before placing it out with the regular bagged trash.
Drop-off Facilities
Lake Jackson Convenience Center & Mulch Site
103 Canna Lane, Lake Jackson, TX 77566
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lake Jackson use automated trash cans?
No. Lake Jackson has a strict 'no trash cans' ordinance. All residential household garbage must be placed securely tied in 10 to 35-gallon plastic bags directly at the curb between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on your service days.
How do I get blue recycling bags?
You can purchase a roll of 50 13-gallon blue bags at City Hall for $9.50, or you can purchase and use any standard blue or clear transparent bags from a local retail store.
How do I dispose of a refrigerator or large appliance?
The Lake Jackson Sanitation Department accepts appliances, but they are subject to a special pickup fee of $40 per item. You should contact the Public Works department to arrange the collection and billing.
When is my heavy trash day?
Heavy trash is always picked up on Mondays. If your regular trash days are Monday/Thursday (generally North of Oyster Creek Drive), your heavy trash is the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. If your regular days are Tuesday/Friday (South of Oyster Creek Drive), it is the 2nd and 4th Monday.