Solid Waste Collection Tips

One of the most important services the City of Bellaire provides is the collection and disposal of garbage and trash. Below are some guidelines that will allow you to utilize the services offered by the city's Solid Waste Division.

Recycling, when appropriate, is a better solution than disposal in a landfill. Residents are encouraged to utilize the city's curbside recycling program.

Garbage Disposal

The City of Bellaire provides a modern and efficient method of garbage collection that utilizes plastic bags. All garbage is placed in plastic bags that is then tied and placed at the curb for collection. Collection service is provided twice a week, either on Monday and Thursday, or on Tuesday and Friday, according to the route assigned to your particular area of the city.


Per Chapter 16-2. Collection Requirements of the City Code of Ordinances:

  • Garbage shall be placed in plastic bags, having a minimum thickness of 1.5 mil and a capacity of not less than 20 gallons each and which will not leak when handled
  • Such bags shall be tightly closed by cord, wire, or rubber band, in such manner as to prevent leakage of contents
  • Paper bags may be used under the same terms and conditions as plastic bags, provided such paper bags consist of at least 2 sheets of 50 pound wet strength extensible paper.
  • No containers shall be used except for plastic bags and the approved paper bags stated above.
  • Garbage shall be placed behind the curb at no more of a distance than 3 feet behind the curb.
  • No more than 6 garbage bags will be collected per home.
  • Each bag shall contain no more than 25 pounds of garbage.
  • Garbage must be set out for collection by 7 a.m. Garbage collection will commence at 7 a.m.
  • No garbage shall be set out for collection before 6 p.m. the day before the collection date.
  • No garbage shall be set out for collection on city holidays.
  • All glass being disposed of as garbage such as, but not limited to, windowpanes, sheet glass and broken glass shall be wrapped in cardboard and taped before setting out for collection.
  • All sharp objects or objects with sharp, cutting edges being disposed of as garbage such as, but not limited to, broken plastic and metal fragments shall be wrapped in cardboard and taped before setting out for collection.
  • Needles shall be put in a bottle or other container secured with a lid before setting out for collection.
  • No automotive oil or automotive fluids of any type such as, but not limited to, motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid and windshield wiper fluid shall be deposited nor accepted in the garbage for collection.
  • No swimming pool cleaning chemicals or chemicals of any type such as, but not limited to, chlorine and turpentine shall be deposited nor accepted in the garbage for collection.
  • Oil-based paint shall not be deposited nor accepted in the garbage for collection. Latex paint may be accepted for collection only if it has been thoroughly dried and hardened.
  • No cardboard or aluminum cans shall be accepted in the trash - cardboard and aluminum cans shall be placed with recyclables for collection.
  • The homeowner may also purchase a sticker to be placed on the garbage bags in excess of the allowed 6 bags for collection.
  • The sticker may be purchased from Utility Billing located in the Customer Service area on the first floor of City Hall, at 7008 S. Rice Avenue.
  • The price for the stickers shall be set by the City Manager. (Note: As of March 1, 2012, the price is $1 per sticker.)

Per Sec. 16-4. Maximum amount city will haul per day per premises:

  • Not more than 150 pounds of garbage and 200 pounds of brush shall be hauled away in any one day from any one residential establishment by the garbage collectors of the city. Any garbage at any such establishment in excess of 150 pounds shall be hauled away to a proper place of disposal outside the City of Bellaire, at the owner's expense, by the occupant of the property where it is gathered, or by the person or persons gathering it, within 24 hours after it is gathered.

Heavy Trash

Heavy trash can usually be accommodated for disposal on your regular pick days. For more information, please contact us at Bellaire Public Works or 713-662-8170.

Please refer to the Non-Disposable Items page for items that cannot be collected.

Trash Disposal

All other items, which might constitute trash, should also be placed in plastic bags when possible. The city will collect empty cardboard boxes provided they are broken down, bundled for collection and placed out with recycling materials on Wednesday. The city is unable to provide collection of automobile parts and other related materials. Other items the city is unable to provide collection for are located here.

Tree Limbs/Yard Trimmings

To take advantage of the City's tree limb collection service, please follow the guidelines in the City of Bellaire Code of Ordinances: Sec. 16-7. Garbage generated or collected by commercial tree trimming, lawn maintenance, gardening or landscaping services, handymen or any others not considered the occupant:

  • It shall be unlawful for any commercial tree trimming, lawn maintenance, gardening or landscaping services, handymen or any others not considered the occupant who shall be employed within the city limits of the city to prune or trim and tree, hedge, or bush, to fail to haul away grass, tree, hedge, bush and landscape trimmings from the city limits of the city to a point outside the city limits of the city.

Sec. 16-8. Garbage consisting of tree, hedge, and bush trimmings cut by the owner:

  • All limbs, brush and tree sections 3" in diameter or smaller and cut personally by the owner shall be cut in 4 foot lengths and tied in a bundle not greater than 2 feet in diameter and placed with household garbage for collection. The limit shall be 3 bundles per household per collection day.
  • All limbs, brush and tree sections greater than 3" in diameter and cut personally by the owner shall not exceed 8" in diameter and shall be cut in lengths not to exceed 4 feet and stacked 3 feet behind the curb in piles not exceeding 4 feet in height. The weight limit shall not exceed 200 pound per collection per day.
  • Limbs and brush cut personally by the owner shall be stacked for collection with no overhead obstructions such as, but not limited to, trees, streetlights and power lines. Vertical clearance shall be 30 feet from the ground.
  • Brush, limbs and tree sections not collected due to non-compliance with this ordinance shall be removed by the owner within 24 hours of notification at the owner's expense.

Recycling

The city collects recycling curbside every Wednesday, except for holidays.

Plastic Bags

Rolls of 35 plastic bags are delivered to each household three times a year: April, August and December. Additional rolls of bags may be purchased for a small fee at City Hall at the Utility Billing Department. If you buy plastic bags from a source other than the city, please ensure that they are 1.5 mil or greater in thickness.

Schedule

Please help maintain the appearance of the city by not putting garbage and trash out earlier than 6 p.m. the day before your regular collection day. The city's collection services begin at 7 a.m.

Holidays

  • Should a city holiday fall on your scheduled collection day, service will be provided on the next regular collection day.
  • City holidays:
    • New Year's Day
    • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
    • Memorial Day
    • July 4th
    • Labor Day
    • Veterans' Day
    • Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday)
    • Christmas Eve
    • Christmas Day
  • If a holiday falls on a Saturday city services are closed on the Friday before. If a holiday falls on a Sunday city services are closed on the following Monday.
  • On the next scheduled day for those impacted by no service due to a holiday, the city will pick up a maximum of 12 bags weighing no more than 25 lbs each.