Houston has recycling centers to receive electronics, paint, oil, batteries and other household waste that should not be placed in regular trash. The materials and limits vary by facility.
Residents of Houston who need to dispose of an old computer, leftover paint, motor oil, batteries, or chemical products have several municipal options to drop them off without placing them in the trash bin or leaving them on the curb.
Westpark Consumer Recycling Center receives residential electronics and various recyclable materials, while Houston’s Environmental Service Centers accept a broader range of household hazardous waste, including solvents, fuels, pesticides, and oil-based paint.
Electronic and household hazardous waste should not be left for regular garbage or bulky waste collection.
Westpark receives electronics, latex paint, oil, and batteries
Westpark Consumer Recycling Center is located at 5900 Westpark, Houston, TX 77057.
The center currently operates from Tuesday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Among the materials residents can drop off are:
- computers and other residential electronics;
- batteries;
- used motor oil and filters;
- latex paint;
- antifreeze;
- tires;
- paper and cardboard;
- glass;
- cans;
- accepted plastics;
- other recyclable materials.
The program known as B.O.P.A. accepts batteries, used oil, latex paint, and antifreeze.
For this type of drop-off, Houston sets specific limits. The city allows up to two five-gallon buckets and ten one-gallon cans of latex paint, in addition to up to five gallons of used oil and five gallons of antifreeze.
Residential electronics are accepted at no additional charge for Houston residents.
Environmental Service Centers receive oil-based paint and chemicals
For more delicate materials, Houston operates two Environmental Service Centers.
Environmental Service Center South
Address: 11500 S. Post Oak Rd., Houston, TX 77035
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Environmental Service Center North
Address: 5614 Neches St., Houston, TX 77026
Hours: second Thursday of each month, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
These centers receive household hazardous waste that should not be mixed with regular household trash.
Among them are acids, aerosols, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, degreasers, household chemicals, oil, solvents, fuel, kerosene, brake fluid, antifreeze, paint, and thinner.
Locations, materials and hours current can be checked in the official Houston Environmental Service Centers directory.
Paint has a 25-gallon limit at the ESCs
The Environmental Service Centers accept both , with a limit of 25 gallons per visit.
The same maximum applies to paint tints and thinners.
Other limits include:
- up to 100 pounds in total of certain chemical wastes per visit;
- up to 15 gallons of fuel;
- up to 25 quarts of certain automotive oils and fluids;
- helium or propane tanks up to 5 gallons;
- up to five tires per residence per month, excluding tires from commercial vehicles;
- up to two microwaves per visit.
Pool chemicals are also accepted, but they must not be wet.
Houston limits the number of large electronics per visit
The Environmental Service Centers receive computers, monitors, printers, televisions, small appliances, and other electronic wastes.
For large equipment, the city sets a combined limit of five items per visit.
There are also size restrictions for some televisions. Houston asks that you do not disassemble or remove parts from devices before drop-off.
The electronics accepted by the municipal program include computers, laptops, routers, mobile phones, monitors, printers, cables, servers, DVD players, cable boxes, and other equipment.
Not all electronic devices fall within the electronic recycling program. Refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dryers, and other large appliances require other disposal options.
Common alkaline batteries are not included in the electronics program
The ESCs accept rechargeable and lithium-ion batteries within their current categories.
Common household alkaline batteries —such as AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V— are not part of the electronics list accepted by the municipal program.
There are also limits for fluorescent tubes: up to 10 four-foot tubes and six eight-foot tubes.
Thermostats and other mercury-containing items may be accepted as long as they are not broken.
The recycling centers are for Houston residential waste
Municipal services are intended for Houston residents and not for commercial waste.
For drop-offs that are strictly recycling, the city states that a valid Texas-issued identification is sufficient as proof of residence.
In services that require proving residency within Houston, an identification may be requested along with a current Houston utility bill or a lease agreement with the same address.
Bringing both documents can help avoid issues when the material type requires residency proof.
Electronics and chemicals should not be left with bulky waste
Computers, televisions, fuels, wet paint, and other household hazardous wastes should not be placed on the curb for ordinary curbside or bulky waste pickup.
Houston directs these materials to specialized centers to prevent them from entering the normal waste stream.
Recycling centers for electronics, paint, and chemicals in Houston
| Center | Address | Hours | Primary use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westpark Consumer Recycling Center | 5900 Westpark | Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. | Electronics, latex paint, oil, batteries and recyclables |
| Environmental Service Center South | 11500 S. Post Oak Rd. | Tue., Wed., Fri. and Sat., 8 a.m.–5 p.m. | Hazardous waste, chemicals, paint and electronics |
| Environmental Service Center North | 5614 Neches St. | Second Thursday of the month, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Hazardous waste, chemicals, paint and electronics |
