Dumps, Landfills & Recycling in Austin, Texas

Q: What's the difference between a landfill and a dump?

In everyday use people say "the dump," but a modern landfill is an engineered, permitted site with liners and monitoring. A transfer station is a smaller site where waste is collected and hauled to a landfill. Both take household junk; a transfer or collection station is often closer and quicker for small loads.

Austin is unusual: the city doesn't run a public landfill you can drive junk to. What it runs instead is the Recycle & Reuse Center — free for Austin and Travis County residents, and the right answer for paint, chemicals, electronics, and anything hazardous. The catch that sends people home empty-handed: it's appointment-only, so you can't just show up. For actual household trash and construction debris, you're headed to Texas Disposal Systems' private landfill near Creedmoor. Here's how both work.

The Recycle & Reuse Center — read this before you load the truck

APPOINTMENT REQUIRED. You cannot drive up without one. Book through the Austin Recycles mobile app or online before you go.
Free for City of Austin and Travis County residents. If you live outside Austin/Travis County, fees apply.
Free household hazardous waste disposal for residents — up to 30 gallons of home-generated hazardous waste.
Fees apply to tires, even for residents.
Businesses are NOT eligible to drop off hazardous waste. Commercial operators should call 512-974-4335 for options.
You can also take items away free — the reuse side lets residents pick up usable paint, cleaners, and materials others dropped off.
The center no longer offers free glass cullet.
Appointments cannot be modified once booked — you have to cancel and rebook, and you must cancel through whichever method you used to book (app, web, or the link in your confirmation email). Call 3-1-1 if you get stuck.
Not sure whether they take your item? Austin's 'What Do I Do With...?' tool answers per-item before you book.

Disposal sites in Austin

Recycle & Reuse Center

Household Hazardous Waste / Reuse

City of Austin Resource Recovery

2514 Business Center Drive, Austin, TX 78744 Directions

📞 3-1-1

Fees

Free for City of Austin and Travis County residents
Fees apply for non-Austin/Travis residents
Fees apply to tire drop-off
Free household hazardous waste disposal up to 30 gallons (residents)

Accepts: Household hazardous waste (paint, chemicals, cleaners), Electronics, Recyclables, Reusable items, Tires (fee)

Won't take: Business/commercial hazardous waste, Household trash, Walk-ins without an appointment

APPOINTMENT ONLY — book via the Austin Recycles app or austintexas.gov/dropoffschedule before driving out. This is the single most common reason people get turned away.

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Texas Disposal Systems Landfill

Private Landfill

Texas Disposal Systems

3016 FM 1327, Creedmoor, TX 78610 Directions

📞 (512) 421-1363

Hours
Mon–Sat	7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (or sunset, if earlier)
Sunday	Closed

Public drop-off rates

$66 minimum for a car, pickup or SUV load (covers up to 5.5 cubic yards), then $12 a yard — plus fees and a monthly fuel surcharge
Free: clean concrete, rock, gravel and asphalt; scrap metal and appliances with no Freon; car batteries
Brush, leaves and untreated lumber: $10 a cubic yard, $20 minimum
Cardboard boxes and paper, clean: $1 a cubic yard, $5 minimum
Mattresses, box springs, sofas and recliners: $25 each. Freon removal: $50
Unsecured loads pay $35 — but they'll give a pickup truck a free tarp

Private landfill southeast of Austin — this is where household trash and construction loads go, since Austin runs no municipal landfill. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Brush and wood are taken here too, in the landfill's recycling area.

Texas Disposal Systems Landfill: full page →

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City of Austin services

Curbside bulk & brush collection

City Service

📞 (512) 974-2000

Austin Resource Recovery collects large items and brush from the curb for residential customers on a scheduled basis — often the cheapest option since it's included with your city services. Check your collection schedule in the Austin Recycles app or at austintexas.gov before hauling anything yourself.

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See every disposal site nearby: Landfills & dumps in Travis County →

Getting rid of something specific in Austin?

Common questions

Does it cost anything to dump at a landfill?

Usually yes. Most Texas landfills charge by weight (a per-ton gate rate) or by the load, and many cities give residents a discount or a set number of free drop-offs if you can show a current utility bill. Small transfer and collection stations sometimes take household trash for free. Exact fees are listed per facility above.

What's the difference between a landfill and a dump?

In everyday use people say "the dump," but a modern landfill is an engineered, permitted site with liners and monitoring. A transfer station is a smaller site where waste is collected and hauled to a landfill. Both take household junk; a transfer or collection station is often closer and quicker for small loads.

What's the cheapest way to get rid of junk for free?

Check whether your city offers free bulk-trash pickup on a set week, use county household-hazardous-waste and cleanup events, and give away usable items. For a landfill drop-off, bring proof of residency to get resident rates. If it's more than you can move yourself, a junk-removal quote is often cheaper than multiple trips plus gate fees.

How do I get rid of large or heavy items?

Bulky items — furniture, appliances, mattresses, construction debris — either go to the landfill (often for an extra per-item fee) or get hauled by a junk-removal service. If you'd rather not rent a truck and pay gate fees, check an upfront junk-removal price.

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