Kilgore sits right next to the regional landfill that serves much of the Longview area — Pine Hill Landfill, run by Republic Services, just off Landfill Road south of town. It's the main spot for household junk and construction debris in the area. For yard waste and smaller loads, Gregg and Rusk county residents also have collection sites. Here's what's open, what it takes, and what to confirm before you load up.
Kilgore brush & bulk pickup — two separate programs, and the brush one runs 3 times a year
Kilgore splits this in a way that catches people out. Brush is the City's job. Everything else is Republic Services' job. They run on completely different schedules, and the one most people need is the one that barely runs.
Free curbside brush collection happens three times a year — February, July and October. That's it. Collection runs during the first full week of those months, working through the color zones in a fixed order: yellow first, then red, then green, then blue.
The deadline is brutal and it is not the morning of. Brush has to be at the curb the weekend before your route begins. In the City's own words, if it isn't out by Sunday evening it will not be picked up until the next collection — and the next collection is months away. Miss February and your next free pass is July.
Size limits:
- Limbs no more than 6 inches in diameter
- Limbs no longer than 6 feet
- Pile no more than 6 feet long, wide and high
Read the exclusion list before you assume this covers your junk — it almost certainly doesn't. The brush truck takes residential brush and limbs and nothing else. Not leaves, grass clippings or pine straw. Not household garbage, furniture, carpet, lawn equipment, metal, appliances, construction materials, glass, concrete, lumber or processed wood. Trees cleared by a commercial crew are rejected outright.
So what about the couch? Bulk household items go through Republic Services, which handles both solid waste and recycling for Kilgore. Call (903) 986-5324 to request a bulk pick-up for things like old furniture or an appliance. Worth being straight with you: the City's page doesn't publish how often bulk runs, how many items you get, or whether it costs anything — so ask all three when you call, and get the answer before you drag anything to the curb.
Between brush weeks, the Green Waste Center at 2100 Longview St takes yard waste on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Kilgore residents only, under the same rules as the curbside program. Free mulch is available there year-round if you haul it yourself. The City's posted hours for the site read oddly, so call before a late-afternoon run.
The other thing Kilgore has going for it: Pine Hill Landfill is right here, so self-hauling is a shorter trip than it is for most East Texas towns. See the facility details above, and compare Kilgore against other cities in our guide to bulk trash pickup — Marshall, 30 miles north, runs a free bulk pick-up every week.
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.
