In McKinney, household hazardous waste is picked up curbside by request, up to 12 times a year at no charge. Allen, Plano, Prosper and Melissa also run home pickups, Frisco runs a drop-off center, and Celina residents buy vouchers for Frisco's program. Junk haulers, including us, can't take wet paint, chemicals, motor oil, asbestos, ammunition or tires.
What counts as household hazardous waste?
TCEQ's household hazardous waste page lists the usual suspects. They include corrosive cleaners, fluorescent bulbs and CFLs, fuels like gasoline, propane and diesel, and mercury.
The list also covers oil-based paint (and some anti-mildew latex), pesticides, pool chlorine and acid, and wood stains or varnishes.
TCEQ groups batteries, used oil, latex paint and antifreeze as "BOPA" materials. It calls them generally nonhazardous or covered by other programs, and says to check with your city for a site that takes them.
Can any of it go in the regular trash?
Under state rules, TCEQ says these materials don't have to be handled as hazardous waste when a household generates them. It notes they can often go in regular trash.
Your city may still say no. Allen, for example, doesn't allow household hazardous waste in trash or recycle carts under its city code. McKinney, Frisco, Prosper and Melissa all exclude it from bulk pickup.
Paint is the easiest one to handle at home. TCEQ says a can less than a quarter full can be opened and left to dry in a well-ventilated spot. Once it's dry, the can may go in the trash.
What do Texas landfills refuse outright?
Some items are banned from every municipal landfill in Texas. TCEQ's special waste page lists them under its landfill rules.
- Whole used or scrap tires.
- Lead-acid batteries, such as car batteries.
- Do-it-yourself used motor oil and used oil filters.
- Fridges, freezers, AC units and other items containing CFC refrigerant. Our old appliance guide covers the tag rules.
- Bulk liquid waste, regulated hazardous waste, PCB waste and radioactive materials (with some exceptions).
Where do McKinney residents take hazardous waste?
McKinney picks it up at the curb. Per McKinney's household hazardous waste page, you request a pickup before noon the business day before your regular collection day.
Each household gets up to 12 hazardous waste pickups and 12 e-waste pickups a year at no charge. Each pickup is limited to 2 boxes of 20 by 20 by 20 inches, holding up to 5 gallons or 50 pounds apiece.
Don't drive it to the Municipal Service Center on N Central Expressway. The city says that site isn't a hazardous waste drop-off and doesn't take walk-ins.
Allen, Plano and Frisco
Allen and Plano share a chemical collection program, and Frisco runs its own drop-off center. Here's how each works.
- Allen: schedule a pickup through the MyAllen app or by calling Community Services at 214.509.4551, per Allen's household chemical collection page. The limit is 50 pounds, ready by 7 a.m.
- Allen accepts paint, primer and thinner, pool chemicals, fuels, car batteries, motor oil and filters, pesticides, and small propane or helium tanks. It won't take unlabeled containers, ammunition, fireworks, medical waste or syringes.
- Allen and Plano residents can pick up usable chemicals free at the Allen Chemical Reuse Center.
- Plano: call 972-769-4150 or use the online form, per Plano's household chemical collection page. Set items out by 7 a.m. in a box marked "HCC" weighing under 50 pounds.
- Plano caps each collection at 15 gallons and won't take containers over 5 gallons. Collected chemicals go free to residents at its Household Chemical Reuse Center.
- Frisco: drop off at the Environmental Collection Center, 6616 Walnut St, per Frisco's household chemical disposal page. It's open Tuesday through Saturday, with posted hours each day.
- Frisco requires a matching water bill and driver's license, or a rent statement for apartment residents. The limit is 10 gallons or 50 pounds per product per day, no more than 15 containers.
- Frisco won't take ammunition, explosives, medical waste, syringes, smoke alarms, compressed gas cylinders, old prescription pills or tires.
Prosper, Celina, Melissa and Anna
The smaller towns rely on door pickups, vouchers or seasonal events.
- Prosper: each resident gets one free door pickup a year through Republic Services, per Prosper's trash and recycling page. Email the Town's form to Republic, which sends the bags.
- Prosper's pickup takes paint, oils, batteries, solvents, pesticides, gasoline, antifreeze, fluorescent bulbs, aerosols and medical sharps. It won't take ammunition, explosives, tires, asbestos, pharmaceuticals or smoke detectors.
- Celina: Celina's stormwater page says the city doesn't collect household chemicals. Residents can join Frisco's voucher program, with vouchers sold at the permit desk at Celina City Hall.
- Melissa: CWD's Door Side Collection runs up to once a month, included in the trash bill, per Melissa's household hazardous waste page. Call 972-392-9300, option 2, and CWD mails a kit.
- Melissa's program won't take medications, ammunition, explosives, asbestos, gas cylinders, fire extinguishers, tires or cooking oil. Melissa's landfill page says no program at the 121 landfill accepts household hazardous waste.
- Anna: the city holds a hazardous waste and e-recycling event each spring and fall, per Anna's recycling page. Anna's guidelines say residents who can't wait can arrange disposal with the Melissa landfill for a fee.
Other towns we serve
TCEQ's HHW contacts list shows home-collection programs for Farmersville, Lucas and Parker, among others. In Grayson County, its only entry is a home-collection pickup for Van Alstyne.
Sherman's solid waste page describes a yearly regional collection event that takes paint, motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze, cleaners and pesticides. Registration is required, and the city posts each year's date.
What about motor oil, batteries and tires?
TCEQ says used oil can't go in the landfill, but many HHW programs accept it. NTMWD's Custer Road Transfer Station in Plano accepts used motor oil and oil filters. Our Collin County dump guide covers who can use it.
Car batteries are on Allen's chemical pickup list. Prosper's door pickup takes batteries too.
NTMWD says its 121 landfill in Melissa accepts tires up to 24.5 inches. Anna's guidelines add that most tire retailers or specialized recyclers take tires for a fee.
What can't a junk hauler take?
We don't haul wet paint and chemicals, motor oil, asbestos, ammunition or tires. Those need the programs above, or a specialist.
Asbestos is its own category. TCEQ says asbestos abatement in buildings falls under the Texas Department of State Health Services, per TCEQ's asbestos page. Allen, Frisco, Prosper and Melissa all exclude ammunition from their programs, so ask your city where it should go.
Keep these items set apart before a cleanout, and we'll tell you up front if we spot something we can't load. Our guide to what junk removal won't take has the full list.
Where a hauler does help
Once the chemicals are handled, everything else can go in one trip. That includes furniture, appliances, boxes, yard debris and remodel scrap.
Our junk removal service carries it out from anywhere on the property and prices by trailer space. For a whole garage, see our garage and attic cleanouts, and for a remodel, construction debris removal.
Send photos for a quote, pick a time, and we haul it off and sweep up. The firm price is confirmed before anything is loaded.