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A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of yard waste in El Paso, verified October 2026.
Checked against El Paso Environmental Services
5
Citizen Collection Stations, free with a recent El Paso Water bill and matching ID
4
free station visits per household per month
8
tires without rims accepted per household per year at the stations
Every route for yard waste in El Paso, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full El Paso guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in El Paso, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
El Paso special collection and Citizen Collection Stations: yard waste
Scheduled pickup; confirm feeBrush, tree trunks, and branches are on the special collection list, and the Citizen Collection Stations take yard waste free.
Who qualifies: Households with City of El Paso Environmental Services trash service, billed through El Paso Water. Apartments use private haulers.
How to schedule: Two routes. Scheduled special collection: call Environmental Services at 915-212-6000 or 311 to request a bulky pickup; the city code allows a fee for on-call bulk collection, so confirm the cost when you book. Free route: take items to one of the five Citizen Collection Stations with a recent El Paso Water bill and matching ID, up to 4 visits a month.
Limits: Citizen Collection Stations: free for residents who pay the monthly solid waste fee, 4 visits per month, 8 tires without rims per year. Special collection item lists apply; refrigerators must have refrigerant removed.
Set-out: For a scheduled special collection, items go at the curb in front of your home by 6 a.m. on the day given, 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, meters, cars, and trees, not blocking the sidewalk. Nothing goes out without a scheduled date.
El Paso Citizen Collection Stations: yard waste
Free with water bill and IDYard waste accepted.
Where: Northeast 4501 Hondo Pass, Central 2492 Harrison, Westside 121 Atlantic, Mission Valley 1034 Pendale, Eastside 3510 Confederate
How it works: Free for El Paso residents paying the solid waste fee: bring a water bill dated within 3 months and ID matching the address. Up to 4 visits a month. Household trash, furniture, appliances, tires without rims (8 a year), yard waste, electronics, and household hazardous waste. No contractors or businesses.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in El Paso: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering yard waste, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in El Paso: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
El Paso is one of the few major U.S. cities where curbside bulky item pickup is not free. The City charges $35 for the first 5 cubic yards of curbside bulky service, which creates a real cost barrier for lower-income households and contributes to El Paso’s illegal dumping problem. The good news: El Paso operates five free Citizen Collection Stations where residents can self-haul trash, bulky items, HHW, and electronics at no charge (with a water bill and ID). This guide covers every disposal option for El Paso residents, with specific rules for each pathway.
The El Paso rule for yard waste: Brush, tree trunks, and branches are on the special collection list, and the Citizen Collection Stations take yard waste free.
Program basics: Citizen Collection Stations: free for residents who pay the monthly solid waste fee, 4 visits per month, 8 tires without rims per year. Special collection item lists apply; refrigerators must have refrigerant removed. For a scheduled special collection, items go at the curb in front of your home by 6 a.m. on the day given, 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, meters, cars, and trees, not blocking the sidewalk. Nothing goes out without a scheduled date.
What the city will not take: Tires (curbside), compressed gas cylinders, titled vehicles and trailers, commercial material, and recyclables. Refrigerators and freezers are accepted only clean, odor-free, doors off, with refrigerant removed.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of El Paso Environmental Services: Special Collections (bulky item pickups), City of El Paso: Citizen Collection Stations. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why yard waste are different from ordinary bulk. Bundling rules are where most yard waste gets skipped. Branches typically must be under 4 feet long and 4 to 6 inches in diameter, tied in bundles under 40 to 50 pounds, and limited to a number of bundles per week. Leaves go in paper bags or carts, not plastic, in most programs because the material is composted. Plastic bags of leaves are the most common curbside rejection.
Three mistakes that get yard waste left at the curb:
Paid options cover stumps, large tree removals, and heavy loads of sod and soil.
Stump grinding
$100 to $400 per stumpGrinding a stump in place to below grade is cheaper and easier than removing it. The grindings can be left as mulch or bagged as yard waste where the program allows wood chips.
Mark utilities first. Call 811 before grinding near service lines.
LoadUp paid yard waste pickup
$80+For El Paso households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t self-haul to a CCS, have more than 5 cubic yards to dispose of, or want full-service crew-based hauling, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the El Paso area for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your yard waste. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book yard waste pickup in El Paso with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside El Paso proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete El Paso junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national yard waste disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for El Paso: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does El Paso pick up yard waste for free?
Scheduled special collection, or free at a Citizen Collection Station.
How much does paid yard waste removal cost in El Paso?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single yard waste pickup in El Paso starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For El Paso households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t self-haul to a CCS, have more than 5 cubic yards to dispose of, or want full-service crew-based hauling, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the El Paso area for upfront-priced pickup.
How do I put yard waste out for pickup?
Leaves and clippings in paper lawn bags or the green cart, not plastic. Branches cut to the length limit (usually 4 feet), under the diameter limit (usually 4 to 6 inches), tied in bundles under 40 to 50 pounds. Check your city’s weekly bundle limit and season in the directory below.
Why can’t I use plastic bags?
Because yard waste is composted or ground into mulch, and plastic contaminates the product. Most programs require paper bags or carts; a few accept plastic bags that crews empty and leave behind.
Which states ban yard waste from landfills?
More than 20 states ban some or all yard waste from landfills, including Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Delaware among others. That is why curbside programs are so common.
What do I do with a tree stump?
Grind it in place ($100 to $400), dig it out and take it to a transfer station as inert material, or list it free for someone who wants firewood or a planter. Most curbside programs exclude stumps and root balls.
Is this El Paso page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full El Paso guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.