Green Waste

City of New Braunfels garbage truck lifting a garbage bin

Green Waste includes grass clippings, tree trimmings, and other plant or organic material. Residents can place those items in brown paper bags (or bundle them with rope or twine). The limit is a combined total of 20 Green Waste bags or bundles per household per collection day. This program is only available to City of New Braunfels residential ratepayers. Curbside Green Waste collection is currently not provided to apartments, condominiums, or businesses.

Curb or Cart?

There are two options for green waste:

  • Place the brown bags with green waste in your green trash bin 
  • Leave the brown bags at the curb for curbside collection on your recycling day. 

Green waste is collected by a separate truck from recycling, so pick-up times may vary. Don't put trash in your green waste bags! Trash, cactus, and rocks pose a danger to collectors and could damage equipment.

PLEASE NOTE:  Green Waste is no longer accepted at the Comal County Recycling Center. Therefore, all green waste is being taken to the Mesquite Creek Landfill.

Please have your green waste bags at the curb by 6 a.m. on your recycling day. Green waste should never be placed in the blue recycling cart.

What Is Green Waste?

  1. Acceptable Items
  2. Prohibited Items

Here is a list of what is considered acceptable Green Waste:

  • Garden trimmings
  • Grass clippings
  • Leaves
  • Branches, Limbs, and Twigs
  • Natural Christmas Trees (if 8-feet or taller than the tree must be cut in half)

Limbs, branches, Christmas trees, and twigs can also be bundled, but must be no larger than 4 ft. in length and must be tied with rope or twine. 

Remember, the maximum number of items (bags, bundles, or a combination of both) is 20 per home per collection day. Additional bags or bundles will not be collected. 


Green Waste Bags Only Leaves Natural Christmas Trees Grass Clippings Garden Trimmings Twigs

Green Waste Bags

Curb or Cart Green WasteTwo bundles of green waste bags per week will be provided to residential customers who visit one of the following locations (while supplies last):

  • City Recycle Center - 488 S Castell Ave
  • City Library - 700 E Common St
  • Landa Recreation Center - 164 Landa Park Dr    (Labor Day to Memorial Day Only)
  • City Hall - 550 Landa St
  • City Municipal Building - 424 S Castell Ave

Paper lawn and leaf bags may also be purchased from several local retailers and are clearly marked as lawn and leaf. Plastic bags will not be collected. Green Waste collection is for residential customers only.

Please Remember:


Bags placed at the curb on recycling day must be 30-gallon brown paper bags. 

Branches: Please cut into 4-foot lengths and tie bundle with rope or twine. 

Each bag and each bundle must weigh less than 40 pounds. 

Place your bags and bundles at the curb, leaving 5 feet between all Green Waste and your Recycling cart

Place them at the curb no earlier than 8pm the day before your collection day, and no later than 6am on the day of collection. 

The limit is 20 Green Waste bags per household per collection day 

Roll the top of the bags to close them. Bags closed by any other means (tape, staples, etc.) will not be collected.

Green waste can also be bagged in regular trash bags or in brown paper bags and then placed into your trash cart.

Cart lids must close for collection with no branches or other materials extending outside the cart.

Please be mindful of your cart weight. Severely overweight carts may not be serviceable by our equipment.

Excess Green Waste

If your yard project includes a large amount of brush or branches, or if the weight of your green waste exceeds the limit, please schedule an appointment for pick up and a customer service representative will contact you to discuss availability and restrictions.

Collection fees are non-refundable once a pickup has been scheduled. Refunds will not be issued if items are moved before arrival, are not at the curb at the time of service, or cannot be collected due to blocked access, improper placement, or failure to meet program requirements.

All items must be placed at the curb and fully accessible at the scheduled time. Pickups are completed using a large truck with a lifting arm, which requires adequate space and clear access to safely complete the service.

Excess Green Waste Curbside Pickup Service Fee: $43.30. This fee covers piles that are 10 feet tall, 6 feet wide, and 6 feet long (10’ x 6’ x 6’).