After you’ve enjoyed your deep fried Thanksgiving turkey, you have probably wondered what to do with the gallons of accompanying grease. While it may seem harmless to pour your used oil down the drain, or try and stash it in the garbage, dumping any amount of cooking oil can damage your local sewage systems and harm wildlife. The solution? Recycle it!
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holiday trash service
2022 Holiday Waste Guide: Service schedule updates and tips to make your holiday a little greener
There will be no interruption in curbside trash and recycling services during the Christmas and New Year holidays. All services will occur on their regularly scheduled day including yard trimmings and bulky trash pick-up.
For trouble-free service this holiday season, please keep streets clear of parked cars to allow trucks to safely access carts, place carts at the curb by 7 a.m. and ensure cart lids close completely.
The Woodlands Recycling Center at 5402 Research Forest Drive will be open on Saturday, December 24 and Saturday, December 31. It will be open on Wednesday, December 21 and Wednesday, January 4 from 4 to 7 p.m.
To report a missed pickup or schedule bulky trash pickup, please contact Waste Management Customer Service at 800-800-5804 or cssatex@wm.com.
Extra Trash Bags
- Extra bags of trash can be placed on the curb next to your cart.
- Each bag must be affixed with a pink extra service tag.
- Purchase tags for $1.75 each from The Woodlands Township offices, Kroger (Cochran’s Crossing, Alden Bridge and Sterling Ridge)
- Each bag may weigh no more than 40 pounds.
Christmas Tree Guidelines
Cut Christmas Tree Recycling – Unflocked Trees Only
- Remove tree stand, all decorations and lights.
- Place the tree at the curb on your regular service day for collection by the yard trimmings truck.
- Trees free of decorations may also be deposited at the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, 6464 Creekside Forest Dr and Research Forest Park & Ride, 3900 Marsico Pl. These trees will be chipped and used for flooring at Texas TreeVentures.
Flocked Christmas Tree Disposal
- Schedule for bulk pickup by calling Waste Management at 800-800-5804.
- Call at least two working days before your regular service day.
- Flocked Christmas trees must be landfilled.
Quick Tips for a Greener Holiday
Greetings cards and packages fill our homes and warm our hearts during the holidays. Consider these tips for a greener Christmas and reduce the amount of holiday tidings that end up in the landfill.
- Recycle plain wrapping paper and flattened cardboard boxes in your curbside cart. Check out these Recycling Tips for the Online Shopper for help deciphering which items can be recycled and which cannot.
- Give a second life to your clean, gently-used clothing, housewares, toys, furniture and appliances by donating to local charitable organizations. Items should be in good, usable condition. Check out The Woodlands Donation Guide for a list of local organizations accepting donation. Many organizations will pick up your items. If you have an item that is not specified in the guide, call first to assure it is accepted.
- Find new recycling opportunities for items that cannot be recycled in your curbside cart. Items such as used electronics, batteries, Styrofoam, light bulbs, eyeglasses, mattresses and more can all be recycled locally at participating locations. Check out the Recycle More Guide for a complete list of locations and phone numbers.

If wrapping paper is metallic, has glitter on it, or has a texture to it, it is not recyclable. Gift wrap mistakenly put in the recycling cart harms the value of other collected paper at the recycling center. Check this Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap Guide for sustainable wrapping tips.

Questions or comments?
Email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
After the meal… trash and recycling
After you’ve enjoyed your deep fried Thanksgiving turkey, you have probably wondered what to do with the gallons of accompanying grease. While it may seem harmless to pour your used oil down the drain, or try and stash it in the garbage, dumping any amount of cooking oil can damage your local sewage systems and harm wildlife. The solution? Recycle it!
Continue reading
2021 Holiday Waste Guide: Service schedule updates and tips to make your holiday a little greener
There will be no interruption in curbside trash and recycling services during the Christmas and New Year holidays. All services will occur on their regularly scheduled day including yard trimmings and bulky trash pick-up.
The Woodlands Recycling Center at 5402 Research Forest Drive will be closed on Saturday, December 25 and Saturday, January 1. It will be open on Wednesday, December 22 and Wednesday, January 5 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Waste Management has discontinued courtesy collection of extra holiday boxes and wrapping paper the week after the holiday. Extra boxes left outside of the cart will not be picked up unless items are bagged and affixed with an extra trash “pink tag”. See Extra Trash guidelines below. PLEASE NOTE, recycling that is bagged and pink-tagged will be considered trash and landfilled, not recycled. Residents can recycle extra boxes at The Woodlands Recycling Center or by requesting bulk cardboard pickup from Waste Management, 800-800-5804.
To report a missed pickup or schedule bulky trash pickup, please contact Waste Management Customer Service at 800-800-5804 or cssatex@wm.com.
Extra Trash Bags
- Extra bags of trash can be placed on the curb next to your cart.
- Each bag must be affixed with a pink extra service tag.
- Purchase tags for $1.75 each from The Woodlands Township offices, Kroger (Cochran’s Crossing, Alden Bridge and Sterling Ridge)
- Each bag may weigh no more than 40 pounds.
For trouble-free service this holiday season, please keep streets clear of parked cars to allow trucks to safely access carts, place carts at the curb by 7 a.m. and ensure cart lids close completely.
Christmas Tree Guidelines
Cut Christmas Tree Recycling – Unflocked Trees Only
- Remove tree stand, all decorations and lights.
- Place the tree at the curb on your regular service day for collection by the yard trimmings truck.
- Trees free of decorations may also be deposited at the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, 6464 Creekside Forest Dr and Research Forest Park & Ride, 3900 Marsico Pl. These trees will be chipped and used for flooring at Texas TreeVentures.
Flocked Christmas Tree Disposal
- Schedule for bulk pickup by calling Waste Management at 800-800-5804.
- Call at least two working days before your regular service day.
- Flocked Christmas trees must be landfilled.
Quick Tips for a Greener Holiday
Greetings cards and packages fill our homes and warm our hearts during the holidays. Consider these tips for a greener Christmas and reduce the amount of holiday tidings that end up in the landfill.
- Recycle plain wrapping paper and flattened cardboard boxes in your curbside cart. Check out these Recycling Tips for the Online Shopper for help deciphering which items can be recycled and which cannot.
- Give a second life to your clean, gently-used clothing, housewares, toys, furniture and appliances by donating to local charitable organizations. Items should be in good, usable condition. Check out The Woodlands Donation Guide for a list of local organizations accepting donation. Many organizations will pick up your items. If you have an item that is not specified in the guide, call first to assure it is accepted.
- Find new recycling opportunities for items that cannot be recycled in your curbside cart. Items such as used electronics, batteries, Styrofoam, light bulbs, eyeglasses, mattresses and more can all be recycled locally at participating locations. Check out the Recycle More Guide for a complete list of locations and phone numbers.

If wrapping paper is metallic, has glitter on it, or has a texture to it, it is not recyclable. Gift wrap mistakenly put in the recycling cart harms the value of other collected paper at the recycling center. Check this Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap Guide for sustainable wrapping tips.

Questions or comments?
Email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
Holiday Recycling and Trash Service
In observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays, there will be no solid waste collection services on Wednesday, December 25, 2019 or Wednesday, January 1, 2020.
All services are affected—trash, recycling, yard trimmings, bulk pick-up, and Simple Recycling (orange textile bags). The chart below shows when service will be provided.

The Woodlands Recycling Center (5402 Research Forest Dr)
- Closed – Wednesday December 25 and January 1
- Open – every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Recycle Holiday Boxes and Wrappings
If your recycling cart is full, take advantage of special holiday recycling. On the first service day following December 25 in each Village, additional cardboard boxes, gift boxes and plain recyclable wrapping paper will be picked up for recycling. NO FOIL, GLITTER, OR EMBOSSED PAPER ALLOWED.
- Break down smaller gift and mailing boxes to consolidate into one box.
- Put extra paper wrappings in a small box.
- Place additional boxes at the curb next to the recycling cart.
- The holiday recycling truck is reserved only for recyclables.
- DO NOT bag your recyclables. Leave them loose in the box or cart.
- NO plastic bags.
- NO Styrofoam™
- NO bubble wrap.
- NO ribbon, decorations, or Christmas lights.
- Failure to follow guidelines will result in items being left at the curb.
Cut Christmas Tree Recycling – Unflocked Trees Only
- Remove tree stand, all decorations and lights.
- Place the tree at the curb on your regular service day for collection by the yard trimmings truck.
- Other Option: Natural trees can be dropped off at The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, 6464 Creekside Forest Drive, between December 26, 2019, and January 7, 2020. Please deposit trees in the Christmas Tree Corral in the parking lot at any time of day. Trees will be chipped and used as ground cover at the facility.
Flocked Christmas Tree Disposal
- Schedule for bulk pick-up by calling Waste Management Customer Service at 800-800-5804.
- Call at least two working days before your regular service day.
- Flocked Christmas trees must be landfilled.
Extra Trash Bags
- Extra bags of trash can be placed on the curb next to your cart.
- Each bag must be affixed with a pink extra service tag.
- Purchase tags for $1.75 each from The Woodlands Township offices, Kroger (Cochran’s Crossing, Alden Bridge and Sterling Ridge) or Randalls (Grogan’s Mill and Panther Creek).
- Each bag may weigh no more than 40 pounds.
Helpful Reminders
Missed Pick-ups. Please call Waste Management Customer Service at 800-800-5804.
Usable Home Items in Good Condition
Consider donating usable items to local charities before throwing them away. Here is a list of all local donation centers.