The short answer: San Antonio’s free disposal is built around eligibility, not open public gates. If you’re a city Solid Waste customer (you pay the environmental fee on your CPS Energy bill), you can use the Bulky Waste Collection Centers free with photo ID — for furniture, appliances, tires & limited construction debris. Brush goes to separate brush recycling centers (small per-weight fee), & paint, oil & chemicals go to the Culebra Road household-hazardous-waste site or a scheduled HHW event.
Bulky Waste Collection Centers (free for SWMD customers)
These are the city’s main self-haul cleanup sites for residents — free, year-round, for large household items & limited construction debris.
Source: City of San Antonio, Bitters Bulky Waste Center page — bulky waste centers are a free, year-round option for residential customers; a valid photo ID & a CPS Energy bill showing payment of the environmental fee are required. Verified June 2026. sa.gov / SWMD
Bulky waste centers include Bitters (1800 Wurzbach Pkwy), Rigsby Ave (2755 Rigsby Ave), Frio City Rd (1531 Frio City Rd) & Southside (5450 Castroville Rd). Good to know:
- You must be a city Solid Waste customer — bring photo ID & a CPS Energy bill showing the environmental fee.
- Bulky loads are limited to about 4 cubic yards.
- They handle furniture, appliances, tires & smaller construction debris — but not paint, oil or chemicals.
Brush recycling centers
Tree limbs, leaves & green waste go to the brush recycling centers (such as Bitters & Nelson Gardens), kept separate from bulky items. Unlike the bulky centers, brush carries a small service fee — the city charges it by weight in 20-pound increments. There’s also a “tarp law”: cover your brush load or you may be hit with a $5 penalty.
Source: City of San Antonio, Brush Recycling Centers page — service fees apply, charged in 20-pound increments; loads must be tarped under the City’s Tarp Law or a $5 penalty may apply. Verified June 2026. sarecycles.org
Check the current per-weight rate posted at the center before you go — we don’t reprint a number we can’t verify is current for your visit.
Paint, oil, batteries & chemicals (HHW)
Household hazardous waste — paint, motor oil, batteries, pool chemicals, pesticides — goes to the Culebra Road Bulky Waste & Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center, or to one of the city’s HHW neighborhood collection events (held a few times a year at rotating locations). See our household hazardous waste guide for the safe-drop-off rules.
For bigger or commercial loads
If your load is too big for the city centers, or you’re not an eligible Solid Waste customer, use a private landfill or transfer station — these charge by weight or load. Search our directory for San Antonio-area sites & compare their real, sourced fees. Renting a bin instead? See our roll-off dumpster guide.
Related guides
Every fee, rule & eligibility note above links to the city’s own page & carries a verified date. Where the exact rate isn’t published, we say “Call to confirm.” That’s our data promise.