Houston's Northeast drop-off centre stands at 5565 Kirkpatrick Boulevard, one of six depositories the Solid Waste Management Department runs for residents. There is no gate fee.

The paperwork is stricter than most people expect, and it is the commonest reason a load gets refused. If you are dropping bulk waste or tree waste, staff want two documents: a current Texas-issued ID — driver's licence, DPS card, licence to carry or consulate ID — and a current City of Houston utility bill or a lease agreement. The address printed on each must be the same address. A licence showing one home and a bill showing another will not do. Residents whose main home sits outside Texas bring a current property tax bill instead, in a name matching the ID. If your trip is recycling only, the Texas ID on its own is enough.

Hours run Tuesday through Saturday, from nine in the morning until six. The site does not open Mondays or Sundays. Turn up at least half an hour before closing.

Households get four visits a month.

What goes in: aluminium, steel and tin cans, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, newspapers and magazines, plastics numbered one to five and seven, cartons, aerosol cans, mattresses, tree waste, appliances, and refrigerators carrying a tag confirming a technician removed the refrigerant. Furniture is limited to two large pieces such as couches. Motor oil is capped at five quarts.

Turned away: household rubbish, food waste, televisions, truck and tractor-trailer tyres, rocks, dirt, bricks, pallets, paint, chemicals and anything burned.