The Northeast station is one of five Citizen Collection Stations run by El Paso's Environmental Services Department, sitting at 4501 Hondo Pass Drive with the entrance off Stahala rather than off Hondo Pass itself - worth knowing before you circle the block. For anyone on the city's residential collection programme it is free, because you are already paying for it: the monthly solid waste fee arrives on your El Paso Water bill, and the station is part of what that buys.
Entry is strict about paperwork. You need a water bill dated within the last three months and photo ID showing the same address. The name on the ID does not have to match the name on the bill, but the address must. That applies to everyone, including active-duty military and veterans - there is no exemption.
The limits are where people come unstuck. You get four visits a month, no more. Paint and motor oil are capped at five gallons a month combined per household. Only single-axle trailers are allowed and they must be under eight feet; turn up with a double-axle trailer and you will be turned away at the gate whatever is on it.
The biggest refusal, and the one that catches most El Pasoans out, is construction and demolition material. The city refuses it outright at all five stations - household DIY debris counts, not just contractor waste. If you have knocked out a wall or pulled up a bathroom, the Greater El Paso Landfill is where that load has to go. What the station does take is broad: household trash and bulky items, household hazardous waste, cooking and motor oil, other toxic liquids, electronics and tyres. There is also a Reusable Household Product shelf where usable paint and cleaners handed in by other residents are given away free, up to ten items per person with an ID and signature. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 4pm, closed Sunday and Monday, and the stations may shut in wind, rain or snow - ring (915) 212-6000 if the weather looks doubtful.