Drop-off site · San Marcos · run by City of San Marcos Resource Recovery Division
San Marcos Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off and Reuse Center
Free drive-through drop-off for San Marcos and Hays County residents only; bring proof you live in Hays County. Fridays noon to 3:30pm, Saturdays 8am to noon. 300 pounds per vehicle per day. Takes needles in a sharps container. No electronics or medicines.
Can I use it?
Only for people who live in San Marcos or elsewhere in Hays County. Household waste only; no business waste.
People from other areas are turned away.
Household waste only. No business waste.
What to bring
- Proof of Hays County residency
- Household waste only
- No waste from outside Hays County
When to go
Fridays noon to 3:30pm. Saturdays 8am to noon.
Drive through during open hours and stay in your vehicle until staff come to you.
What they take
- Propane tanks
- Car fluids (antifreeze, brake fluid)
- Motor oil
- Gas and other fuels
- Car batteries
- Household batteries
- Cleaners and household chemicals
- Cooking oil
- Fire extinguishers
- Fluorescent bulbs and tubes
- Weed and bug killers, fertilizer
- Pool chemicals
- Needles and sharps
- Old paint
- Stains, thinners and solvents
- Smoke detectors
- Mercury and thermostats
In their words: 1 lb propane, MAPP and butane cylinders, Automotive fluids and oil filters, Batteries (automotive and household), Cleaning products, Cooking oil, Fire extinguishers, Fluorescent lights, Glues and adhesives, Lawn and pool chemicals, Medical sharps, Nail polish, Paint and thinners, Pesticides and herbicides, Smoke detectors, Solvents and degreasers, Mercury thermometers, Wood finishes.
Needles and sharps: yes. Sharps must be in an FDA-approved sharps container. Needles in any other container must be repacked on site by the resident..
What they turn away
- Ammunition
- Appliances
- Cell phones
- Commercial waste
- Compressed gas larger than 1 lb
- Containers larger than 5 gallons
- Dried paint cans
- Electronics
- Explosive materials
- Helium gas cylinders/tanks
- Medical waste (except sharps)
- Pharmaceuticals
- Radioactive materials
- Random liquids in steel drums
- Tires
- TVs and computers
- Empty containers
Limits per visit
- 300 pounds per vehicle per day (about thirty 1-gallon paint cans)
- Oil, fuel or antifreeze: 12 quarts per visit
- Car batteries: 3 per visit
- Fire extinguishers: 2 per household
- Paint: six 5-gallon buckets per visit
- Compressed gas: 1 lb cylinders only
- Containers: 5 gallons or smaller
What it costs
- San Marcos and Hays County residents
- Free
Where it is
634 E Hopkins St
San Marcos, TX 78666
Other options they point to
Take ammunition and medicines to the San Marcos Police Department. For more than one case of ammunition, call 512-754-2203 first.
Good to know
Stay in your vehicle until staff come to you. Use the original container or a leak-free container with a lid, and don't mix chemicals. Carry items in the trunk or truck bed. Staff can empty gas, diesel and motor oil for you on site, which takes up to 15 minutes. Hays County residents can take up to 5 free items per person from the Reuse Center, Saturdays 8am to noon.
Checked Sep 27, 2026 on City of San Marcos Resource Recovery Division's own pages: sanmarcostx.gov, sanmarcostx.gov (2), sanmarcostx.gov (3), sanmarcostx.gov (4), hayscountytx.gov (5), hayscountytx.gov (6), hayscountytx.gov (7), budatx.gov (8), cityofkyle.gov (9), tceq.texas.gov (10).
Where their pages disagree
- City pages and current brochure: 512-393-8412. TCEQ list: 512-393-8419. Older flyer on the Hays County site: 512-393-8407. We followed: 512-393-8412.
- Drop-off page lists explosive materials as not accepted; the brochure lists fireworks (and mace, lighters, vapes) as accepted. We followed: Drop-off page: fireworks left out of accepted.
- Drop-off page accepts 1 lb propane, MAPP and butane cylinders; the brochure lists cylinders as not accepted. We followed: Drop-off page.
Something wrong? Email corrections@hazardouswastedropoff.com.