West University Place approves hazardous waste pickup at residents’ doors

West University Place residents will soon be able to set out batteries, paint cans and other hazardous items for pickup at their front doors. City Council approved Waste Management’s At Your Door service on June 22, with collections scheduled to begin Aug. 1 and a $1.50 monthly charge, or $18 a year, added to utility statements.

Residents will be able to schedule collections year-round through WM’s online system. Items should be placed near the front door or garage, not at the curb or in the street, and they must be clearly visible and easy to reach. West U’s accepted-materials list includes household chemicals, automotive products, consumer electronics, paint products, batteries, garden chemicals, fluorescent light bulbs, thermometers and thermostats, flammable items, syringes and lancets and swimming pool chemicals.

Shanna Lopez said the service is meant to keep hazardous materials from being left beside garbage cans and mistaken for ordinary trash. WM also will provide monthly reports on what West U households turn in.

The city estimates the contract will cost about $98,000 a year, or $294,000 over three years. Residents who spoke at the meeting were mostly supportive, pointing to the convenience and the reassurance that the waste would be handled professionally, although one resident objected largely because of the cost.

West U has been studying the idea for more than a year. The Recycling and Solid Waste Reduction Board discussed the At Your Door program on June 10, 2025. In February 2026, the board agreed to present council with two choices: add hazardous waste collection to the Semi-Annual Recycling Event or expand to citywide At Your Door pickup. Allison Kozdron, a West U resident and member of the board, presented disposal options to council on April 13.