Smithville Switches Trash, Recycling Provider to TDS on March 1 | The Locally Times
Residents must leave old trash and recycling carts at the curb for final collection Feb. 23-27 ahead of the March 1 switch to Texas Disposal Systems.
## TDS to Take Over Smithville Trash Service in March The City of Smithville is transitioning to Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) for solid waste and recycling services, effective March 1, 2026. According to a public notice posted by the city on February 20, the first collection by TDS will occur during the week of March 4. The city’s announcement noted that TDS is a group of locally owned and managed companies. The transition was formally announced just over a week before the contract becomes effective. The public announcement does not include details on the procurement process, the financial terms of the new contract, or the specific reasons that prompted the switch. City records available with the service announcement do not name the previous provider. ## Old Carts to Be Collected Final Week of February To manage the transition, a specific procedure is in place for the final collection by the outgoing provider, which will take place between February 23 and February 27, 2026. On their regularly scheduled pickup day within that week, residents are instructed to leave both their trash and recycling carts at the curb. The carts will be emptied and then collected by the outgoing company, permanently removing them from service. The public notice does not specify when residents will receive their new carts from Texas Disposal Systems, but the start date of March 4 implies that distribution will take place prior to the first service day. By following the city’s instructions for cart removal, residents will facilitate the equipment hand-off. ## Residents Must Check for New Schedules and Guidelines With the arrival of a new provider, Smithville residents must prepare for changes to their weekly collection routines, as the city’s announcement states that current pickup days may be changing. To find their new schedule, residents were directed to review a specific section of an attached document containing street-by-street schedules. That document was referenced in but not included with the public notice posted on the city's website.