Universal City begins five-year transition to Frontier Waste Solutions for trash and recycling
Frontier Waste Solutions began serving Universal City, Texas, on Monday, August 3, 2026, replacing Waste Management for municipal solid-waste and recycling service. The change applies to customers within Universal City’s incorporated limits and brings new carts, address-specific collection schedules and updated instructions for trash, recycling, brush and bulk pickup.
Five-year contract covers incorporated Universal City
The city selected Frontier through a competitive procurement process. The contract grants Frontier the exclusive right and duty, to the extent allowed by law, to collect and transport waste and recyclable materials from residential, commercial and industrial customers within Universal City’s incorporated limits.
The initial contract term runs from August 3, 2026, through July 31, 2031. By written agreement, the city and Frontier may add two additional two-year extension terms. The city’s request for proposals identified the same initial term and extension structure.
The City Council awarded the contract on March 17, according to Community Impact. A June 17 town hall was informational only: its official notice said no votes, decisions or other governmental actions would be taken at the meeting.
Residents should return Waste Management carts
Universal City says residents should continue using Waste Management carts until those carts are serviced and removed on their regular collection days. If trash and recycling are collected on different days, the old carts may be removed separately. Some households may briefly have both old and new carts at the curb during the transition.
Beginning August 3, Frontier will not empty Waste Management carts. Residents should use the Frontier-provided carts instead:
- Yellow lid: household trash
- Blue lid: recycling
The city has not stated that every cart exchange is complete as of August 5, so residents should follow the city’s transition instructions if an old cart remains scheduled for pickup.
Trash, recycling, brush and bulk schedules
Frontier’s service pattern includes household trash pickup twice each week, recycling pickup once each week, and brush and bulk pickup once each week. Brush and bulk collection is limited to four cubic yards per collection, which the city describes as approximately the size of a refrigerator.
Collection days may change under the new routes. Residents should enter their address in the city’s collection-day tool or use Frontier’s mobile app to check trash, recycling and bulk-and-brush schedules.
Set carts out by 7 a.m.
Universal City and Frontier instruct residents to place carts at the curb or a paved alley by 7 a.m. on collection day. The wheels should face the curb, with the handle facing the home, and carts should be at least three feet from vehicles, mailboxes, other carts and other obstructions. The city says trash must be bagged, tied and contained with the lid closed.
Recyclables should be clean, empty and loose rather than placed in plastic bags. The city’s accepted materials include aluminum beverage cans; plastic bottles numbered 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7; glass bottles and jars; steel and tin cans; paper; boxboard; and cardboard. Plastic bags, food waste, soiled paper, Styrofoam, yard waste and other listed prohibited items do not belong in the recycling cart.
Brush, hazardous waste and special items
Contractor-generated tree and landscaping debris is excluded from the city’s residential brush service. The contract also excludes brush resulting from commercial service providers, including paid tree-trimming and tree-removal companies.
For residential brush, the contract says limbs should be no longer than four feet and no more than four inches in diameter. The total weight of any stack, bag, bundle or container may not exceed 40 pounds. The city’s FAQ says no bundling is required, while Frontier’s service page says limbs must be bundled. Because the two instructions differ, residents should confirm the applicable preparation rule with Frontier before setting out brush.
Appliances containing freon, including refrigerators, require certified freon removal and an attached certification tag before collection.
Household hazardous waste must not go in either cart. Universal City’s current residential-waste page links residents to an online scheduling page for a pickup listed for August 10, 2026. Chemicals, paint, oils, corrosive or flammable materials and other hazardous items require the city’s designated handling process. Electronics and sharps may also require special handling.
Where residents can report problems
Frontier handles missed service and damaged-cart reports at 210-807-8555. Universal City directs residents with billing questions and requests for extra carts to its utility-billing department at 210-619-0713. The city says any additional-cart fee and taxes are added to the monthly utility bill; this article does not assume that the base residential rate changed.
With the new contract only two days into its initial service period, cart-exchange completion, route performance and the conflicting brush-bundling instructions remain matters for residents and the city to monitor.
Sources
- Universal City Residential Waste Services and FAQ
- Frontier Waste Solutions Universal City service page
- Community Impact report on the contract award
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