Universal City begins new trash and recycling service under five-year contract

Universal City’s residential trash and recycling service changed on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, when Frontier Waste Solutions began collecting household waste under a new city contract. The switch replaces Waste Management’s residential carts and starts an initial contract term running through July 31, 2031, with possible extensions.

For residents, the immediate change is practical: households must use the new Frontier carts and follow the new collection schedule. Waste Management may continue collecting its carts during the transition, which the city says could take several weeks. However, Waste Management carts placed at the curb after Aug. 3 will not be emptied by Frontier.

What the new service includes

Universal City residents receive household-trash pickup twice a week and recycling pickup once a week. The service also includes weekly brush and bulk collection at the curb, subject to a four-cubic-yard limit.

Frontier began distributing new trash and recycling carts in July. The city’s contract requires new waste and recycling carts for residential units, making the cart exchange part of the citywide transition rather than an optional equipment change.

Residents are required to return their Waste Management carts. Because the old carts will not be emptied by Frontier after the service change, households should use the Frontier carts for collection once they receive them and follow the city’s instructions for returning the former provider’s equipment.

Contract and provider details

The city’s municipal solid-waste documents establish the initial contract period from Aug. 3, 2026, through July 31, 2031. The procurement and contract materials cover residential, commercial, construction and industrial waste and recycling services, but the city’s transition notice describes the new pickup frequencies in this article for residential service. The approved materials do not establish that commercial customers have the same collection schedule.

The city says Frontier was acquired by GFL Environmental. That acquisition does not change Universal City’s contract, according to the city’s residential service information.

The city’s materials do not state the final household billing rate or whether rates changed from Waste Management’s prior service. Residents with service questions can contact Frontier at 210-807-8555. City utility billing is listed at 210-619-0713.

The transition’s next known step is the continued collection and return of Waste Management carts while the changeover proceeds. The city has not stated that every new cart delivery is complete, and its notice says old-cart collection may take several weeks.