Trash & Recycling in Doral, FL

If you live in Doral or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Doral has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Doral provides twice-weekly garbage collection and once-weekly yard waste and bulk item pickup for single-family residences through its contracted hauler. Garbage must be in sealed bags inside city-approved rolling carts. Multi-family and commercial properties arrange service through private haulers.

Key details: Garbage Pickup: Twice weekly. Yard Waste Pickup: Once weekly. Container: City-issued rolling cart. Yard Waste Max: 4-foot lengths, 50 lbs. Public Works: (305) 593-6740.

Placing garbage outside the rolling cart, failing to bag waste, or placing carts out on non-collection days is a code violation. Placing hazardous materials or construction debris in regular collection results in citations. Overflowing carts may be left uncollected. Violations are handled by Code Enforcement at (305) 593-6740.

Collection Schedule

Doral's solid waste franchisee may only run curbside residential pickups between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with no Sunday service except during emergencies or holiday schedule shifts. Section 32-70 sets a citywide floor of twice-weekly garbage collection for every property, with the city manager approving container capacity and pickup frequency for each address.

Key details: Collection window: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., no Sunday service. Minimum frequency: Twice-weekly pickup required for every property. Franchisee office hours: Weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Complaint response time: 24 hours per Section 32-41. Governing sections: Doral Code §§ 32-36, 32-39, 32-70(b).

Missing or late pickups are franchisee service failures handled through the complaint process in Section 32-41, not resident citations, and must be resolved within 24 hours of a report. Property owners who fail to maintain the required minimum of twice-weekly collection service, or who obstruct scheduled pickup, can be referred to code compliance for enforcement under the article's general penalty provisions in Sections 32-75 and 32-76, which authorize escalating fines starting at $100.00 per day.

Dumpster Rules

Doral requires a city building permit before any commercial or multifamily property builds a garbage storage facility, and every new commercial building or multifamily project over eight units must include a dumpster enclosure approved by planning and zoning, public works and building departments. Every receptacle must stay leak-proof, insect-tight and available for code compliance inspection under Section 32-69.

Key details: Permit required: City building permit before any dumpster enclosure. Multifamily threshold: Required for buildings over eight units. Restaurant rule: Air-conditioned garbage room for new/rehabbed restaurants. Approving departments: Planning and zoning, public works, building. Condition standard: Leak-proof, insect-tight, subject to inspection.

Building or expanding a commercial or multifamily dumpster enclosure without the required permit and department sign-off is a code violation enforceable under Sections 32-75 and 32-76, carrying fines that start at $100.00 for a first offense and climb to $250.00 and $500.00 per day for repeat violations. A dumpster a code compliance officer condemns for poor condition, missing cover or leaking must be corrected, or the owner must appeal to the special magistrate.

Bin Placement Rules

Doral requires every garbage can, trash container and dumpster to be fully screened from neighboring properties and the public right-of-way with walls, fences or landscaping, and bars front-yard placement entirely. Containers cannot sit on any street, alley or public land at any time, except recycling bins set out on city parkways between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. on pickup day.

Key details: Screening required: Walls, fences or landscaping shield cans from view. Front yard placement: Prohibited citywide for cans and dumpsters. Public right-of-way: No cans or dumpsters allowed at any time. Recycling bin exception: Curbside 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. on pickup day. Single-family exemption: Screening rule does not apply to single-family homes.

Placing a can, container or dumpster where it forces collectors to use stairs or descend split elevations is deemed a health hazard and is enforceable under this section. Code compliance officers inspect under Section 32-75, issue a written notice of violation with a correction deadline, and can pursue fines starting at $100.00 for a first offense, $250.00 for a second and $500.00 per day for a third or later offense under Section 32-76.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping garbage, trash or any waste on vacant or occupied property, streets, alleys, parkways, parks, canals or lakes anywhere in Doral is unlawful under Section 32-72. The article's penalty schedule in Section 32-76 starts fines at $100.00 per day for a first offense and climbs to $500.00 per day for a third or later violation.

Key details: Prohibited locations: Private property, streets, alleys, parks, waterways. First-offense fine: $100.00 per day. Third-offense fine: $500.00 per day. Enforcement agency: City code compliance department. Repeat-violator remedy: Injunctive relief or certificate-of-use revocation.

Fines run $100.00 per day for a first offense, $250.00 per day for a second, and $500.00 per day for a third or later offense under Section 32-76(b). For dumping that poses a serious threat to health, safety or welfare, or that the same violator repeats, the city attorney may seek injunctive relief and, for a commercial establishment, revoke its certificate of use.

Compared to other cities, Doral takes a harder line on illegal dumping. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Bulk Item Disposal

Doral classifies appliances, furniture, major tree-cutback debris and similar large crates as bulky waste and puts the generator, not the city, in charge of disposing of it. Section 32-71(b) allows discarded furniture, appliances or bedding to sit out for pickup for up to 72 hours without violating the 24-hour removal rule that otherwise applies to trash left on a property.

Key details: Bulky waste examples: Appliances, furniture, tree-cutback debris, large crates. Disposal responsibility: Falls on the person who generates it. Set-out grace period: Under 72 hours for furniture, appliances, bedding. General removal deadline: 24 hours for other trash and debris. First-offense fine: $100.00 per day under Section 32-76.

Bulky items left out longer than the 72-hour window in Section 32-71(b), or dumped rather than arranged for proper removal, are enforced the same as any other illegal accumulation under Sections 32-75 and 32-76: a code compliance officer issues a written notice with a correction deadline, and unresolved violations carry fines of $100.00 for a first offense, $250.00 for a second and $500.00 per day after that.

Recycling Requirements

Every Doral apartment, condo or other residential building with four or more units must run a recycling program as of July 1, 2015, separating newspaper, glass, metal food and beverage containers, other metal containers and certain plastics from the regular trash stream using single-stream collection, unless the city approves a modified alternative.

Key details: Applies to: Buildings with four or more dwelling units. Effective date: July 1, 2015. Required materials: Newspaper, glass, metal containers, certain plastics. Responsible party: Building owner or condo/co-op association. Contractor requirement: Licensed by both city and state.

Recycling customers who never establish a program, or whose program lapses, are liable under Section 32-101(a) and are enforced under Sections 32-105 and 32-106: a first violation draws a $100.00 fine, rising to $250.00, $500.00 and $1,000.00 for a fourth violation, with unpaid amounts becoming a lien on the property. Violators may appeal a notice to the special magistrate within 15 days under Section 32-107.

This is one of the stricter rules in Doral's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Recycling Rules

Doral bars anyone but a city- and state-licensed recycling contractor from collecting designated recyclables from multifamily properties under Section 32-102. Section 32-103 backed the program's launch with a three-month warning period before September 1, 2015, when actual penalties for skipping recycling or failing to separate materials began.

Key details: Who may collect recyclables: Only city- and state-licensed recycling contractors. Warning period: July 1 to September 30, 2015. Enforcement start date: September 1, 2015. Modified program option: Approved by the public works director. Fourth-violation fine: $1,000.00 under Section 32-106.

Anyone collecting recyclables without city and state authorization under Section 32-102 is acting unlawfully under the article's enforcement framework in Section 32-105. Recycling customers who skip the program altogether, once past the warning period that ended September 30, 2015, face the same escalating fines set in Section 32-106: $100.00 for a first violation, $250.00 for a second, $500.00 for a third and $1,000.00 for a fourth.

The Bottom Line

Doral is tougher than many cities when it comes to trash & recycling. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Doral, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Doral can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.