How Hialeah Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

Hialeah maintains 106 local ordinances across all categories, and 8 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Hialeah falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Dumpster Rules

Hialeah Code Sec. 78-108 requires garbage, waste and recycling dumpsters serving multifamily, commercial or industrial property to sit in a screened, masonry-enclosed spot at least ten feet from any street right-of-way, never on a right-of-way, sidewalk or public property.

Key details: Governing section: Sec. 78-108. Setback from street: 10 feet minimum. Enclosure height: 6 ft minimum, masonry, opaque. Compliance window: 24 months for existing properties. Waiver fee: $100.00 (Sec. 78-111).

Article IV sets no dumpster-specific fine schedule, so a violation of the location, enclosure or construction standards in Sec. 78-108 or Sec. 78-109 is enforced as a civil infraction under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-11, capped at $500.00 per violation, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense under the chapter 22 citation process.

Recycling Requirements

Hialeah's solid waste department collects recyclables every two weeks in city-issued containers, and every household account holder must separate and set out recyclables or face a rebuttable presumption of a violation, with fines from $50 to $100 per infraction.

Key details: Collection frequency: Every two weeks. Container source: City-issued only. Failure to recycle fine: $50.00. Scavenging fine: $100.00. Private-hauler minimum: Twice monthly, hotels/motels included.

Under the Sec. 78-5 fine schedule for Sections 78-62 through 78-66, failure to recycle carries a $50.00 fine, as does failure to use the city container, failure to separate recyclable materials, and placing a container in an improper location or outside the collection schedule. Unauthorized collection or scavenging of recyclable materials carries a $100.00 fine. A residential occupancy, hotel or motel not serviced by the city that fails to provide a recycling program is separately liable under Sec. 78-64(b), with the property owner responsible.

Collection Schedule

The city's solid waste department has exclusive collection authority: Sec. 78-68 sets garbage pickup twice weekly, Sec. 78-62 sets recycling once every two weeks, and Sec. 78-70 sets bulk trash once a month on alternating months, all on schedules the director of solid waste determines.

Key details: Garbage collection frequency: Twice weekly. Recycling collection frequency: Every two weeks. Bulk trash frequency: Once monthly, alternating months. Downtown/CBD/CR/R-3-D districts: Enhanced scheduled service package. Governing section: Sec. 78-68.

Setting materials out on the wrong schedule does not itself carry a listed fine, but noncompliance with container, placement or set-out-limit rules tied to these schedules is enforced under the applicable article's penalty, including the $100 to $500 escalating scale in Sec. 78-7 for Chapter 78 violations generally and the special-service fee under Sec. 78-72 for anything collected outside the routine schedule.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping trash or garbage anywhere in Hialeah, public or private property, is unlawful under Sec. 58-27, covering streets, alleys, rights-of-way, parks, canals and lakes. Violators face a civil penalty of up to $250 for a first offense and up to $500 for every repeat offense under Sec. 58-31.

Key details: First-offense civil penalty: Up to $250. Repeat-offense civil penalty: Up to $500. Covers public and private property: Yes, both barred. Enforcement procedure: Chapter 22 civil citation. Governing section: Sec. 58-27.

A civil penalty of up to $250 applies to a first illegal-dumping offense and up to $500 to every repeat offense under Sec. 58-31, issued through the civil citation process in Chapter 22 per Sec. 58-30. Because Sec. 58-27 covers both public and private property, dumping trash on a neighbor's empty lot is charged the same as dumping in a city right-of-way or canal.

Recycling Rules

Hialeah runs a mandatory citywide residential recycling program: Sec. 78-63 requires every household account holder to separate recyclables into the city-issued container, and failing to recycle, or setting materials out mixed with garbage for two straight collections, is itself a violation.

Key details: Recycling collection frequency: Every two weeks. Non-serviced properties (hotels/motels): Recycle at least twice a month. Accepted materials: Newspaper, glass, cans, plastics, paper, cardboard. Ownership after set-out: Becomes city property. Governing section: Sec. 78-63.

Failing to separate recyclables is a violation of Sec. 78-63 on its own; two straight collection days with the recycling cart empty while recyclables show up in the garbage cart creates a rebuttable presumption of that violation. Scavenging set-out recyclables without the city's written consent is a separate offense under Sec. 78-66. General Chapter 78 penalties in Sec. 78-7 apply where no specific fine is set.

Bin Placement Rules

Hialeah dictates exactly where and when garbage carts go out: Sec. 78-69 requires placement on the swale or curb cut, three feet from the street edge and five feet from other objects for automated carts, set out no earlier than one day before pickup and removed the same day.

Key details: Curb-cut clearance (automated cart): Max 3 ft from street edge. Spacing from other objects: Min 5 ft. Earliest set-out time: 1 day before collection. Latest set-out time: 6:00 a.m. collection day. Non-automated container size limit: 32 gallons.

A cart set out early, left past collection day, placed on the sidewalk or street, or positioned to block automated collection is not serviced under Sec. 78-69(e); a cart with an open lid, protruding trash or jagged damage is also skipped until corrected. Damage the account holder caused through neglect or misuse is billed to them, distinct from the enforcement penalties elsewhere in Chapter 78.

Yard Waste Collection

Hialeah collects bulk yard waste, branches, grass clippings and palm fronds, once a month on alternating months, separate from regular bulk trash, up to eight cubic yards per residence under Sec. 78-71. Small material can be bagged or bundled, but bagged weight still counts against the same set-out limit.

Key details: Collection frequency: Once a month, alternating months. Set-out limit: 8 cubic yards per residence. Bag weight limit: 50 lbs per bag. Residual cleanup deadline: 6:00 a.m. next morning. Illegal dumping fine: $250 first offense, $500 after.

Illegally disposing of yard waste, dumping it rather than setting it out for the scheduled bulk collection, carries a $250.00 fine for a first offense and $500.00 for each additional offense under Sec. 78-5, tied to the disposal prohibition in Sec. 78-36. A solid waste inspector issues the citation under Sec. 78-3, and the recipient has ten days to request a hearing before the special master under Sec. 78-4 or the fine and violation stand as noticed.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Bulk trash pickup in Hialeah comes with a hard cap: Sec. 78-70 allows eight cubic yards per residence per collection day, placed clear of buildings, fences, poles and hydrants by at least five feet, with anything over the limit billed as a special service.

Key details: Bulk trash set-out limit: 8 cubic yards per residence. Collection frequency: Once monthly, alternating months. Clearance from structures/poles/hydrants: 5 feet minimum. Bagged yard trash weight limit: 50 lbs per bag. Governing section: Sec. 78-70.

Exceeding the eight-cubic-yard bulk trash or bulk yard trash limit is a violation of Sec. 78-70 or Sec. 78-71, and the excess is not picked up on the regular route; it is treated as a special service under Sec. 78-72 at an added fee. Commingling bulk trash with yard trash or garbage means the whole pile goes uncollected, and an unpaid special-service fee becomes a property lien after 30 days.

The Bottom Line

Hialeah's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Hialeah is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Hialeah's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.