Trash & Recycling in Jacksonville, FL

If you live in Jacksonville or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Jacksonville has 10 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Collection Schedule

Jacksonville's residential waste contractor must pick up garbage, rubbish, other trash, and yard trash from the curb at least once a week under Sec. 382.405(a), and only between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. under Sec. 382.408. Service is mandatory for every accessible residential premises in the contractor's area, with the City stepping in where no contractor covers an area.

Key details: Minimum frequency: once a week for garbage, trash, yard trash. Collection hours: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.. Coverage: all accessible residential premises. Backup provider: City, where no contractor serves. Receptacle weight cap: 40 pounds.

The Code doesn't fine residents directly for the collection schedule itself; instead Sec. 382.407 lets the contractor pull a noncompliant receptacle from service after marking it and giving written notice, and destroy it if the owner doesn't correct or remove it. The contractor, not the resident, is on the hook for meeting the weekly frequency and 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. window under Secs. 382.405 and 382.408, enforced through its service contract with the City.

Dumpster Rules

Every new building in Jacksonville except single-family homes must include off-street space for storing and emptying solid waste containers, sized to the project by the Director of Public Utilities. Dumpster pads can't sit on public land, need pavement strong enough for collection trucks, and the loading area itself has to be visually screened from the street under the Zoning Code's off-street loading rules.

Key details: Applies to: all buildings except single-family homes. Location rule: not on public land, convenient truck access. Pavement standard: adequate strength for collection vehicles. Sizing set by: Director of Public Utilities. Screening requirement: visually screened from right-of-way.

The Ordinance Code enforces the dumpster-space requirement through the permitting process rather than a standalone fine: Sec. 656.603(c) requires a compliant site plan showing the required loading space before a building permit issues, so a project that omits a properly sized, screened solid-waste pad does not get approved plans. Once built, a facility that loses its required screening or blocks a sidewalk is a Zoning Code violation subject to the City's standard code enforcement process.

Yard Waste Collection

Loose yard trash must be bagged or boxed and capped at 5 cubic yards a week; tree trimmings over 5 feet or 6 inches thick aren't picked up.

Key details: Weekly loose-trash cap: 5 cubic yards. Trimming size limit: 5 ft long / 6 in diameter. Containment required: Garbage receptacle or disposal box. Tree-service debris: Never City-collected. Governing section: Ordinance Code § 380.206.

Yard trash set out loose (not bagged/boxed) or over the 5-cubic-yard weekly cap can simply be left uncollected by the crew; oversized tree trimmings and tree-service debris are never picked up curbside and must be hauled by the property owner or contractor.

Holiday Pickup Schedule

Duval County's waste contractor can't just skip a route because of a holiday. Sec. 382.405(b) of the Ordinance Code requires Director approval and published newspaper notice before any holiday-affected pickup gets rescheduled.

Key details: Collections cut for holidays: Not allowed. Reschedule requires: Director of Solid Waste approval. Notice method: Daily-circulation newspaper publication. Contractor's holiday list: Must match the Department's.

This binds the contractor, not residents directly. A contractor that reschedules a holiday route without Director approval and published newspaper notice, or that skips collection outright for an unapproved holiday, is out of compliance with Sec. 382.405(b).

Recycling Rules

Jacksonville requires residents to separate recyclables from trash, bans mixing them in the same curbside container, and makes it illegal to contaminate or scavenge recycling set out for the City's contractor.

Key details: Mandatory since: Ord. 91-321-129 (1991). Recyclables ownership: Become City property once curbed. Scavenging recyclables: Separate offense per collection. Coverage area: Duval Co. excludes USDs Two–Five. Enforcement: Municipal Code Enforcement Board.

Combining or contaminating recyclables, or unauthorized removal from the curb, is a code violation; each unauthorized collection is a separate offense enforced by code enforcement officers and the Municipal Code Enforcement Board (Secs. 380.504, 380.507, 380.509).

Illegal Dumping

Dumping litter on Jacksonville streets, rights-of-way, waterways, or private property without consent is unlawful under the city's Litter Law, with citations issued by the Sheriff's Office, JEA, and Environmental Resource Management.

Key details: Governing section: Ordinance Code Sec. 380.210. Covers: Roads, waterways, and private property. Vehicle/boat dumping: Operator and owner both liable. Enforcement agencies: ERM, JEA, and Sheriff's Office. Penalty mechanism: Civil citation under Ordinance Ch. 609.

Civil citation under F.S. Ch. 162 Part II and Ordinance Code Ch. 609; city may also sue for injunctive relief and civil penalties (Sec. 380.213, 380.215).

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

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Jacksonville collects household garbage weekly and recycling every other week (Week A or B) on the same weekday. Find your day and recycling week at coj.net/swschedule or the MyJax app. Collection shifts only for Thanksgiving and Christmas, moving to the following Saturday.

Key details: Collection frequency: Garbage weekly; recycling biweekly. Find your day: coj.net/swschedule or MyJax app. Holiday shift: Thanksgiving, Christmas move to Saturday. Recycling: Every other week, yellow-lid cart. Set-out time: By 6 a.m.; after 5 p.m. prior.

No monetary penalty specified; place waste out no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before, by 6 a.m. on collection day, and remove empty containers by 6 a.m. the following day.

Bin Placement Rules

Jacksonville bars curbside carts before 5:00 p.m. the day before pickup and requires them off the curb by 6:00 a.m. the next morning, or removal is on the resident.

Key details: Earliest set-out: 5:00 p.m. day before pickup. Latest removal: 6:00 a.m. day after pickup. Automated cart deadline: Before 6:00 a.m. on collection day. Cart placement: Within 5 feet of street, arrows facing street. Penalty: Civil infraction under Ch. 609.

Improper placement or commingled trash, yard trash and recyclables in one container is a civil infraction under Chapter 609 (Code Enforcement Citations); carts left out past 6 a.m. the day after pickup, or set out too early, can also draw enforcement.

Recycling Requirements

Jacksonville residents must separate recyclables from household trash and set them out at the curb; mixing them into one bin or contaminating the load is a code violation.

Key details: Governing law: Ordinance Code Ch. 380, Part 5. Who must comply: All Duval County residents (most USDs). Mixing bins: Prohibited, Sec. 380.504. Penalty: $130 class C offense fine. Ownership once curbside: Becomes City property.

Unlawful and a class C offense under Sec. 380.511: a $130 fine ($125 plus $5 costs, Schedule A1) per the Municipal Code Compliance/Solid Waste Division citation process (Sec. 380.509).

Bulk Item Disposal

Jacksonville caps loose trash and yard debris put out for collection at 5 cubic yards a week and won't pick up tree trimmings over 5 feet long or 6 inches thick.

Key details: Loose trash cap: 5 cubic yards/week. Tree trimming size limit: 5 ft long, 6 in diameter. Contractor tree/construction debris: Not collected by City. Governing section: Ordinance Code § 380.206. Enforcement: Civil citation, F.S. Ch. 162 Pt. II.

Violating any provision of Chapter 380 Part 2 is enforced by civil citation under F.S. Ch. 162 Part II and Ordinance Code Ch. 609, or by injunctive relief/civil penalties in court (Sec. 380.213). Oversized loads simply aren't collected.

The Bottom Line

Jacksonville'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 Jacksonville is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Jacksonville's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.