Trash & Recycling in Cape Coral, FL (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Cape Coral, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Cape Coral's franchise hauler collects garbage, trash, horticultural waste and recyclables once per week at curbside under City Code § 9-67. Everything must be out before 5:00 a.m. on collection day, and pickup is suspended on six named holidays plus any day the county landfill announces a closure.
Cape Coral Trash & Recycling Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsCape Coral Code of Ordinances § 9-67(b)
(1)Garbage and trash will be collected once per week at curbside or edge of street. Horticultural waste will be collected once per week at curbside or edge of street. Receptacles, as needed, must be within three feet of curbside or edge of street. Maximum total weight per full receptacle shall not exceed 50 pounds. All receptacles shall be located at a minimum of five feet from any obstruction ...
Bin Placement Rules
Between collection days, Cape Coral requires refuse carts to be stored in the rear yard, a garage or carport, or a side yard within three feet of the house wall under City Code § 9-67(b)(9). Carts cannot go to the curb earlier than 5:00 p.m. the night before pickup.
Cape Coral Trash Cart Storage & Set-Out Rules
Some RestrictionsCape Coral Code of Ordinances § 9-67(b)(9)
(9)a.Storage of all refuse receptacles when not set out for collection shall meet one or more of the following requirements:1.Stored in the rear yard behind the primary residential structure.2.Stored in a carport or garage.3.Stored in a side yard of the primary residential structure adjacent to an exterior wall. In order to be deemed "adjacent" to an exterior wall, the refuse receptacle shall b...
Bulk Item Disposal
Cape Coral's franchise hauler picks up unlimited compliant bulky waste once a week at no extra charge under City Code § 9-67(b)(11), covering items over 50 pounds like sofas and mattresses. Non-compliant piles left at the curb become a nuisance case under § 9-71, with civil penalties up to $250 per day.
Cape Coral Bulky Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsCape Coral Code of Ordinances § 9-67(b)(11)
(a)Unlimited compliant bulky waste, as described in Subsection b. below, will be collected by the franchise hauler once per week at curbside or edge of street. Bulky waste collection is a separate service from normal trash, recycling, and horticulture pick-ups and may be scheduled on a different day than those services. Compliant bulky waste collection will be provided to residential dwellings,...
Recycling Requirements
Cape Coral requires recyclable waste to go out in a city-provided cart once a week under City Code § 9-67(b)(2). Once it's in the cart at the curb, § 9-74 declares the material city property, and anyone but the franchise hauler who takes it commits a separate violation per item.
Cape Coral Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsCape Coral Code of Ordinances § 9-74
All recyclable waste matter is hereby declared to be the property of the city from and after the time of placement of the recyclable waste matter in a city provided container at the curbside or edge of street for collection by the city's authorized franchise hauler. It shall be unlawful for any entity, person, firm, corporation, association, government or government agency other than the city t...
Illegal Dumping
Cape Coral bans dumping or burying refuse, construction debris or hazardous waste on any street, lot, canal or waterway under City Code § 9-70. A violation carries a fine of $40 to $500 and up to 30 days in jail, though backyard composting for home gardening is expressly allowed.
Cape Coral Illegal Dumping Penalties
Significant RestrictionsCape Coral Code of Ordinances § 9-70
No person shall deposit on or bury in or cause to be deposited on or buried in any land, public square, street, alley, sidewalk, bridge or other public passageway, or any storm sewer, vacant or unoccupied lot, or any lake, canal, creek or watercourse any refuse, decomposable construction refuse, garbage, trash, horticultural refuse or special pickup, hazardous waste or industrial waste, as defi...
Yard Waste Collection
Cape Coral's franchise hauler picks up horticultural waste, pruned branches, grass clippings, and palm fronds, once a week at curbside, but only if it's cut to 6 feet or less and no thicker than 4 inches, bundled or bagged under 50 pounds, and set out within four days of pickup.
Cape Coral Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsCape Coral Code of Ordinances §§ 9-65, 9-67(b)(6)
(4)HORTICULTURAL WASTE. The products of pruning resulting in refuse not suitable for standard containers, but with stems or branches not exceeding four inches in diameter or six feet in length; or leaves, cuttings of grass, weeds and branches, and vines. ... (6)Horticultural waste too large for receptacles, such as tree branches, palm fronds, brush, trimmings and the like, shall be cut in lengt...
Dumpster Rules
Cape Coral requires most non-residential and multi-family sites to screen commercial trash receptacles inside an enclosure under Land Development Code Section 5.1.15. The enclosure must measure at least ten feet by ten feet, sit at least six inches taller than the dumpster, and use only approved materials like CBS block, brick, or wood, never chain-link with slats.
Cape Coral Commercial Dumpster Enclosure Rules
Some RestrictionsCape Coral Code of Ordinances § 5.1.15
A.Screening.1.Except for the SC and MXB Districts, when commercial trash receptacles are in a rear yard that abuts an alley, all commercial trash receptacles shall be enclosed from view on at least three sides by an opaque visual barrier.2.When a commercial trash receptacle is visible from an adjacent property or an adjacent street, at ground level, then the commercial trash receptacle shall be...
Collection Schedule
Every single-family home, multi-family building, and commercial property in Cape Coral must subscribe to refuse service from the city's franchise hauler, which collects garbage, trash, and recyclables once a week at curbside, starting no earlier than 6:00 a.m. (5:00 a.m. from May through September).
Cape Coral Trash Collection Schedule Rules
Some RestrictionsCape Coral Code of Ordinances §§ 9-66, 9-67, 9-73(d)
(a)The owner of every single-family dwelling, multi-family dwelling and commercial establishment within the boundaries of the city shall receive refuse collection service from the city's authorized franchise hauler under the conditions and at the rates for refuse collection established by the City Council or authorized by this article. ... (b)The franchise hauler shall collect residential refus...
Looking for Lee County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cape Coral city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Lee County →