Trash & Recycling in Clearwater, FL (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Clearwater, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Clearwater Code Section 32.281 establishes once-weekly residential garbage collection with set-out windows the night before and removal by the morning after the scheduled day.
Clearwater Residential Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsFla. Stat. § 403.706 (2023) - Local government solid waste responsibilities
The governing body of a county has the responsibility and power to provide for the operation of solid waste disposal facilities to meet the needs of all incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county. Unless otherwise approved by an interlocal agreement or special act, municipalities may not operate solid waste disposal facilities unless a municipality demonstrates by a preponderance of th...
Bin Placement Rules
Clearwater requires residential garbage and recycling carts to sit at the curbline, at least ten feet from any structure or parked vehicle, and never inside the street or alley right-of-way. Carts cannot go out before 7:00 p.m. the night before pickup and must be pulled back by 7:00 a.m. the next morning under City Code Sec. 32.281, enforced by the solid waste/general services department.
Trash Cart Placement Rules in Clearwater
Some RestrictionsClearwater City Code Sec. 32.281(2)(a), (3)(a)
(2)Collection locations.(a)Curbside pickup. Residential refuse and/or recycling containers shall be placed for collection on the ground at the curbline, immediately in front of and contiguous to owner's property and at least ten feet away from any permanent structure or vehicle and cannot obstruct pedestrian passage. The containers shall be placed for collection at ground level on the property,...
Bulk Item Disposal
Clearwater's bulk and large-item pickup rules sit in City Code Sec. 32.282. Tree surgeons, landscapers and lawn services must haul away their own job debris rather than dump it curbside, doors on discarded refrigerators and other white goods must be removed or secured before set-out, and any bulk item can go to the curb no more than 24 hours ahead of the scheduled truck.
Bulk Item and Contractor Debris Rules (Clearwater)
Some RestrictionsClearwater City Code Sec. 32.282
(1)It is the responsibility of all tree surgeons, nurseries, lawn care services and landscaping contractors, or any individual or company doing work on private property, to remove from the premises all residue and rubbish resulting from said work. Failure to comply will result in a fine in the amount of not less than the existing cost for removal plus an administrative fee not to exceed $200.00...
Recycling Requirements
Clearwater provides curbside recycling once a week to homes, offices and hotel/motel units on rearloader or sideloader routes, with the container itself furnished by the city under Sec. 32.320. A fee set out in Appendix A applies, and the same 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. curb-timing rule and fine schedule that governs trash carts also governs recycling bins.
Curbside Recycling Program Rules (Clearwater)
Some RestrictionsClearwater City Code Sec. 32.320(1)-(3), (5)
(1)Curbside recycling shall be provided to residential, office, and hotel/motel units which are served by rearloader or sideloader solid waste collection and a fee shall be assessed in the amount set out in Appendix A to this Code.(2)Curbside recycling collection will be once-weekly.(3)The recycling container will be furnished by the city along with instructional materials providing the necessa...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid waste anywhere outside the collection methods Clearwater's code defines is illegal and can trigger investigation and prosecution under Sec. 32.283. The same section separately bans littering that lets wind or rain carry waste onto streets, sidewalks, sewers, parkways, or someone else's property, and dumping into any ditch, stream or body of water is barred outright.
Illegal Dumping and Littering Penalties (Clearwater)
Significant RestrictionsClearwater City Code Sec. 32.283
(1)It is illegal to dump any solid waste other than by the defined methods in this Code. Illegal dumping may lead to investigation and prosecution.(2)Littering. No person shall throw, place, or deposit any solid waste in any ditch, stream or body of water or anywhere within the city in such a manner that it may be carried or deposited by wind or rain upon any street, sidewalk, alley, sewer, par...
Yard Waste Collection
Clearwater requires loose yard waste to go out in a bag or a solid waste-approved container, never mixed into the city-issued refuse or recycling carts. Branches and palm fronds must be cut to under four inches in diameter and four feet long and stacked separately at the curb under Sec. 32.280(1)(d), and containers can't be piled above the rim.
Yard Waste Preparation Rules (Clearwater)
Some RestrictionsClearwater City Code Sec. 32.280(1)(d)
(d)Yard waste. Loose yard waste shall be placed inside a bag or container, other than city-issued containers. A container utilized for yard waste must be approved by the director of solid waste/general services prior to use. The bag or pre-approved container must be placed curbside separate from the city-issued residential refuse and recycling containers. Such containers shall not be filled abo...
Dumpster Rules
Commercial dumpsters in Clearwater must sit inside an enclosure built so the waste receptacle isn't visible from ground level, with a gate wide enough to give a front-end loading collection truck 12 feet of unobstructed access. Sec. 32.284(1) also requires a six-inch reinforced concrete pad under the enclosure, and no certificate of occupancy issues until it's built.
Commercial Dumpster Enclosure Rules (Clearwater)
Some RestrictionsClearwater City Code Sec. 32.284(1)
(1)Enclosure required.(a)Customers who receive containerized service and who are not subject to the requirements of paragraph 5 subsection (b) of this section shall meet the following requirements with respect to waste receptacle enclosures.(b)The enclosure will be constructed and maintained in such a manner as to ensure that the waste receptacle is not visible from ground level.(c)The enclosur...
Collection Schedule
Clearwater picks up residential garbage once a week on a regularly scheduled day, never on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays, under a schedule that took effect January 11, 2016. Commercial customers such as hotels, restaurants and hospitals can arrange daily service, and the solid waste director can force more frequent pickups anywhere putrescible waste turns into a health or odor nuisance.
Residential Garbage Collection Schedule (Clearwater)
Some RestrictionsClearwater City Code Sec. 32.281(1)(a)-(c)
(1)Frequency of collection.(a)Residential and small businesses. Effective January 11, 2016, solid waste accumulated by residences and small businesses shall be collected once-weekly on regularly scheduled days except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.(b)Commercial. Motels, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, schools and other establishments may have daily collection services to fit thei...
Looking for Pinellas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Clearwater city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Pinellas County →