Trash & Recycling in Fort Lauderdale, FL (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
The city collects residential solid waste twice weekly at single-family homes and small multifamily accounts of three units or less under Sec. 24-26. Bulk trash can't hit the swale more than twenty-four hours before its scheduled pickup, and the public works director sets every collection date.
Fort Lauderdale Trash Pickup Schedule
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale, FL, Code of Ordinances ch. 24, art. II, div. 1, Sec. 24-26 (Ord. No. C-17-28, § 115, 9-13-17)
(1)Residential solid waste shall be collected twice weekly, or as scheduled by the city at all single-family and multifamily accounts of three (3) units or less.(2)Solid waste shall be collected twice weekly or as scheduled by the city at all multifamily accounts of four (4) or more units and at all commercial accounts... (6)Bulk trash... shall not be placed upon any swale area more than twenty...
Bin Placement Rules
Fort Lauderdale requires garbage and recycling carts to go out and come back on collection day only. Sec. 24-27(b) bars leaving a container roadside overnight and requires it stored behind the building line, or screened by shrubbery, a fence or wall, once emptied; the city can charge a fee under Sec. 24-47 to move a cart left out illegally.
Fort Lauderdale Garbage Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 24, sec. 24-27(b) (Ord. No. C-99-2, § 2, 1-20-99)
(b)Containers shall be placed and removed from roadside on the day of collection by the customer. After collection, all containers, whether city or privately owned, on the property shall be returned to a secure location on the property. With the exception of being stored within a carport or garage, containers shall not be stored anywhere closer to the street than the extension of any existing b...
Bulk Item Disposal
Fort Lauderdale collects bulk trash, furniture, appliances, mattresses and qualifying yard trimmings, from the swale in front of residential customers on a set schedule under Sec. 24-26(6). Piles cannot go out more than 24 hours before the scheduled pickup date; putting a pile out early is a violation that triggers a compliance notice before the city removes it.
Fort Lauderdale Bulk Trash Swale Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 24, sec. 24-26(6) (Ord. No. C-99-2, § 2, 1-20-99)
(6)Bulk trash, as defined in section 24-1, will be placed and collected from the swale area of city residential customers as scheduled by the city. Bulk trash shall not be placed upon any swale area more than twenty-four (24) hours before a scheduled pickup date. Bulk trash placed upon the swale more than twenty-four (24) hours before a scheduled pickup date is a violation of this section. The ...
Recycling Requirements
Fort Lauderdale collects recyclables roadside once a week under Sec. 24-26(3), and Sec. 24-30(e) makes it mandatory that every recyclable material go into a recycling container rather than the regular trash. Only city-approved recyclables belong in that container under Sec. 24-27(g); everything else stays out.
Fort Lauderdale Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale, FL, Code of Ordinances ch. 24, art. II, div. 1, Sec. 24-26(3), Sec. 24-27(g) and Sec. 24-30(e) (Ord. No. C-17-28, § 115, 9-13-17; Ord. No. C-99-2, § 2, 1-20-99)
(3)Recyclables shall be collected roadside once weekly or as scheduled by the city. ... All recyclable materials shall be placed in recycling containers. ... Only acceptable recyclables shall be placed in the city provided recycling container.
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid waste on streets, beaches, waterways, city property or someone else's private land without consent is unlawful under Code sec. 24-7. Unremoved accumulations that threaten public health draw a 48-hour compliance notice, and repeat violators lose that grace period entirely.
Fort Lauderdale Illegal Dumping Penalties
Significant RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 24, sec. 24-7(a), (b), (c), (d) (Ord. No. C-01-39, § 1, 9-20-01)
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, sweep, scatter, throw, dump, or pile, except temporarily for pickup and disposal purposes, solid waste of any kind ... in or upon: (1)Any road, street, parkway, sidewalk, beach of the Atlantic Ocean, beach or bank of any river, stream, watercourse or pool ...(3)Any private property not owned by the person within the city limits without the consent o...
Yard Waste Collection
Fort Lauderdale picks up yard waste, grass clippings, tree trimmings, leaves and similar plant debris, once a week from the city-issued yard waste cart under Code of Ordinances Sec. 24-26(4). The public works director sets the actual pickup day for each account under Sec. 24-26(7), and only debris that fits and is free of dirt or rocks belongs in that cart per Sec. 24-27(g).
Fort Lauderdale Yard Waste: Weekly Cart Pickup
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 24, sec. 24-26(4), (7) (Ord. No. C-99-2, § 2, 1-20-99)
(4)Yardwaste shall be collected once weekly or as scheduled by the city....(7)The director is hereby authorized to determine and to schedule the dates of pickup.
Dumpster Rules
Fort Lauderdale requires every multifamily building of four units or more, and every commercial establishment, to keep an approved bulk container for solid waste under Sec. 24-28. Containers must have tight covers, sit within an approved enclosure except when rolled out for pickup, and can never be parked in a street, alley or right-of-way beyond the time needed for collection.
Fort Lauderdale Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 24, sec. 24-28(a), (c), (d) (Ord. No. C-99-2, § 2, 1-20-99)
(a)...Bulk containers shall have tightfitting covers or doors, be watertight, and be equipped with lifting lugs and dumping bales suitable for handling by collection trucks....(c)Bulk containers shall be kept in a place easily accessible to authorized collection vehicles at all times, and shall be located such that no objects, ground level or overhead, shall create obstructions, and vehicles sh...
Collection Schedule
Fort Lauderdale collects residential solid waste twice weekly at single-family homes and small multifamily accounts, with recyclables and yardwaste picked up roadside once a week. Bulk trash goes on the swale only within 24 hours of the scheduled pickup date.
Fort Lauderdale Trash and Recycling Pickup Days
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 24, sec. 24-26 (Ord. No. C-99-2, § 2, 1-20-99; amended Ord. No. C-17-28, § 115, 9-13-17)
(1)Residential solid waste shall be collected twice weekly, or as scheduled by the city at all single-family and multifamily accounts of three (3) units or less.(2)Solid waste shall be collected twice weekly or as scheduled by the city at all multifamily accounts of four (4) or more units and at all commercial accounts. ... This shall not apply to dumpster and bulk container accounts. ...(3)Rec...
Recycling Rules
Every multifamily building in Fort Lauderdale must run its own recycling program under Sec. 24-8, giving each unit a suitable recycling container and weekly collection at minimum. Taking recyclables that have already been set out for collection without the owner's or the city's authorization is a separate crime under Sec. 24-9.
Fort Lauderdale Multifamily Recycling Mandate
Some RestrictionsFort Lauderdale, FL, Code of Ordinances ch. 24, art. I, Sec. 24-8 and Sec. 24-9 (Ord. No. C-95-36, § 1, 7-5-95; Ord. No. C-89-137, § 2, 12-5-89)
(a)The owner of each multifamily residence shall implement a recycling program and encourage the participation of each living unit in such multifamily residence.(b)The recycling program at each multifamily residence shall ensure that each living unit has access to a container or containers suitable for the collection of recyclables as defined in this chapter... Frequency of collection shall be ...
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