Trash & Recycling in Fort Myers, FL (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Fort Myers, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Fort Myers collects household trash, recycling, and bulk waste at curbside once a week each, with food establishments serviced twice weekly by dumpster under the city's solid waste program.
Fort Myers Trash and Recycling Pickup Frequency
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 70-45
(a)The collection of household solid waste shall be collected at curbside from residential units one time per week.(b)Residential recycling containers shall be collected at curbside one time per week.(c)Residential bulk, vegetative and white goods, other than house garbage shall be collected one time per week.(d)Commercial can service shall be collected at curbside one time per week.(e)Solid wa...
Bin Placement Rules
Fort Myers residents must place solid waste and recycling containers at the curb no earlier than noon the day before pickup and remove them by 7:00 p.m. on collection day.
Fort Myers Container Placement and Removal Times
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 70-49(q)(1)
Residential or commercial solid waste containers placed near the curb, street or alley shall be placed there no earlier than 12:00 p.m. on the day preceding the collection day and must be removed to a point at the side or rear of the structure by 7:00 p.m. of the collection day. Any container not removed will be tagged by code enforcement or the solid waste division with a warning. Second viola...
Bulk Item Disposal
Fort Myers caps curbside bulk piles at 4 cubic yards of junk/white goods or 10 cubic yards of horticultural waste per parcel before special-pickup fees kick in.
Fort Myers Bulk Item Pickup Limits
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 70-49(b)
Accumulations of bulk horticultural solid waste, junk or white goods shall be stacked in separate compact piles at a single curbside location area within the confines of the resident or owner's property lines... Any pile containing more than four cubic yards of junk or white goods or ten cubic yards of horticultural solid waste per parcel or Lee County STRAP number... shall be considered as a s...
Recycling Requirements
Fort Myers requires every residential, commercial and multi-family property to separate recyclable materials from trash and set them out for collection, with the city as the mandatory hauler for residential and multi-family recycling.
Fort Myers Mandatory Recycling Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 70-111(a)(1)
Effective January 1, 2010, every owner, lessee or occupant of residential property shall separate recyclable materials from other mixed municipal solid waste and shall set recyclable materials out for collection in the manner and at such frequency as shall be prescribed by the city's director of public works or designee, or shall deliver the recyclable materials to a recycling facility approved...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Fort Myers requires residential, commercial, and industrial property owners to separate compostable materials from solid waste and set them out for collection, or deliver them to an approved composting facility, effective January 1, 2010.
Mandatory Organics Separation in Fort Myers
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 70-111(a)(3)
Compostable materials. Effective January 1, 2010, and to the extent permitted by city code, every owner, lessee or occupant of residential, commercial and industrial property shall separate separated compostable materials from other mixed municipal solid waste and shall set out separated compostable materials for collection in the manner and at such frequency as shall be prescribed by the publi...
Illegal Dumping
Fort Myers bans dumping, throwing, or scattering litter, debris, trash, or hazardous material on any land, stormwater system, or water body within city limits, backed by a stormwater-director-assessed fine.
Illegal Dumping Rules in Fort Myers, FL
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 90-290
The accumulation, placing, sweeping, scattering, throwing, or dumping of litter, or littering material, such as dead plants, yard clippings, stagnant water, rubbish, debris, trash, refuse, including any wrecked derelict or partially dismantled motor vehicles, trailers, boats, machinery, appliances, furniture or similar articles, or any unsanitary, hazardous or significant material or other noxi...
Yard Waste Collection
Fort Myers collects bagged, bundled, or curbside-piled vegetative waste weekly, with strict size and weight limits before oversized loads trigger special-pickup charges.
Fort Myers Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 70-1 (definition of "Vegetative waste")
For curbside collection, the following applies: All grass clippings, leaves, pine needles, and similar small loose items must be bagged or containerized; tree cuttings, bushes, twigs, etc., (except palm fronds) and similar articles shall be in tied bundles, or in cans and shall be less than six feet in length; up to 50 pounds of unbundled or untied palm fronds may be placed neatly at curbside; ...
Dumpster Rules
Fort Myers requires dumpster and recycling container enclosures serving any development other than a single-family or duplex home to sit at least five feet from side or rear property lines, fully screened, and never within the front yard setback.
Fort Myers Commercial Dumpster Enclosure Setbacks
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Land Development Code § 118.3.9
Dumpster enclosures must have a minimum five-foot setback from side or rear property lines and cannot be located within a required landscape buffer yard. Enclosures must conform to district setback requirements if along a collector or arterial road. Dumpster enclosures cannot be located within the required front yard setback.
Collection Schedule
Fort Myers collects household garbage and curbside recycling once a week, and every single-family, multi-family, and commercial property in the city must subscribe to city solid waste collection service.
Fort Myers Weekly Trash and Recycling Collection
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 70-45
(a)The collection of household solid waste shall be collected at curbside from residential units one time per week.(b)Residential recycling containers shall be collected at curbside one time per week...The owner of every single-family dwelling, multi-family dwelling, and commercial establishment within the boundaries of the city shall subscribe for solid waste collection service...from the city...
Recycling Rules
City of Fort Myers offers curbside recycling collection to residential users; if declined, residents must deliver program recyclables to a recycling facility themselves. Commercial users must contract with a hauler or deliver recyclables to a facility in Lee County.
Fort Myers Recycling Service Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Myers Code of Ordinances § 70-51
(a)Program recyclables.(1)Residential users within the city shall be offered curbside collection service as provided by the city. If such service is declined, the user shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, all their program recyclables to a recycling facility that processes such program recyclables.(2)Commercial users may either contract with a private hauler for collection services of all s...
Looking for Lee County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Myers city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Lee County →