Trash & Recycling in Port St. Lucie, FL (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Port St. Lucie, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Before a garbage or recycling cart goes to the curb in Port St. Lucie, Section 80.05 of the Code of Ordinances dictates exactly how the waste must be packed: household trash bagged inside the cart, recyclables loose and never bagged, appliance doors removed, and nothing left sitting on top of a closed lid.
Trash Set-Out Prep Rules in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 80.05
(a)All household garbage and trash shall be placed in a plastic bag prior to being put into a garbage cart.(b)Recyclable materials shall be placed or set out in a recycling cart. Recyclable materials shall not be placed in the same collection container with other solid waste.(c)Recyclable materials shall not be in a plastic bag prior to placing into a recycling cart or container.(d)Garbage cart...
Bin Placement Rules
Port St. Lucie requires garbage and recycling carts to be screened from the street between pickups and set at the curb only in a narrow window under Sections 80.09(b) and 80.06(a). Carts must sit indoors or behind a screening fence, hedge, or wall the rest of the week, go out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before collection, and come back in the same day.
Trash Cart Placement Rules in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 80.09(b), 80.06(a)(1)-(2)
(b)Container placement.(1)All collection containers shall be placed in locations that are safely and readily accessible to a collection vehicle. Containers shall be placed a minimum of three (3) feet from any object or other container to ensure proper collection.(2)Collection containers used for residential curbside collection shall be kept indoors or in a portion of the rear or side yard that ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Port St. Lucie caps residential bulk waste, furniture, white goods, and large carpet pieces, at 2 cubic yards per curbside set-out under Section 80.06(d) of the Code of Ordinances. Residents can put bulk items out no more than 24 hours before their scheduled bulk collection day, and rolled carpet must be tied in sections of 4 feet or less.
Bulk Waste Collection Rules in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 80.02, 80.06(d)
Bulk waste shall mean a large item that is discarded because of normal housekeeping activities on a person's own premises and cannot be placed in a garbage cart because of its size, shape, or weight. Bulk waste includes furniture, fixtures, white goods, and large pieces of carpet. Bulk waste does not include any exempt waste. ... (d)Bulk waste.(1)Bulk waste shall not be set out more than 24 hou...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
Port St. Lucie suspends garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulk waste pickup on Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas under Sections 80.02 and 80.06(a)(3) of the Code of Ordinances. Any collection that would normally fall on one of those holidays gets rescheduled under the current franchise agreement rather than skipped outright.
Holiday Trash Collection Schedule in Port St. Lucie
Light RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 80.02, 80.06(a)(3)
Holiday shall mean Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and any other days designated and agreed to by the director and division manager. ... (3)Collections shall not occur on holidays and as otherwise deemed necessary by the director. Collections that would normally occur on these holidays shall be rescheduled as specified by the franchise agreement.
Illegal Dumping
Port St. Lucie Code § 95.17 makes it unlawful to dump litter or refuse on public roads, waterways, private property without consent, or construction sites. Section 95.20 backs the ban with escalating fines starting at $150.00 for a first offense and up to $500.00 or 60 days in jail for repeat violations.
Illegal Dumping and Litter Fines in Port St. Lucie
Heavy RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 95.15, 95.17(1), 95.20(1)
Dumping litter and/or refuse in any manner or amount whatsoever in or on any public highway, road, street, alley, thoroughfare or any other public lands, except in containers or areas lawfully provided therefore. ... When any litter is thrown or discarded from a motor vehicle or vessel, the operator or owner of the motor vehicle or vessel, or both, shall be deemed in violation. ... Any person v...
Yard Waste Collection
Port St. Lucie limits curbside yard waste to 4 cubic yards per household per week under Section 80.06(e) of the Code of Ordinances. Branches and stumps must be cut to 4 feet or less and no more than 6 inches thick or 50 pounds, while loose leaves and clippings go in cans or bags capped at 50 pounds each.
Yard Waste Collection Limits in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 80.06(e)
(e)Yard waste.(1)Yard waste shall only be set out at curbside once each week per the franchise agreement, limited to four (4) cubic yards per week per household, except on holidays and as otherwise deemed necessary by the director.(2)Yard waste shall be of such size that it can be readily loaded by one person. Stumps, trees, limbs, and other larger pieces of yard waste shall be cut in lengths o...
Dumpster Rules
Every multi-family, commercial, industrial, office, and institutional property in Port St. Lucie must screen its refuse and recycling dumpsters behind a five-foot masonry enclosure at least 12 feet by 12 feet, per Zoning Code Section 158.232, and mechanical containers must meet the design standards the director sets under Code Section 80.09.
Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 158.232(A)-(C)
(A)Location and Number. Refuse and recycling dumpsters utilized at multi-family residential complexes, commercial, industrial, office, and institutional facilities shall be located in areas that minimize public view. Gates shall not face a street, whenever possible. All uses, excluding single-family residential uses, that generate refuse shall provide one or more locations for enclosed and gate...
Collection Schedule
Port St. Lucie requires every residential and commercial property to use the city's franchise hauler for garbage collection under Section 80.03 of the Code of Ordinances. There is no opt-out: owners are billed for the mandatory service, and Section 80.11 gives the Director authority to set the actual pickup days and frequency through the franchise agreement.
Mandatory Trash Collection Service in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 80.03(a)-(b), 80.11
(a)The following types of waste generated in the city by the following property types shall be collected by an approved franchise hauler pursuant to a service agreement subject to the limitations and restrictions set forth herein:(1)Residential property where waste is collected at curbside: garbage, yard waste, bulk waste, and recyclable materials.(2)Residential property where waste is collecte...
Recycling Rules
Port St. Lucie residents recycle exclusively through the city's franchise hauler under Code Section 80.06(c), setting recyclables out in a hauler-provided cart separated from garbage. Scavenging recyclables from the curb without city approval is a separate violation, and the director decides which materials the hauler will actually collect.
Curbside Recycling Rules in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 80.06(c)
(c)Recyclable materials.(1)Residents who wish to participate in recycling shall recycle with the franchise hauler unless the recyclables are directly donated to a private organization qualified pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or directly delivered by a means other than curbside collection to a commercial recycling center for payment.(2)The director shall designate th...
Looking for St. Lucie County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Port St. Lucie city rules.
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