Trash & Recycling in Tampa, FL (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Tampa, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Tampa residents must set solid waste carts out no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before collection and pull them back in by 10:00 a.m. the day after. Containers go within arm's reach of the curb, not blocking utility poles, mailboxes or parked cars.
Curbside Trash Pickup Rules in Tampa
Some RestrictionsTampa City Code § 26-169(a), (c)
All residential containers shall be set out for collection in a convenient and accessible location in the front of the residence adjacent to and within unobstructed arm reach no more than three (3) feet from the curb or edge of the pavement... Residential containers shall be placed out for collection after 4:00 p.m. of the day prior to a scheduled collection and shall be removed from curbside n...
Bin Placement Rules
City of Tampa Code § 26-169 fixes where and when carts go out: containers must sit within three feet of the curb, clear of poles, mailboxes, cars and low wires, set out no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before pickup, and pulled back in by 10 a.m. the day of collection.
Cart Placement Rules in Tampa
Some RestrictionsCity of Tampa Code § 26-169(a), (c)
(a)All residential containers shall be set out for collection in a convenient and accessible location in the front of the residence adjacent to and within unobstructed arm reach no more than three (3) feet from the curb or edge of the pavement of a public street or alley serviced by the Department...Containers shall not be placed within four (4) feet of a utility pole, mailbox, or other similar...
Bulk Item Disposal
City of Tampa Code § 26-166(f) covers bulky items too large for the standard cart: anything that can be tied must be bundled to four feet and fifty pounds and set at curbside, while unbundlable bulk waste needs a Department request and is billed by the cubic yard, with a one-cubic-yard minimum charge.
Bulk Item Collection Rules in Tampa
Some RestrictionsCity of Tampa Code § 26-166(f)
Any solid waste which, by reason of its bulk or shape, cannot be placed within a container shall be tied in a bundle not to exceed four (4) feet in length or fifty (50) pounds in weight and placed at curbside for collection. If the solid waste is of such a nature that it cannot be tied or bundled, it may be placed out for collection upon request to the Department. Such solid waste will be colle...
Recycling Requirements
Once you set your recycling bin at the curb in Tampa, its contents belong to the city. City Code § 26-204 makes it unlawful for anyone other than the city, its contractors, licensees, or permittees to remove materials from a recycling bin, can, box, or facility at a collection location or curbside.
Tampa Curbside Recycling Anti-Scavenging Rules
Significant RestrictionsCity of Tampa Code § 26-204
(a)Recovery of recyclable or recovered materials by any person other than the city, its contractors, licensees or permittees from any solid waste generated or brought within the city must occur prior to the placing of such solid waste in a permitted refuse bin or the setting out for residential or commercial collection; and such recovery shall be subject to state and local public health and saf...
Illegal Dumping
City of Tampa Code § 26-148 bans dumping solid waste on streets, alleys, parks or private property without consent, and § 26-149 extends that ban to any pond, stream or ditch; violators face the Code's general penalty of up to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail under § 1-6.
Illegal Dumping Penalties in Tampa
Heavy RestrictionsCity of Tampa Code § 26-148
It is unlawful for any person to do any of the following: (1)To place or cause to be placed any solid waste upon the property of another without his consent;...(3)To deposit or dispose of any solid waste in or upon any public street, sidewalk, right-of-way or alleyway or any stream, ditch, river, pond, bay, creek, park or public place in the city, except at such incinerators, sanitary landfills...
Yard Waste Collection
City of Tampa Code § 26-171 requires logs, limbs, brush and palm fronds to be cut to four feet or less and bundled or bagged in loads under fifty pounds, capping every collection event at four cubic yards of yard waste per address.
Yard Waste Collection Rules in Tampa
Some RestrictionsCity of Tampa Code § 26-171
All logs, tree limbs, brush, palm fronds and other yard waste shall be cut in four-foot lengths or less and placed in containers or tightly bundled for collection. Each container or bundle shall not exceed fifty (50) pounds in weight. The total quantity of yard waste placed for collection at each collection location may not exceed four (4) cubic yards per collection event. Any yard waste which ...
Dumpster Rules
City of Tampa Code § 26-166 governs commercial refuse bins: apartments of four or more units and other commercial accounts get bin or bulk service at the director's discretion, open-top containers must be enclosed against wind, and the Downtown Core Business District can only use city-issued containers or PAYT bags.
Commercial Dumpster Rules in Tampa
Some RestrictionsCity of Tampa Code § 26-166(d), (h), (i), (m)
(d)For apartments with four (4) or more units and for certain other commercial customers, service will be rendered by refuse bins if feasible or by bulk service if bins are not feasible at the determination of the director...(h)All permanent open-top containers must be enclosed to prevent any materials from being windblown.(i)Open-top containers shall not be used to contain putrescible solid wa...
Collection Schedule
City of Tampa Code § 26-153(a) makes solid waste collection mandatory: every property must use the Department of Solid Waste and Environmental Program Management or its franchisees for removal, and the Department can demand proof of disposal from anyone claiming they don't need the service.
Mandatory Trash Collection in Tampa
Some RestrictionsCity of Tampa Code § 26-153(a)
Solid waste produced in the city shall be mandatorily collected by the city or by its franchisees, licensees or permittees and shall be removed exclusively under the direction of the Department pursuant to the terms and provisions of this chapter and such rules and regulations as the director shall prescribe for the removal, transportation and disposal of such solid waste. The Department has th...
Recycling Rules
Tampa provides one 95-gallon recycling cart per residence at curbside, and only unauthorized removal of recyclables from a bin or curbside is banned. Anyone in the business of hauling recyclables commercially, outside the standard residential program, needs a city recycling permit first.
Recycling Program Rules in Tampa
Some RestrictionsTampa City Code § 26-204(b), (c)
It is unlawful for any unauthorized person to remove materials from a recycling facility, can, box, or bin at a collection location or curbside. Any and all recyclable or recovered materials once placed in a permitted bin, box, can, or recycling facility becomes the property of the city or its franchisees, licensees, or permittees.
Looking for Hillsborough County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tampa city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Hillsborough County →