Trash & Recycling in Monroe County, FL (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Monroe County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), every improved property must use the franchised collector for its service area, and Sec. 21-70 requires all domestic solid waste to go exclusively to the county's solid waste disposal facility. Sec. 21-74 makes the 96-gallon garbage tote the only permissible household receptacle outside the Ocean Reef service area.
Trash tote and pickup rules Monroe County
Significant RestrictionsMonroe County Code §§ 21-70, 21-71(a), 21-74(1)(b)
All domestic solid waste generated within the county shall be disposed of exclusively at the solid waste disposal facility. ... The owners or occupants of improved property within the unit shall be required to use the collection services provided by the collector granted a collection agreement for that service area in which such property is located. ... b.The ... owner shall provide receptacles...
Bin Placement Rules
Every residential property in the unincorporated Florida Keys gets one 96-gallon garbage cart per solid waste assessment paid, and outside the Ocean Reef service area it is the only lawful way to set out garbage. Monroe County Code § 21-74(1)(b)-(c) requires the cart's lid to stay closed and flush with the top, with no trash piled on top or spilling out.
Garbage Cart Requirements in the Keys
Some RestrictionsMonroe County Code § 21-74(1)(b)-(c)
b.The owner shall provide receptacles adequate to contain all domestic solid waste generated from their residential property in accordance with the provisions herein, except that one 96-gallon garbage cart/tote will be provided to each residential property for each solid waste assessment paid. ... Except for the ocean reef service area, the 96-gallon tote is the only permissible method of garba...
Bulk Item Disposal
Monroe County's franchised haulers give unincorporated Keys residents four free bulk-waste pickups per fiscal year, each capped at two and a half cubic yards, under Monroe County Code § 21-74(2). Anything larger, or beyond the fourth pickup, is collected for a fee set by the franchisee, and excess yard waste beyond the weekly ten-can limit follows the same fee-based scheduled pickup.
Bulk and Yard Waste Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsMonroe County Code § 21-74(2)(a)-(b)
Bulk (bulky) trash/waste as defined in section 21-46 and excess yard waste will be collected by the county's franchise hauler on a scheduled basis and will not require containerization if the requirements set forth in the following subsections are met. Customer must arrange to schedule a pick-up with the county's franchisee. The county's franchisee will collect four bulk waste pick-up of two an...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid waste anywhere but the county's disposal facility is banned outright under Monroe County Code § 21-76, and waste traced back to a non-subscribing property by mail or receipts found in it is presumed to have come from that property. Violators face misdemeanor prosecution under § 21-77, with fines up to $500.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both.
Illegal Dumping Ban and Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsMonroe County Code §§ 21-76(a), 21-77(a)
(a)With the exception of construction and demolition debris, no person shall place, deposit or dispose of any solid waste, other than at the solid waste disposal facility. If any solid waste is found on public or private property or roadways and its origin is traced to improved property by identification such as mail, statements, checks, receipts, etc., and such occupant or owner of such proper...
Yard Waste Collection
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), yard waste and horticultural trash must go in a 32-gallon receptacle and gets picked up once a week under Sec. 21-74(1)(d), capped at ten receptacles per week before the county's franchisee charges an extra fee for the excess.
Yard waste pickup limits Monroe County
Some RestrictionsMonroe County Code § 21-74(1)(d), (2)(b)
d.Except for the ocean reef service area, yard waste/horticultural trash shall be contained in a 32-gallon receptable. Yard waste/horticultural trash will be collected by the county's franchisee once per week and shall not be bundled and shall not exceed in ten 32-gallon receptable once per week. Yard waste/horticultural trash that exceeds ten 32-gallon receptables per week shall be considered ...
Dumpster Rules
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), Land Development Code § 114-14 requires every nonresidential, mixed-use and multi-family project to set aside a sized recycling and solid waste collection area, from 82 square feet for buildings under 5,000 square feet up to 275 square feet for buildings over 100,000 square feet. A second dumpster adds another 60-square-foot pad, and the area must be screened on three sides.
Commercial Dumpster Rules in Monroe County
Some RestrictionsMonroe County Land Development Code § 114-14
Any nonresidential, mixed use or multi-family residential development shall make adequate provision for a recycling collection area in accordance with the following standards: (a)Nonresidential and mixed use buildings. The following are minimum space configurations per solid waste/recycling collection area: Floor Area (square feet) Minimum Collection Area (square feet) 0 to 5,000 82 5,001 to 15...
Collection Schedule
Every owner or occupant of improved property in the unincorporated Florida Keys must use the collector holding the collection agreement for that service area; opting out is not allowed. Monroe County Code § 21-71 divides the county into Solid Waste Collection Service Areas No. 1 through No. 7, each awarded to a franchised collector for up to a ten-year term, and § 21-74 ties the mandate to the annual solid waste assessment.
Mandatory Solid Waste Collection Service
Heavy RestrictionsMonroe County Code § 21-71(a), (e)
(a)The owners or occupants of improved property within the unit shall be required to use the collection services provided by the collector granted a collection agreement for that service area in which such property is located. ... (e)There are hereby established the Monroe County Solid Waste Collection Service Areas No. 1 through No. 7, inclusive. The boundaries of each service area shall be de...
Recycling Rules
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), Sec. 114-14 of the Land Development Code (Part II) requires every nonresidential, mixed-use, or multi-family development to build a dedicated recycling and solid waste collection area, sized to the building's floor area or unit count and screened from view on at least three sides.
New development recycling area rule Monroe County
Some RestrictionsMonroe County Land Development Code § 114-14
Any nonresidential, mixed use or multi-family residential development shall make adequate provision for a recycling collection area in accordance with the following standards: ... If the collection area requires more than one solid waste container, then an additional area of six feet by ten feet (60 square feet) is required per each additional solid waste container.(d)Setback. Notwithstanding t...
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