Fort Myers, FL Property Maintenance: Trash Bin Storage (2026)

Fort Myers operates its own residential solid waste collection through the City Solid Waste Division (239-321-8050), governed by Chapter 70 (Solid Waste) of the Code of Ordinances. Lee County does not collect inside the city limits for single-family residential. Standard residential service includes a 96-gallon trash cart with weekly pickup, a 65-gallon recycling cart with weekly pickup on the same day as garbage, weekly bulk-item pickup (maximum 4 cubic yards of furniture, mattresses, etc.), weekly yard waste pickup (maximum 10 cubic yards), and weekly white-goods (appliance) removal. Set-out and placement rules: (1) Carts may be put out the night before, but must be at the curb no later than 6:30 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. (2) Carts must be placed at least 5 feet from any obstruction (parked vehicles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, light poles, other carts) so the automated side-loader truck arm can service them safely. (3) The arrows or handles should face the home. (4) Carts cannot block sidewalks or impair driver sightlines. Common reasons refuse is not collected: overweight cart, placed out after 6:30 a.m., blocked by parked vehicles, or overfilled creating a mess when serviced. Extra service is available: an additional trash can for $7.34/month (weekly) or $13.25 per one-time pickup; an additional recycling cart is free; a horticulture cart for yard trimmings is $2.75/month. Household chemicals and electronics are not collected curbside but can be disposed of free through Lee County (239-533-8000). Persistent placement or contamination violations are enforced through Fort Myers Code Enforcement (239-321-7940); civil penalties through the Special Magistrate run up to $250/day for first violation and $500/day for repeats under FS 162.09.