Escambia County, FL Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Default collector
- County or licensed franchisee, § 82-168(a)
- Self-haul option
- Allowed to county disposal site + fee, § 82-168(b)
- Special pickup
- Arrange directly with collector, § 82-169(c)
- Fee authority
- Set by county commission resolution, § 82-172(e)
- Illegal disposal
- Burying/burning waste barred, § 82-170(c)
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 60 days jail, Sec. 1-17
Summary
Escambia County collects bulky waste for residents in the county's mandatory collection area, but you can also haul your own couch, appliance or brush pile to a county-designated disposal site yourself. Do that and you owe the disposal fee at the gate; skip the fee or dump it roadside and you're violating county code.
(a)All household and yard waste generated in the unincorporated area of the county in the mandatory collection area described as south of Stone Container Road, east of U.S. Highway 29, and south of Kingsfield Road, east of County Road 297-A, including all property contiguous to U.S. Highway 29, Kingsfield Road, and County Road 297-A shall be collected, transported, and disposed of by the county, or its designated agent, licensee, franchisee, employee or contract representative, except as follows in subsection (b) of this section.(b)Any person may transport his own bulky waste provided that such bulky waste is disposed of in a disposal site so designated by the county, and the required fee for such disposal at such site is paid by the transporter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 113).
Full Breakdown
S. Highway 29, Kingsfield Road and County Road 297-A. That is the default. The same section carves out a self-haul option: any person may transport his own bulky waste provided it is disposed of at a county-designated site and the required fee is paid by the transporter. Section 82-167 defines bulky waste as items whose large size precludes or complicates their handling by normal collection, processing or disposal methods, covering furniture, major appliances and similar oversized items that will not fit a standard 32-gallon can.
If you would rather not make the landfill run, Sec. 82-169(c) lets any owner or occupant make special arrangements with the collector for the removal of bulky waste, and Sec. 82-172(e) confirms anyone may transport bulky waste to the proper disposal site provided they pay the fee the board of county commissioners sets by resolution from time to time. What you cannot do is skip both channels: Sec. 82-170(a) makes it unlawful to place waste on any street, right-of-way or private property outside the ordinance, and Sec.
82-170(c) bars burying or burning waste except through a permitted garbage disposal unit or a state or federal-approved method. Chapter 82 violations are prosecuted like other county ordinance violations under the general penalty at Sec. 1-17.
Violations & Fines
A violation is prosecuted as a misdemeanor under the county's general penalty ordinance, Sec. 1-17: a fine of up to $500.00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, with each day a continuing violation counted separately. Illegal dumping or burying bulky waste outside the county collector or a designated disposal site falls under the Sec. 82-170 prohibited-acts provisions and carries the same exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I haul my own old furniture to the dump myself instead of waiting for pickup?
What actually counts as bulky waste under the county code?
Can I just arrange a special pickup instead of driving it myself?
What happens if I burn or bury bulky waste in my yard instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Escambia County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Escambia County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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