Palm Beach Gardens, FL Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Palm Beach Gardens defines yard trash narrowly: section 54-1 limits the term to grass, leaves, and tree or shrubbery cuttings tied to routine lawn care, small enough to fit in a garbage or rubbish can. Section 54-2 then splits the rule in two. First, it is unlawful to deposit yard trash on the parkway, the strip of city-controlled land in front of a home, and leave it there. The director of public works sets how long a pile may sit before removal is required, but that window has to stay reasonable and has to track the city's own scheduled yard trash pickups, so residents are not left guessing when a truck will actually come.

Second, the section gives an alternative to curbside disposal: yard or garden trash that contains no combustible material and will not rot into offensive odors or draw insects and rodents can instead be piled as mulch or compost in the rear of the property, avoiding the parkway altogether. That option only covers clean, decomposable material; anything that could smell, burn, or attract pests still has to go out for pickup on the director's schedule rather than sit in a backyard pile. Chapter 54's broader collection rules, including the 32-gallon container cap in section 54-57 and the noon-the-day-before placement window in section 54-58, apply once trash actually reaches the curb, but section 54-2 governs what happens to bulk yard debris before it gets there.