Monroe County, FL Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), § 21-71 of the Monroe County Code requires the owners or occupants of every parcel of improved property to use the collection services of the collector holding the franchise collection agreement for the service area where the property sits; there is no self-haul or opt-out option once a franchise is in place. The Board of County Commissioners has established Monroe County Solid Waste Collection Service Areas No. 1 through No. 7, with boundaries set by resolution, and each area is awarded to a collector under an agreement the Board may periodically re-bid, with a term capped at ten years.

In deciding who receives an agreement, the Board weighs the bidder's past experience, ability to meet the county's service standards, and ability to hold down rates. Section 21-74 backs the mandate with money: the county imposes an annual, non-ad valorem solid waste assessment against every lot of assessed property to fund collection, disposal and recycling. A property owner who blocks a collector's access, for example by gating a private road inadequate for a collection truck, must instead haul waste to the nearest county-approved road, per § 21-74(1)(e).

Commercial and governmental property is on a separate track under § 21-74(3): it must contract directly with the area's franchised collector, with rates the Board adopts at a public hearing noticed at least 20 days in advance, except a business holding a home-occupation special use permit under § 134-2.