Escambia County, FL Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Garbage frequency
- At least twice per week
- Rubbish frequency
- At least once per week
- Receptacle limit
- Two 20-gallon cans per household
- Curbside rubbish cap
- One cubic yard per week
- Container setback
- Within 4 feet of right-of-way
- Mandatory area subscription
- Required for units of 5 or fewer
Summary
Unincorporated Escambia County requires every residential property to subscribe with a county-franchised collector. Garbage is picked up at least twice a week, rubbish at least once a week, and containers go out at the curb.
(1)Frequency. All residential wastes, except for rubbish, shall be collected and removed at least twice per week. Rubbish shall be collected and removed at least once per week. Pickups shall not be reduced by holidays, but pickups normally scheduled to be made on a holiday may be rescheduled upon approval by the board of county commissioners. At least five days prior notification to the affected residential premises by publication of the display of a one-time ad in a newspaper of daily circulation in the county shall be provided.(2)Quantity. The collector shall be required to pick up all garbage and rubbish not in excess of two 20-gallon receptacles generated by a residential premises, provided such garbage and rubbish is placed in a proper receptacle.
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
Solid waste service in unincorporated Escambia County, including Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key, Bellview, Brent, Ferry Pass, Gonzalez and Molino, runs through county-franchised collectors under Code § 82-131. Only permitted, county-franchised collectors may handle residential solid waste, and fees are set by board resolution or ordinance tied to the franchise agreement. Garbage and other residential waste (apart from rubbish) must be collected and removed at least twice a week; rubbish gets weekly service. Pickups are not reduced for holidays, though a holiday pickup can be rescheduled with board approval and at least five days' newspaper notice to affected residents.
Collectors must pick up all garbage and rubbish up to two 20-gallon receptacles per household, plus up to one cubic yard of curbside rubbish weekly; anything beyond that is a special-service negotiation between the owner and the collector. Waste must be set out at the curbside, secured from animals, unless backdoor or special-location service has been separately arranged. S. Highway 29, south of Kingsfield Road, east of County Road 297-A), § 82-171 makes subscription mandatory for every owner of a property with five or fewer living units: occupancy of a living unit is prima facie evidence that waste is being generated, and the county administrator must inspect, order removal, and prosecute violators.
In that mandatory area, § 82-172 sets household waste collection at a minimum of twice weekly and requires containers to sit within four feet of the road right-of-way at the driveway entrance, never in the street or roadway. Containers themselves must be nonabsorbent, watertight and vector-resistant per § 82-135, and any container that fails these standards can be marked and pulled from service by the enforcement agency under § 82-131(7).
Violations & Fines
Operating as an unfranchised residential collector, or refusing to subscribe for service in the mandatory collection area, is enforced by the county administrator, who may inspect the property, remove accumulated waste at the owner's expense, and refer the matter for prosecution under Chapter 82. A collector may also terminate service to a customer who violates the chapter's container or placement rules, and defective containers marked by the enforcement agency must be removed from service or the collector will remove and destroy them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to subscribe to trash service in unincorporated Escambia County?
How often is trash picked up in unincorporated Escambia County?
Where do I put my cans out for pickup?
What happens if my collector skips a holiday pickup?
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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