Polk County, FL Trash & Recycling: Holiday Pickup Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Thanksgiving 2026
- Thursday customers collected Friday, Nov. 27; Friday customers Saturday, Nov. 28
- Christmas 2026
- Friday, Dec. 25 customers collected Saturday, Dec. 26
- Veterans Day 2026
- Wednesday through Friday customers shift to Thursday through Saturday
- Holidays affecting pickup
- Seven, including New Year's Day and Christmas Day
- Collection hours
- Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Set-out deadline
- 6:00 a.m. on the designated service day (Sec. 11-35(C))
- Customer care
- (863) 284-4319
Summary
Unincorporated Polk County pushes residential trash, yard waste, and furniture and appliance pickup back one day after a holiday. Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, 2026, moves Thursday service to Friday, and Christmas, Dec. 25, 2026, moves Friday service to Saturday, Dec. 26.
Holidays that may impact your residential collection: Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026 Wednesday customers for yard waste, trash, and furniture and appliance will be collected on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. Thursday customers for yard waste, trash, and furniture and appliance will be collected on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. Friday customers for yard waste, trash, and furniture and appliance will be collected on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026 Thursday customers for yard waste, trash, and furniture and appliance will be collected on Friday, Nov. 27, 2026. Friday customers for yard waste, trash, and furniture and appliance will be collected on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026. Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25, 2026 Friday customers for yard waste, trash, and furniture and appliance will be collected on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2026.
Full Breakdown
Polk County Solid Waste and its contracted haulers, GFL and FCC Environmental, run residential curbside collection Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. in unincorporated Polk County. Cities such as Lakeland, Winter Haven and Bartow run their own collection, so this schedule does not reach them.
The county's Residential Waste page lists the 2026 holiday shifts. For Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, Wednesday customers are collected Thursday, Nov. 12, Thursday customers Friday, Nov. 13, and Friday customers Saturday, Nov. 14. For Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, Thursday customers are collected Friday, Nov. 27, and Friday customers Saturday, Nov. 28. For Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25, 2026, Friday customers are collected Saturday, Dec. 26. Each shift applies to yard waste, trash, and furniture and appliance collection. The page lists no change for Monday or Tuesday customers in the Veterans Day week.
The pattern comes from a standing push-back policy announced in a county news release dated Nov. 4, 2024. Under it, the seven holidays that potentially impact residential curbside collection are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and a one-day delay occurs for each day of the week following the holiday. The page supplied for this entry prints no New Year's Day 2027 dates, so check the county page for that shift before the holiday.
The rule that does not move is the set-out time. Polk County Code Sec. 11-35(C) requires each occupant to set out county-designated or supplied containers by 6:00 a.m. on the designated service day, and the county's curbside tips say household and routine yard waste go out either the night before or by 6 a.m. on collection day. On a push-back day, that clock runs from the new service day.
The 2024 release also noted that the North Central Landfill and North Central Transfer Station closed on Veterans Day. Questions on a missed pickup go to Polk County Solid Waste customer care at (863) 284-4319.
Violations & Fines
The holiday schedule carries no penalty of its own. Garbage that is not set out by 6:00 a.m. on the designated service day under Polk County Code Sec. 11-35(C) risks missing the truck, and the county page states that furniture and appliance items not in compliance will not be collected and, if they stay curbside, may be subject to code enforcement violations. Material that does not meet county guidelines is tagged with a non-collection notice and disposal becomes the resident's responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is trash picked up for Thanksgiving 2026 in unincorporated Polk County?
What happens to my pickup on Christmas 2026?
Does New Year's Day 2027 change Polk County trash collection?
Do these holiday shifts apply inside Lakeland or Winter Haven?
By what time must my cart be at the curb on a holiday-delayed day?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Polk County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Polk County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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