Boca Raton, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 14-17
- Earliest set-out time
- 7:00 p.m. day before collection
- Collection point
- Swale at edge of right-of-way
- Who may collect
- City personnel only (nonprofits excepted)
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 60 days jail, § 1-16
Summary
Boca Raton requires residents to keep recyclable material separate from all other solid waste and to place newspapers and other paper items in an approved recycling container. Recyclables go out no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the evening before your scheduled collection day, at the swale by the curb. Only city crews, or a nonprofit soliciting items for resource recovery, may lawfully take what's been set out.
(1)All recyclable materials shall be segregated from all other solid waste material. Newspaper and other paper items shall be placed in an approved recyclable materials container and placed out for collection no earlier than 7:00 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled collection day. Adequate precautions shall be made to prevent newspaper and other paper items from being scattered by the elements.(2)The collection point shall be either in the swale at the edge of the paved right-of-way directly in front of the property from which the newspaper was generated or at a place authorized by the city manager.(3)It shall be unlawful for any person except city personnel to collect or otherwise remove any recyclable material which has been specifically placed for collection in the recycling program as provided by this chapter. It is not the intent of this section to prohibit any nonprofit organization from soliciting recyclable material for the purpose of resource recovery and recycling in pursuit of the goals of the organization.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 14-17 governs the curbside recycling program. on the day before the scheduled collection day, with precautions taken so wind doesn't scatter loose paper. Subsection (2) fixes the collection point as the swale at the edge of the paved right-of-way directly in front of the generating property, or another spot the city manager authorizes. Subsection (3) makes it unlawful for anyone but city personnel to collect or remove recyclable material once it has been placed for collection under the program, protecting the material stream the city relies on for its recycling contract; the section carves out an exception so nonprofit organizations can still solicit recyclables for resource-recovery purposes. 00, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Because § 14-17 isn't on the § 9-60 supplemental-enforcement list, a violation, whether failing to segregate recyclables, setting containers out early, or someone other than a city crew or an authorized nonprofit pulling material from a curbside bin, defaults to the citywide general penalty in § 1-16: up to a $500.00 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with every day the violation continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boca Raton
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Boca Raton to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle recycling requirements.