Cocoa, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Cocoa runs its curbside recycling program through the franchise agreement between the city and its collection contractor, codified at City Code § 9-22. 38 of that agreement defines 'Recyclable Materials' as newspapers (including inserts), aluminum cans, plastic containers (HDPE and PET), and brown, clear and green glass bottles and jars, plus any other materials the city and contractor add by written agreement once those materials are diverted from the regular solid waste stream. On the collection side, the contractor is required to provide collection and disposal service for all recyclable materials generated by residential customers, provided the materials are properly prepared and stored in a recycling container issued under the city's Automated Cart Program; the ordinance is explicit that recyclables must be loose in the autocart and not bagged, since bagged recyclables can jam sorting equipment at the receiving facility.

27 of the agreement, is treated as recyclable material but is barred from going into the autocart and instead has to be arranged directly with the contractor. A separate part of the code, § 9-28, makes the ownership rule explicit: once recyclable material is placed in a container for collection, it becomes the property of the city and the contractor, and it's a violation of the chapter for anyone else to collect, pick up, or cause the pickup of recyclables set out for collection, closing off informal scavenging of recycling bins before the truck arrives.