Florissant, MO Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Section 220.040 sets the City's baseline container standard: garbage and rubbish containers must be heavy plastic polyethylene or heavy-gauge metal, watertight, fitted with fly-proof lids kept closed except while depositing waste, sized between five and ninety-five gallons, and if larger than ninety-five gallons, first approved by the Director of Public Works and by the hauler who will service it. Recycling containers get a specific carve-out from that standard: the Section exempts "recycling containers used for the purpose of disposing of newspaper, aluminum, glass or plastic for the purpose of recycling" from the fly-proof, watertight construction requirement that applies to ordinary garbage cans.

That exemption isn't unconditional, though. An uncovered recycling container still has to be approved by the Director of Public Works or a designated assistant, specifically to confirm it meets the City's health and safety standards, meaning a resident can't just set out any open bin and assume it's compliant. Section 220.050 backs the container rules with a prima facie violation standard: a damaged, leaking container without a tight-fitting lid is treated as presumptive evidence of a § 220.040 violation. Chapter 220 elsewhere cross-references the licensing and business regulation rules in Chapter 605 that govern the haulers who ultimately service both trash and recycling accounts.