Collier County, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Designated materials
- Paper, cardboard, glass, plastics #1-7, metal
- Ownership
- Curbside recyclables become county property
- Contamination cap
- 10% De Minimis solid waste by volume/weight
- Primary threshold
- Over 96 gallons/month of a material
- Cardboard rule
- Flattened, stacked pieces capped at 3x3 feet
- Tampering ban
- No unauthorized removal/repair of Roll Carts
- Exemption
- Up to 1 year if no buyer exists
Summary
Collier County designates seven categories of curbside recyclables under Sec. 118-136: paper, cardboard, glass, plastics numbered 1 through 7, aluminum and ferrous metal, and the Board can add or drop materials as recycling markets change. Once you set materials at the curb in a Recycling Roll Cart or Bin, they become county property, and only the county's authorized recycling contractor may touch them.
For the purposes of this Ordinance, recyclable materials means paper, cardboard, glass, plastic (Numbers. 1 through 7), aluminum, and ferrous metal. The Board may designate other materials (e.g., organic waste) as recyclable materials if the Board determines that a market exists for such materials and a cost-effective system is in place for recycling such materials. Materials shall be deleted from this list of recyclable materials if the Board determines that a market no longer exists or a cost-effective system is no longer in place for recycling such materials.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 126 | Land Development Code: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 118-136 (Ord. No. 2009-56, § 6) sets the base recycling list for Collier County: 'paper, cardboard, glass, plastic (Numbers 1 through 7), aluminum, and ferrous metal.' The Board of County Commissioners can add other materials, organic waste is given as its own example, once it finds a market and a cost-effective collection system exist, and can delist a material the same way if the market or the system disappears. Under the definitions in Sec. 118-135, a 'Primary Recyclable Material' is one a generator produces at more than 96 gallons a month, and a load of separated recyclables can carry no more than a 10 percent 'De Minimis Amount' of ordinary solid waste by volume or weight, whichever the County Manager finds more restrictive.
The curbside mechanics sit in Sec. 118-104(C)(4): Program Recyclables must be set out in a Recycling Roll Cart, or in a Recycling Bin where the Manager has approved that method for the area. Cardboard has to be flattened, and cut down if needed so it doesn't jam the cart or block the lid from releasing material during collection; loose flattened cardboard can also be stacked beside the cart, capped at 3 feet by 3 feet per piece. Residents may bag overflow recyclables in heavy-duty clear plastic bags, but everything set out must be reasonably free of food residue so it doesn't draw wildlife.
Ownership shifts the moment material hits the curb: Sec. 118-103 makes the county the sole owner of anything placed curbside for collection, bars anyone but the county or its authorized contractor from taking, altering or reselling it without the Manager's written approval, and separately bans posting ads, stickers or notices on a Roll Cart or Recycling Bin, or repairing, replacing or removing one, unless you're an authorized agent or contractor.
An owner or generator that cannot find a buyer for a designated material can seek relief under Sec. 118-141: the County Manager grants an exemption from recycling that specific material once the person shows no collection service exists for it, and any hardship exemption lapses automatically after a year or once the condition that justified it changes, whichever comes first.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 118-152 makes a missing recyclable-materials container on a property prima facie evidence of noncompliance, and enforcement runs through the county's Code Enforcement Board or Special Magistrate under the Consolidated Code Enforcement Ordinance. Sec. 118-103 separately makes it a violation to take, alter or sell curbside-set recyclables without the Manager's written approval, or to tamper with, post material on, or remove a Roll Cart or Recycling Bin if you aren't an authorized agent or contractor. The county allowed a six-month grace period after each ordinance amendment before pursuing penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What materials does Collier County require me to recycle at the curb?
Can I take my own recyclables to sell instead of setting them out?
How should I set out cardboard for recycling?
What if there's no market for a material Collier County has designated as recyclable?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Collier County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Collier County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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