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

Section 86-33(d)(2) sets the collection frequency: program recyclables are picked up curbside once per week, or as otherwise scheduled by the city, alongside weekly refuse and yard trash pickups. The code defines the covered materials in § 86-19 (definitions article): 'program recyclables' means recovered materials included in the city's recycling program as determined by the director or his designee, while 'recovered materials' covers metal, paper, glass, plastic, textile, or rubber that has been diverted or source-separated from the solid waste stream for reuse as raw material, and is explicitly stated not to be solid waste.

Separately, 'recyclables or recyclable material' is defined to include items like newsprint, bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard and plastic containers capable of being recycled. To keep the recovered-materials stream clean, § 86-33(f) makes it unlawful to place refuse in any container intended for the collection of recovered materials, protecting recyclables from contamination that would force them into the regular waste stream. Recycling carts themselves are described in the definitions as carts owned and provided by the city for collecting program recyclables from residential customers, and their placement on the property is governed separately by § 86-34, which requires carts to be stored behind the front building line except when set out for weekly collection.

The director of public works has discretion under § 86-33(g) to determine and schedule pickup dates for the recycling program, meaning the specific day of the week can vary by route even though the weekly frequency itself is fixed by ordinance.