Miami, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 22-14(d)
- Materials covered
- paper, cans, glass, plastic bottles
- Where to place
- curbside, city-issued container
- Scavenging penalty
- up to $500 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
Miami requires recyclables to be separated and set at the curb in the city-issued bin on your scheduled recycling day, and it's illegal for anyone but the resident or city crews to take them.
Newspapers or other salvageable solid waste materials defined as aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles, metal and tin cans, and which shall be separated from all solid waste materials as provided for herein shall be placed at the curb in a container provided by the city on the regularly scheduled recycling collection day or otherwise recycled unless otherwise designated by the director. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation not licensed therefor, other than the owner, lessee, or occupant of that residential building, except city personnel to collect or otherwise remove any newspapers or other salvageable materials which have been specifically placed for collection in the recycling collection program. The penalty as contained in section 1-13 is hereby applicable to violations of this section. (Ord. No. 10128, § 1, 7-10-86; Ord. No. 10440, § 1, 5-19-88; Ord. No. 10654, § 2, 10-12-89; Code 1980, § 22-13; Ord. No. 11703, § 11, 9-28-98; Ord. No. 11837, § 2, 9-28-99; Ord. No. 12258, § 2, 7-25-02; Ord. No. 12400, § 2, 9-11-03; Ord. No. 13194, § 2, 9-27-10; Ord. No. 13531, § 2, 7-9-15; Ord. No. 13693, § 2, 7-13-17)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 | Ordinance 11000 (Previous Zoning Code): Supplement 22 | Miami 21 (Zoning Code): ?).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 22-14(d) requires newspapers, aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles, and metal and tin cans to be separated from regular garbage and placed curbside in a city-provided recycling container on the scheduled collection day. Once set out, those materials are off-limits to everyone except the resident, owner, lessee, or city personnel: an unlicensed person or company that picks through the bin and takes them is committing a Code violation. Multi-family buildings of four units or more have their own recycling mandate under § 22-19, and commercial properties under § 22-20.
Violations & Fines
Unauthorized scavenging of curbside recyclables by an unlicensed person or firm violates § 22-14(d); the general penalty under § 1-13 applies: a fine up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take recyclables from my neighbor's curb?
Does this apply to apartment buildings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle recycling requirements.