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

The City of Sanford's solid waste contractor must collect six specific recyclable material categories from every residential curbside address under City Code § 86-120: newspapers and inserts, magazines and catalogs, glass bottles and jars in clear, green or brown, plastic bottles coded 1 through 7, aluminum and steel cans (including empty aerosol cans), and any additional material the city later designates. Recycling service is not optional: § 86-38 makes solid waste, yard waste and recyclable material collection mandatory for every residential and commercial property in the city, billed at rates the city commission sets annually, and the city may record a lien against a property or terminate water and sewer service over unpaid recycling and solid waste charges.

Planning and Development Services and the city's contracted hauler jointly administer the program, and utility billing tied to the service runs through the city. Because recycling is bundled into the mandatory solid waste franchise rather than offered as an opt-in curbside bin, residents cannot cancel pickup to avoid the fee even if they never set out recyclables. The six-category list in § 86-120 is exclusive unless the city amends it by resolution or ordinance, so items outside those categories, such as scrap metal, electronics or construction debris, do not belong in the recycling bin and are handled instead under the city's separate solid waste and bulk-item provisions.