Sarasota County, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Curbside ownership
- Becomes county property once set out
- Scavenging
- Misdemeanor under Sec. 106-52
- Mixing ban
- Recyclables can't go in the trash (106-55)
- Plastic bags
- Banned for yard trash since May 1, 2023
- Penalties
- Warning, then $200/$300/$500
- Incineration
- Banned except at DEP-permitted plant
Summary
Sarasota County requires curbside customers to keep Program Recyclables out of the trash. Code Sec. 106-55 makes it unlawful to knowingly combine recyclables with other solid waste, Sec. 106-51 makes anything set out at the curb county property, and Sec. 106-52 makes scavenging recyclables from the curb a misdemeanor.
Sec. 106-51: From the time of placement of Residential Customer Program Recyclables at the Curbside or other authorized centralized location specified for Collection, such Program Recyclables shall become, and be the sole property of Sarasota County or its authorized agent. Sec. 106-52: No Person other than the Franchisee may collect or cause to be collected any Program Recyclables from the Curbside or from any other authorized central location without having obtained prior approval from the Solid Waste Management Department. Unauthorized removal of Program Recyclables may be treated as a misdemeanor and is punishable as provided by general law. Sec. 106-55: Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, it shall be unlawful and a violation of this Article for any Person to knowingly combine Recyclable Materials with any other Solid Waste Stream in any combination or amount other than that approved by the County or to dispose of Recyclable Materials in any manner.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98).
Full Breakdown
Once a Sarasota County curbside customer puts Program Recyclables out for collection, Section 106-51 makes them 'the sole property of Sarasota County or its authorized agent,' which is why Section 106-52 makes it unlawful for anyone but the county's Franchisee to collect or remove Program Recyclables from the curb or any authorized central location without the Solid Waste Management Department's prior approval; unauthorized removal is treated as a misdemeanor. ' The county backs the mandate with specific handling rules. Under Section 106-47(a)(21), plastic bags cannot be used inside or in place of a Recycling Container, and since May 1, 2023 they cannot be used for Yard Trash either.
Recyclables must be sorted correctly for the collection method in use: under Dual Stream Recycling, paper goes only in the paper-designated container and containers only in the container-designated bin, with the two never mixed, while Single Stream customers combine both in one bin (Sec. 106-47(b)(15)-(16)). Corrugated cardboard must be flattened and, for curbside dual-stream service, cut to no more than two feet by three feet (Sec. 106-47(a)(22)). S. 706. Violations carry an escalating civil penalty schedule under Section 106-60: a written warning for a first offense with seven days to comply, then $200, $300, and $500 for repeat offenses within five years, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Mixing Program Recyclables into the regular trash, or the reverse, violates Sec. 106-55 and is enforced through a written warning on the first offense, then escalating civil penalties of $200, $300, and $500 for the second, third, and fourth-or-later offense within five years (Sec. 106-60(e)). Taking recyclables off the curb without Solid Waste Management Department approval is a separate misdemeanor under Sec. 106-52, and burning recyclable material anywhere in the county outside a permitted power plant violates Sec. 106-56.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns the recycling I put at the curb in Sarasota County?
Can I get in trouble for putting recyclables in the trash in Sarasota County?
Is it illegal for someone to take recyclables out of my bin in Sarasota County?
Can I use plastic bags for my Sarasota County recycling or yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sarasota County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sarasota County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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