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Miami-Dade County, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Required materials
newspaper, glass, aluminum, steel, plastics
Scope
countywide unless a city opts out
Default enforcer
Miami-Dade County
Contamination consequence
cart tagged, left unserviced

Summary

Residents must separate newspaper, glass, aluminum cans, steel cans and plastics from the rest of their trash for the County's Curbside Recycling Program, countywide unless a city runs its own equivalent program.

City-specific rules exist: Coral Gables, Doral, Hialeah, Homestead, Miami Beach, and Miami have their own recycling requirements rules that differ from Miami-Dade County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

All occupants of every multi-family residential establishment and every residential unit are required, in accord with the collection program provided at that location, to separate, from all other solid waste collected or received by Miami-Dade County or any other collector, the following materials: (1)Newspaper;(2)Glass;(3)Aluminum cans;(4)Steel cans;(5)Plastics.

Source: Miami-Dade County Solid Waste — Residential RecyclingView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).

Full Breakdown

Under Miami-Dade County Code § 15-2.6, occupants of every residential unit and multi-family residential establishment must separate newspaper, glass, aluminum cans, steel cans, and plastics from the solid waste stream for collection through the County's single-stream Curbside Recycling Program (defined at § 15-1(q)). Commercial establishments have a separate duty under § 15-2.3 to recycle at least three materials from a ten-item list. Per § 15-2.5, these separation rules apply 'to the incorporated and unincorporated areas' and are enforced by the County unless a municipality agrees in writing to enforce its own equivalent or stricter ordinance, so most of the 34 cities are covered too.

Violations & Fines

Recycling carts with unacceptable material get tagged and left unserviced under the Department's Blitz Program (§ 15-2(c)); repeat contamination (tagged more than three times) triggers special collection and cleanup fees under § 15-14, and misuse of carts is punishable under § 8CC-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this apply inside cities like Miami or Hialeah?
Yes. Section 15-2.5 makes it countywide, incorporated and unincorporated, unless a municipality has agreed in writing to enforce its own equivalent or stricter recycling ordinance.
What happens if I put trash in my recycling cart?
The Department tags the cart under its Blitz Program and won't service it until contaminants are removed; repeat offenders face special collection and cleanup fees.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Miami-Dade County

All Miami-Dade County rules

Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview

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Recycling Requirements in Cities Across Miami-Dade County