Alachua County, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

The county's solid waste code splits recycling duties by property type. Commercial property owners and tenants must arrange for proper recycling of designated recyclable materials, either through a contractor, a permit holder, or a certified recycler, or by other lawful means (§ 75.302(1)). Industrial tenants carry an added duty: they must also source-separate metals and packaging materials, not just the standard recyclables list. Every property owner is responsible for keeping recovered material clean, the code sets a hard cap of 25 percent solid waste by weight or volume inside any recycling container before it counts as contaminated.

Multi-family developments that use commercially collected residential service (§ 75.302(2)) must run their own on-site recycling program. The property owner must supply recycling containers with at least 90 gallons of total capacity for every 20 dwelling units, placed in a location the owner and the servicing permit holder agree is safe and accessible. If the location isn't convenient for residents or the parties can't agree, the county manager decides where the containers go (§ 75.302(3)).

Owners of commercial property must be ready to prove participation on request: a current contract with a contractor, permit holder, or certified recycler, or receipts showing delivery of recovered materials to an approved processing site, satisfies the county manager under § 75.304(c). Containers must also carry a county-approved label showing what materials they accept (§ 75.302(4)). Anyone providing collection or recycling containers in the unincorporated county must additionally hold state certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection under § 75.305, unless exempt.