Fort Lauderdale, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 24-8 requires the owner of every multifamily residence to 'implement a recycling program and encourage the participation of each living unit,' and that program must give each unit access to a container suitable for recyclables as the chapter defines them. The director of public works decides the type, number and size of containers and how often they're collected based on the specific property, but collection can never run less often than once a week unless the director specifically modifies it. A signed contract with the city or a licensed private hauler, or receipts from a licensed disposal facility, serves as the property's proof that recyclables are actually being collected as required. Every licensed private collector serving multifamily accounts must also report to the city, under Sec. 24-66, the number of living units served and the tons of co-mingled and paper recyclables collected each month, and must deliver all residential recyclables to a city-designated facility.

Section 24-9 backs the program with an anti-scavenging rule: it is unlawful for anyone to 'collect or remove any recyclable item which has been specifically placed for collection in a recycling program without authorization from the owner,' and if the program is city-run, removal without the city's authorization is equally unlawful. Failing to run a compliant multifamily program under Sec. 24-8 draws a fine under Sec. 1-6, and unauthorized scavenging under Sec. 24-9 is enforced the same way.