Pasco County, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Min. recycling pickup
- At least 1 time per week
- Contamination threshold
- Over 20% non-conforming = not collected
- Curbside recyclables ownership
- Become county property once set out
- Scavenging
- Unlawful; warned and cited under Sec. 1-6
- Hauler education plan due
- January 1 each year
Summary
Pasco County requires licensed haulers to collect curbside recyclables at least once a week, and it is a crime to scavenge or remove anything from a recycling bin set out at the curb once it belongs to the county under the ordinance.
Recyclable materials placed at curbside in containers specified by the county, and recyclable materials placed in containers or bins owned by the county, regardless of the location or site used for the drop-off of such materials, shall be the property of the county. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to scavenge in, or remove any recyclable materials from, any containers that are set out at curbside by residents or otherwise used to store recyclable materials for collection by a licensed hauler in the county. Any person who violates this subsection shall be warned and cited as provided in section 1-6 of this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Code of Ordinances Sec. 90-50 requires each licensed hauler to collect all designated program materials placed at curbside in county-approved recycling containers, consistent with the weekly minimum set in Sec. 90-47, which requires haulers to offer and provide curbside recyclable collection at least once per week. Haulers must inspect containers for non-conforming materials and place an educational notice on any container where more than 20 percent of the contents do not conform; that container will not be collected until the resident removes the non-conforming material.
If a customer places significant non-conforming material in their recycling container on three or more occasions, the hauler must notify the county and send the customer a compliance letter, and may eventually request authorization to stop collecting that customer's recycling. Recyclable materials placed at curbside in county-specified containers, or placed in county-owned bins, become the property of the county the moment they are set out. Because of that ownership rule, Sec. 90-50 makes it unlawful for any person to scavenge in, or remove any recyclable materials from, containers set out at curbside or otherwise used to store recyclables for hauler collection; a violator is warned and cited under Sec.
1-6 of the Code. Haulers must also submit an annual recycling education and promotion plan to the county by January 1 each year, distribute promotional and educational recycling materials to customers at least twice annually, and report tonnages delivered to recycling processors by January 30 each year when the county has assigned the hauler ownership of the collected materials.
Violations & Fines
Scavenging in or removing recyclable materials from a curbside container is a separate offense under Sec. 90-50, enforced through a warning and citation under Sec. 1-6, while a licensed hauler's failure to meet the weekly collection standard or reporting duties in Sec. 90-47 is listed as a violation under Sec. 90-34, both ultimately subject to the county's general citation authority in Sec. 1-11, carrying a fine of up to $500 per violation plus costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must my recycling be picked up in Pasco County?
Can someone else take items out of my recycling bin at the curb?
What happens if I put too much trash in my recycling bin?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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