Margate, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Single-family pickup
- Once per week on a garbage collection day
- Curb placement window
- After 5:00 p.m. the evening before, by 7:00 a.m.
- Cart removal
- Within 12 hours after collection
- Multifamily carts
- 95-gallon, one cart per eight units minimum
- Commercial contamination limit
- More than 10 percent solid waste is a violation
- First-offense fine
- $25 plus $5.00 technology fee
Summary
In the City of Margate, Broward County, single-family homes get weekly recycling pickup from the city's franchise contractor on one of the garbage days, with every recyclable in a single contractor-provided cart. Carts go to the curb no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the evening before and come back within 12 hours. Violations follow the Section 1-8 fine schedule.
(a)Single-family dwelling units.(1)All single-family dwelling units shall receive collection service from the city's contractor for source separated recyclable materials once per week on one (1) of the scheduled garbage collection days. ... (2)The placement time of recycling carts shall be no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the evening prior to the scheduled collection day of recyclable materials and not later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. Recycling carts shall be removed from curbside within twelve (12) hours after collection. ... (c)Unauthorized collection. It shall be a violation of this section for any person, firm or corporation not authorized by the city to collect or remove any recyclable material as provided for above which has been specifically placed for collection in any recycling container in any residential dwelling unit area of the city. ... (e)Violations of section. Penalties for any unauthorized collection of recycling material or the lack of compliance in the recycling program shall be as provided in section 1-8 of the City Code.
Full Breakdown
Section 19-10 of the Margate Code sets the recycling program. Each single-family dwelling unit receives collection once per week, on one of its scheduled garbage collection days, from the contractor that holds the city's exclusive franchise. The contractor supplies the recycling cart, and all recyclable materials go in that same cart. The resident does the source separation; the contractor does the hauling.
Timing is tight. The cart must be at the curb no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the evening before collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on collection day, then removed within twelve hours after pickup. It sits immediately behind the curbline, or in the swale if the street has no curb, unless the owner and the contractor agree on another spot.
Multifamily communities must be served at least once a week. The franchise requires ninety-five-gallon recycling carts at a minimum of one cart for every eight units, or equivalent capacity through mechanical containers or more frequent pickups. Owner-occupied multifamily communities are outside the franchise and must hire a certified recovered materials dealer registered with the city under Section 19-12. Commercial establishments are not required to subscribe, but a container holding more than ten percent solid waste, by weight or volume, is not source separated and counts as a violation. The contractor then makes a special collection and the business pays the fees.
Dealer registration under Section 19-12 costs $200 for an initial application, $200 for annual renewal and $100 for a transfer, and runs October 1 through September 30. The registrant must collect the franchise material list, which includes office paper, cardboard, newspaper, magazines, metal cans and lids, plastic containers numbered 1 to 7, aseptic and paperboard containers, and glass food and beverage containers.
Only the authorized contractor can take recyclables that residents have set out. Scavenging from a residential recycling container is itself a violation under subsection (c).
Violations & Fines
Section 19-10(e) sends penalties to Section 1-8. Under the Section 1-8 citation schedule, a recycling violation costs $25 for a first offense, $75 for a second, $150 for a third and $150 to $500 for a fourth, plus a $5.00 technology fee. A contested citation carries a maximum civil penalty of $500. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate infraction. Unregistered dealers under Section 19-12 face $250 to $500 per violation, after a written warning and ten calendar days to register for a first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I put my recycling cart out in the City of Margate?
Do I have to sort my recycling in Margate?
Must a Margate business sign up for recycling pickup?
How much is the fine for a recycling violation in Margate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Margate
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Recycling Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle recycling rules.