Ocala, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Ocala's Code of Ordinances devotes Section 54-37, "Use of containers; preparation of waste for collection," to how recyclable material must be handled at apartments, businesses and curbside. Subsection (a) limits recycling to the dumpster or recycling container the city itself places at a property: no recyclable commodity may be placed in or collected from any other location or container without the city manager's permission, and bulky items such as cardboard boxes and crates must be broken down before going in a dumpster. Subsection (h) sets a three-step preparation routine for anyone putting material out for pickup: strip and discard every lid and cap, rinse each container so no visible food or drink residue remains and all liquids are drained, and deposit only the commodities the city has asked residents to recycle.

The same chapter's Section 54-35 governs when containers may sit at curbside, generally no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the evening before collection and removed by 7:00 a.m. the following morning, and requires containers be returned to a secured spot on the property afterward. Ocala's Public Works Department administers residential and commercial collection and inspects containers for compliance. Because Section 54-37 itself carries no stated fine, a violation is punished under the chapter's general penalty provision, Section 54-126.