Palm Beach Gardens, FL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 78-379, part of Chapter 78's Land Development Article V supplementary district regulations, sets the city's storage-area standard for recycling rather than a curbside collection mandate. Subsection (a) requires every multifamily residential project of ten or more units to provide storage areas for recycled materials, located either within the multifamily structure or as part of the area containing garbage disposal facilities, with collection areas positioned to avoid excessive vehicle maneuvering and screened per Sec. 78-378's dumpster standards if the area sits outside the building. Multifamily buildings that already receive curbside recyclable materials collection at least once a week are exempt from the storage-area requirement entirely.

For buildings that must comply, Table 36 sets minimum storage by unit count: 40 square feet for 10 to 30 units, 100 square feet for 31 to 99 units, 160 square feet for 100 to 159 units, 240 square feet for 160 to 240 units, and 240 square feet plus one square foot per unit beyond 240 for larger developments. Subsection (b) allows an alternative to the required collection area, but only after the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County reviews the alternative plan and the city approves it.

Subsection (d) extends the storage and collection area requirement to new nonresidential developments and major nonresidential redevelopment projects. Because Chapter 78 has its own enforcement article, a project that fails to provide the required recycling storage area can be held up at site plan or building permit review rather than proceeding to certificate of occupancy.