Seminole County, FL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Weight limit
- 50 lbs per bundle/container
- Bundle length limit
- 4 feet
- Yard Trash-Bulk
- sized for mechanical pickup
- Governing chapter
- Chapter 235
- Mixing rule
- no mixing with recyclables or garbage
- Set-out
- usual pick-up location, scheduled day
Summary
Unincorporated Seminole County splits yard debris into two categories under Chapter 235: Yard Trash-Regular, which residents bundle or bag like household garbage, and Yard Trash-Bulk, which must be sized for mechanical pickup. Regular yard waste bundles and containers cannot exceed fifty pounds each, and bundles cannot exceed four feet in length.
(6)Yard Trash-Bulk must be of a type as to be readily handled by mechanical equipment.(7)Yard Waste-Regular must be bundled or placed in containers that are susceptible to normal loading and collection as other residential Solid Waste. No bundle or filled container may exceed fifty (50) pounds in weight.... Yard Trash-Regular must be properly containerized and placed at the usual accessible pick-up location on scheduled days. No Person may co-mingle Yard Trash-Regular with Recyclable Materials or other Solid Waste.... tied in bundles not exceeding four feet in length. No filled Garbage Receptacle or bundle may exceed fifty (50) pounds in weight unless an agreement exists between the Customer and County Residential Franchise Contractor to provide Residential Collection Service to a larger container.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
73(b) requires residents using the county-owned or franchised disposal system to keep Yard Trash-Bulk (items too large for a garbage receptacle, such as tree limbs and stumps) and Yard Trash-Regular (grass clippings, leaves, and small branches) separated from garbage, recyclables, and each other. Yard Trash-Bulk must be of a type readily handled by mechanical equipment, meaning oversized limbs and brush the franchise hauler's grapple truck can lift; Yard Trash-Regular must be bundled or containerized like ordinary household waste, with each bundle or filled container capped at fifty pounds.
74(b)(2) requires Yard Trash-Regular to be properly containerized and set out at the customer's usual accessible pick-up location on the scheduled collection day, and bars mixing it with recyclables or other solid waste. 74(d) sets a four-foot maximum bundle length for tied yard waste and repeats the fifty-pound cap on any filled receptacle or bundle, unless the customer has a separate agreement with the county's Residential Franchise Contractor for larger container service. 73(c) authorizes the county to refuse to unload a collection vehicle or trailer carrying co-mingled Yard Trash, Solid Waste, Special Waste, or Recyclable Materials at a county disposal site, and makes the hauler responsible, at its own expense, for removing any contamination that is inadvertently unloaded.
Violations & Fines
Section 235.7 makes any violation of Chapter 235, including co-mingling yard waste with garbage or recyclables or exceeding the fifty-pound bundle limit, subject to a citation before the Seminole County Code Enforcement Board or a Special Magistrate, in addition to any other civil or criminal enforcement the Board chooses to pursue. Contaminated yard waste left curbside can also simply be tagged and skipped by the collection crew under Section 235.74(b)(4).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a bundle of yard waste weigh in Seminole County?
Can I put grass clippings in the same bin as my recycling?
What counts as Yard Trash-Bulk instead of Regular?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seminole County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Seminole County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.