Monroe County, FL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Container
- 32-gallon receptacle required
- Pickup frequency
- Once per week (Sec. 21-74(1)(d))
- Standard cap
- 10 receptacles per week before extra fee
- Branch size limit
- 6 feet long, 6 inches diameter (Sec. 21-46)
- Weight/height limit
- 50 lbs, 12 inches above rim
Summary
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), yard waste and horticultural trash must go in a 32-gallon receptacle and gets picked up once a week under Sec. 21-74(1)(d), capped at ten receptacles per week before the county's franchisee charges an extra fee for the excess.
d.Except for the ocean reef service area, yard waste/horticultural trash shall be contained in a 32-gallon receptable. Yard waste/horticultural trash will be collected by the county's franchisee once per week and shall not be bundled and shall not exceed in ten 32-gallon receptable once per week. Yard waste/horticultural trash that exceeds ten 32-gallon receptables per week shall be considered excess yard waste/horticultural trash and can be scheduled for pick-up by the county's franchisee at an additional fee in an amount of the cost of collection and disposal imposed by the county's franchisee. ... Any yard waste that can fit in a 32-gallon receptacle must be containerized, must not exceed 50 pounds, and must not exceed 12 inches above the rim of the receptacle.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 21-46 defines horticultural trash/yard waste as lawn, grass, and shrubbery cuttings, leaf rakings, palm fronds, small tree branches, bushes, and similar yard debris, so long as branches do not exceed six feet in length or six inches in diameter; anything larger becomes bulk or extraordinary waste instead. Sec. 21-74(1)(d) requires that trash to be contained in a 32-gallon receptacle, collected once per week by the county's franchisee, and it cannot be bundled instead of bagged or bucketed. Once a property generates more than ten 32-gallon receptacles of yard waste in a week, Sec.
21-74(1)(d) reclassifies the excess as 'excess yard waste,' which the franchisee will still collect but only after the owner schedules a pickup and pays an additional fee set at the franchisee's cost of collection and disposal. Sec. 21-74(2)(b) adds that any yard waste that fits in a 32-gallon receptacle must actually be containerized there, cannot exceed 50 pounds, and cannot rise more than 12 inches above the rim of the receptacle; larger loads go out on the right-of-way for the scheduled excess pickup instead. Sec. 21-74(2)(c) leaves room for nonfranchised licensed haulers to remove excess yard waste on the owner's behalf if the resident would rather hire that out.
Violations & Fines
Piling more than ten 32-gallon receptacles of yard waste at the curb without scheduling an excess pickup, or bundling branches instead of containerizing them, is treated the same as any other collection violation under Sec. 21-77: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both, plus possible referral to the county code compliance board.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much yard waste can I put out each week in unincorporated Monroe County?
Can I bundle tree branches for pickup instead of bagging them?
Is there a weight limit on my yard waste container?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Monroe County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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