St. Petersburg, FL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

City Code § 27-500 governs how garden trash and tree trimmings are handled at single-family residences, multifamily properties, and commercial establishments served by curbside or alley pickup. Subsection (a) requires that garden trash go into the City-supplied bulk garbage container; anything placed in a separate container next to the bulk container is not serviced by regular collection. Subsection (b) sets the size limit for trimmings: they must be cut down to fit with the container lid closed, no more than three inches in diameter and no longer than four feet.

Subsection (c) makes it unlawful to put tree stumps, tree trunks, limbs over three inches thick, appliances, vehicle parts, hazardous or infectious waste, lawn-equipment parts, sand, bricks, rocks or other building materials in or on top of the container, those items simply will not be collected. Subsection (d) separately prohibits placing garden trash loose anywhere on the property or right-of-way; if it is not in a bulk container, the Public Works Administration (POD) removes it and bills the owner or occupant a special-services charge for the illegal accumulation.

Related to this, § 27-466 makes it unlawful for any owner, manager, or occupant to let garden trash accumulate on a premises for longer than four days without arranging disposal, and the POD may remove illegal accumulations and bill the responsible party. For material too large or in volume exceeding what the cart allows, residents can self-haul to a City brush disposal site under separate rules in § 27-505.