Fort Lauderdale trash goes twice a week, recycling and yard waste weekly, bulk monthly. Carts out by 7 a.m. Questions: 954-828-8000.

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Collection Programs page and its Public Works sanitation pages.

The City of Fort Lauderdale provides curbside trash and recycling pickup to single-family homes and to buildings with three units or fewer. Since July 31, 2023, the city’s contractor has been WM (Waste Management), which collects trash, recycling, yard waste and bulk trash. Your pickup days depend on your address: enter it in the city’s My Government Services map to see them.

Who to call

  • Missed pickup, cart problems, tire pickup, any service question: the city’s Neighbor Support Center, 954-828-8000 (24 hours), or report it online through FixIt FTL
  • Illegal dumping: 954-828-5700 (calls are confidential)
  • Official page: Collection Programs

How often each cart is picked up

Service How often Cart
Household trash and food waste Twice a week Black
Recycling Once a week Blue
Yard waste Once a week Green
Bulk trash Once a month No cart; a pile at the curb

The city publishes a one-page guide for each service: trash (PDF), yard waste (PDF), recycling (PDF) and bulk trash (PDF).

Cart rules

  • Carts go to the curb by 7 a.m. on your pickup day, and no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before.
  • Leave at least 2 feet between each cart and other carts, cars, mailboxes, trees, storm drains and utility poles.
  • Never put a cart in a bike lane. Bring carts back in the same day.
  • Bag all trash before it goes in the black cart.
  • Do not bag recycling or yard waste.

Recycling: TAKE5

Fort Lauderdale’s recycling program is called TAKE5. Only five kinds of items go in the blue cart:

  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Metal cans
  • Plastic bottles and containers (#1 to #7)
  • Glass containers

Hot and cold paper drink cups are also accepted. City staff and volunteers check carts in some neighborhoods for three weeks at a time. A cart with garbage in it is tagged and not emptied, and a cart found contaminated after three inspections can be removed. To get a recycling cart back, you wait 90 days, take the TAKE5 anti-contamination course and sign the TAKE5 pledge.

Yard waste

Use the green cart for leaves, grass, clippings, branches, twigs, flowers, weeds, roots and palm fronds cut to fit. Larger tree trimmings, hedge cuttings, palm fronds and limbs up to 12 feet long and 12 inches across can go out loose; they do not need to be tied. Leaves outside the cart must be bagged and kept in a separate pile.

Bulk trash

Bulk trash is picked up once a month on your scheduled service day. Put it out by 7 a.m. that day, and no more than 24 hours ahead. The city says piles left out more than 24 hours early or more than 24 hours after pickup can bring a citation.

  • Keep the pile to 10 cubic yards or less, clear of parked cars, fences, trees, storm drains and power lines.
  • Not accepted: tree stumps or sections longer than 12 feet; items from another property; hazardous materials or liquids; dirt, sod, sand, pavers, concrete and tile; household garbage; and loose glass (put glass in a sturdy container).

More detail is in the city’s bulk trash brochure (PDF).

Tires and electronics

Put up to two passenger or light truck tires (up to 20 inches) next to your black cart on a trash day, or call 954-828-8000 to request a pickup. The limit is four tires per household a year.

Electronics are picked up at the curb on your recycling day, but only by request. Fill in the Curbside Electronics Pick-Up Request Form or call 954-828-8000 by 4 p.m. the day before. Set items next to the blue cart no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before. The city takes computers, monitors, printers, routers, cable boxes, TVs, DVD players and similar devices, and leaves a door hanger when they are gone.

Holidays

The city collects on every holiday except Christmas Day, which falls on Friday, Dec. 25, this year. For Christmas 2025 the city said there was no make-up day for garbage, and it picked up recycling and yard waste on the Sunday after and bulk trash on the Monday after. The city had not posted its plan for Christmas 2026 when we checked; watch the Collection Programs page.

Live holiday trees go out on yard waste days. Last season that free service ran Jan. 1-20. Take off all ornaments, lights and tinsel.

Household hazardous waste

Paint, oil, pool chemicals, pesticides, fluorescent tubes, propane tanks, lithium batteries and similar items never go in a cart. Fort Lauderdale residents can use drop-off events listed on the city’s household hazardous waste page. The next one is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Northside Baseball Complex, 1660 NE 10th St., Pompano Beach. Bring proof of residency (driver’s license or utility bill). Questions about that event go to Pompano Beach at 954-786-4030.

Apartments and condos

Buildings with more than three units, and businesses, are not on city pickup. They contract with a hauler licensed by the city; the city keeps a list of licensed haulers (PDF).

What this means for you

  • Look up your days once on the city map; trash comes twice a week, everything else less often.
  • Bulk goes out no more than 24 hours early, or you risk a citation.
  • Only Christmas Day stops pickup.
  • Electronics need a request by 4 p.m. the day before your recycling day.

More city services: who to call at City Hall and property taxes.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Fort Lauderdale?

Trash is picked up twice a week and recycling and yard waste once a week, on days set by address. Enter your address in the city’s My Government Services map to see your days.

Does Fort Lauderdale pick up trash on holidays?

Yes. The city collects on every holiday except Christmas Day. Last year there was no make-up day for garbage missed on Christmas; recycling, yard waste and bulk ran later that week.

When is bulk trash pickup in Fort Lauderdale?

Bulk trash is collected once a month on your scheduled service day. Put it at the curb by 7 a.m. that day but no earlier than 24 hours ahead, in a pile no larger than 10 cubic yards.

Can I put glass in my Fort Lauderdale recycling cart?

Yes. Glass containers are one of the five TAKE5 items allowed in the blue cart, with paper, cardboard, metal cans and plastic bottles and containers. Do not bag recycling.

Who picks up trash in Fort Lauderdale?

WM (Waste Management) has collected the city’s residential trash, recycling, yard waste and bulk trash since July 31, 2023. Service questions go to the city’s Neighbor Support Center at 954-828-8000.