Key West Trash & Recycling Schedule
Official garbage collection rules, bin guidelines, and holiday schedules for residents of Key West, Florida.
Find Your Exact Pickup Days
Enter your street address on the official collection map to see your specific trash, recycling, and yard waste schedule.
📍 View Official Collection MapService Provider
Waste Management (City of Key West)
Phone Number
305-809-3750Facility Address
1300 White St, Key West, FL 33040
Collection Schedule
Garbage is collected once a week, and recycling/yard waste is collected once a week via Waste Management.
Bin Colors
Green for garbage, Blue for recycling.
Guidelines & Rules
🎄 Holiday Delays
Service shifts by one day for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
🛋️ Bulk Waste Pickup
The city schedules periodic neighborhood cleanups and bulk collection events; regular bulk items require a call to Waste Management.
⚠️ Important Guidelines
Space is tight in Key West; carts must be removed from the right-of-way quickly after collection.
Comprehensive Guide & Details
Island Sanitation and Everyday Garbage Collection
Living in the southernmost point of the continental United States comes with a unique responsibility to protect our surrounding marine environment. The City of Key West partners with Waste Management to provide reliable residential refuse collection. Homeowners are issued specific waste receptacles that must be placed out by 7:00 AM on your designated collection days. Because ocean breezes and island wildlife are a constant factor, it is a strict municipal requirement that all household trash be tightly secured inside tied plastic bags before going into the cart. This simple action prevents loose litter from washing into the storm drains and damaging the delicate coral reefs.
Preserving the Keys via Single-Stream Recycling
To reduce the amount of waste trucked up the Overseas Highway to mainland landfills, Key West heavily promotes its single-stream recycling program. Residents use a designated bin to recycle clean corrugated cardboard, office paper, aluminum beverage cans, and basic plastic bottles. The most important rule to follow is to ensure your recyclables are completely loose. Never place your recoverable items inside plastic grocery sacks, as these flimsy materials create catastrophic tangles in the mechanical sorting gears at the processing center. Items like shattered glass, styrofoam coolers, and greasy pizza boxes are strictly prohibited and belong in the regular garbage.
Conch Republic Yard Debris Guidelines
Maintaining a tropical landscape on the island yields a unique type of botanical waste, including fallen coconuts and large palm fronds. Yard waste is picked up on a specific schedule, completely separate from household garbage. Small organic debris, such as grass clippings and pulled weeds, should be containerized in heavy-duty paper lawn bags or standard outdoor trash cans. If you are trimming trees, the branches and palm fronds must be cleanly cut to a maximum length of four feet and tied into manageable bundles. To protect the sanitation workers from lifting injuries in the intense tropical heat, no single bundle can weigh more than 50 pounds.
Discarding Furniture and White Goods
When it is time to throw out a weathered patio set, a broken refrigerator, or a dilapidated mattress, a standard rollout cart simply will not work. Key West residents have access to specialized bulk waste collection, but it requires prior coordination. You must contact Waste Management directly to schedule a custom curbside pickup for these oversized items. Please be aware that appliances containing freon, such as window air conditioning units, require professional chemical extraction to protect the ozone layer. Hazardous materials like boat paint, marine batteries, and construction debris are excluded from this service.
Street Clearances for Waste Trucks
The narrow, historic streets of Key West present a navigational challenge for massive sanitation vehicles. To ensure a successful pickup, residents must provide adequate clearance around their bins. You are required to maintain a three-foot buffer zone entirely around each cart. Do not place your bins directly behind parked scooters, cars, or low-hanging banyan trees. The lid's hinges must face your property, allowing it to open perfectly toward the asphalt. Once the collection route is complete, local codes dictate that empty receptacles be removed from the public right-of-way to keep the island looking pristine.
Tropical Storm Protocol and Holiday Schedules
Given its geographic location, Key West is highly vulnerable to tropical cyclones. If a hurricane watch or warning is issued, all sanitation fleets will immediately cease operations, and residents are strongly urged to secure their empty carts indoors so they do not become dangerous projectiles in high winds. During calmer times, standard federal holidays such as Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day will trigger a brief pause in service. When a recognized holiday lands on a weekday, all subsequent collection routes for that week are typically pushed back by exactly 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is trash collected in Key West?
A: Garbage is collected once a week, and recycling/yard waste is collected once a week via Waste Management.
Q: How does the holiday schedule affect garbage pickup?
A: Service shifts by one day for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
Q: Which bins should I use for trash and recycling?
A: Green for garbage, Blue for recycling.
Q: How can I schedule a bulk waste pickup?
A: The city schedules periodic neighborhood cleanups and bulk collection events; regular bulk items require a call to Waste Management.
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