Office of Solid Waste

cart placement guidelines

Collection Schedule

Collection Schedule

Garbage, recycling and yard waste is collected once a week and bulk waste is collected once a month on the same designated day. There are 3 ways to find your pickup day:

#1. Use the interactive map or Download the PDF

Search your address on the interactive map

Waste and Bulk Collection Map

Download the Waste Collection Map(PDF, 2MB)

#2. Visit City Hall

Come to City Hall's front desk to have a staff member look up your pickup day and mark it on the writable magnet.

#3. Contact Us

Contact the City's Office of Solid Waste at 772-871-1775 press #5, during regular business hours.


Holidays

What happens if my pickup day falls on a holiday?

Independence Day (July 4), Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only observed holidays that will affect collection schedules.

As a result of these holidays the garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulk collection schedules will shift forward one day (i.e. Thanksgiving, Thursday service will be Friday, and Friday service will be Saturday).

Holiday Waste collection

Garbage at a Glance

Weekly Collection: Garbage, yard and recycling

  • Customers are provided with a City-issued black garbage cart with wheels and a green recycling cart with wheels.
  • All household trash and garbage must be bagged and fit inside your black garbage cart with the lid closed.
  • Yard waste is collected weekly and there is a limit of 4 cubic yards. Four cubic yards is equivalent to four standard front load washers.
  • Recyclables must be loose, not bagged, inside the green recycling cart with the lid closed. Recyclables must be empty, clean and dry.
  • Place black garbage carts and green recycling carts at the curb no later than 7 a.m. on your pickup day, but no earlier than 6 p.m. the evening prior to collection. Carts must be removed the night of service.
  • Place carts at least three feet apart and three feet away from obstructions like mailboxes, utility poles and fire hydrants.

Monthly Collection: Bulk Waste

  • Bulk waste is collected monthly and there is a limit of 2 cubic yards. Two cubic yards is equivalent to two standard front load washers.

Download Bulk Waste Calendar(PDF, 4MB)

Tips for preventing bugs and odor

  • Bag all your garbage: Keep waste wrapped tightly in bags, leaving no holes, before placing it in your black cart for collection. Heavy-duty trash bags act as a barrier between invading pests and garbage. During the summer, consider double bagging garbage.
  • Secure garbage cart lid and use a cart liner: Make sure your lid is properly functioning and completely closed. Install a cart liner for added protection.
  • Periodically rinse out the cart: Cleaning out your garbage cart with a hose is an effective way to discourage any infestations or visits from uninvited guests.
  • Spray vinegar: Spray the inner and outer parts of the lid with a vinegar-water mixture. Vinegar is an effective method for warding off pests with its pungent smell. Make a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water to spray inside your trash carts. Other effective solutions include Terro Garbage Guard, apple cider vinegar or essential oils such as cinnamon, clove, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and rosemary.
  • Use all-purpose cleaners: The household cleaner you use also is an effective insecticide. Mix one part of the cleaning solution with four parts of boiling water. Spray the all-purpose cleaner onto the opened, filled garbage bags before tightly securing them and placing them inside your garbage cart.

Can't wait, need service now?

Here are some options if you need waste service now:

#1. Additional Pickup

Request an additional pickup by calling 1PSL at 772-871-1775 and press 5 (there is an additional fee).

#2. Convenient Drop-off Center

Convenient Drop-off Center aerial

Port St. Lucie residents can dispose yard waste and bulk waste at the City's Convenient Drop-off Center located at 1501 SW Cameo Blvd. on the corner of Cameo Boulevard and Crosstown Parkway, behind the green, fenced-in area, just west of Florida’s Turnpike overpass. 

 Please have your ID or driver's license ready for proof of residence. 

Sometimes, the drop-off center's service may be temporarily interrupted when it reaches capacity. However, it will resume shortly after it has been serviced.

Hours (excluding city-observed holidays(PDF, 32KB)):

  • Monday & Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday through Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Placement: All yard waste and tree debris must be placed inside the yard waste dumpsters. Users are responsible for placing all waste inside the appropriate dumpster. Debris mixing is not allowed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Please be advised that larger vehicles with large amounts of debris may be turned away should space not be available due to landfill operating hours.

Items not accepted:

  • Materials from commercial waste haulers, landscapers and contractors
  • Land-clearing debris
  • Household garbage
  • Hazardous materials such as fertilizers; herbicides; pesticides; sharps/needles; gasoline and oil; spray paint; stains; thinners; solvents; ammunition; explosives; and biological and radioactive waste, including smoke alarms/detectors
  • Automotive, boat, RV or trailer parts
  • Any gas-powered equipment that must have the fuel drained
  • Propane, acetylene and helium tanks
  • Paint

Users with unacceptable items will be turned away, with no part of the load being accepted (including fruit).

Equipment Restrictions:

  • Only trailers 8 feet or under
  • Box trucks (U-Haul style) should be 10 feet or less
  • Larger vehicles with excessive amounts of debris may be turned away, such as pickup trucks with altered beds to hold more debris.

#3. County Solid Waste, Baling & Recycling Facility

Port St. Lucie residents can dispose yard waste, regular garbage waste, and recycling for a small fee at the St. Lucie County Solid Waste, Baling & Recycling Facility. Hazardous Waste is not accepted.

Please have your ID or driver's license ready for proof of residence.

  • Address: 6120 Glades Cut-Off Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34981
  • Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Phone: 772-462-1768
  • Website

 

Rates

How much does residential solid waste service cost?
Residential customers pay their solid waste bill once a year as a non-ad valorem assessment, which is separate from their property taxes, on their tax bills. The residential rate for FY 2024/25 is $446.44 per year and goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2024. The annual rate of $446.44 breaks down to $37.20 per month which is $2.64 per curbside pickup.

Why is my assessment increasing from last year?
The solid waste fee will increase by $13.77. This increase is a contractual obligation that is based on the City's solid waste franchise agreement with FCC Environmental Services, LLC. This is standard for waste contracts throughout the country and covers the increased cost for labor, equipment, vehicle maintenance, fuel and disposal costs.

Download Solid Waste FAQ Sheet(PDF, 816KB)

Know your codes and laws

  • Ordinance 23-28(PDF, 2MB)
  • Sec. 50.06 – Residential collection at curbside
  • Sec. 50.10 – Construction SitesBuilders, contractors, construction tradesmen, tree surgeons, landscapers, handyman services and all other services that perform work on a residential property shall be responsible for removal, and the legal, and lawful disposal of all debris they generate as a result of said work and shall use vehicles and containers designed or outfitted to prevent the waste carried therein from being blown, dropped, or spilled from the vehicle or container.
  • Sec. 95.17 – Prohibited Acts: Dumping litter and/or refuse in any manner or amount whatsoever in or on any public highway, road, street, alley, thoroughfare or any other public lands, except in containers or areas lawfully provided, therefore. The provisions of section 403.413, Florida Statutes, shall apply to all public rights-of-way within the city. When any litter is thrown or discarded from a motor vehicle or vessel, the operator or owner of the motor vehicle or vessel, or both, shall be deemed in violation.
  • Illegal Dumping "Florida Litter Law" – Florida Statue 403.413: Illegal dumping is a crime in Port St. Lucie, and anyone caught doing it is subject to a fine, vehicle seizure and even possible arrest and incarceration.

Received a Solid Waste Citation?

The City of Port St. Lucie is authorized by the State of Florida to enforce local, county, and state statutes adopted by the City or assigned to them. Our goals are to keep our City safe, clean, and beautiful through bringing properties into compliance with city code.

Property owners and/or tenants cited will be given the prescribed amount of time to bring their property into compliance before debris is removed by the City. Citations that are not paid within 30 calendar days of invoice will be referred to the Special Magistrate for Certification of Fines Hearing.