Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Bartow
Florida residential routes generally operate Monday through Friday. Your specific household collection depends on your local county zoning map.
State Mandate
Do not mix yard trimmings with regular household garbage.
City-Provided Cart (Green) Bin (Trash)
All garbage must be bagged before being placed in the cart. Bags outside the cart will not be collected. Place at the curb by 7:00 a.m. with arrows pointing toward the street and 4 feet of clearance from other objects.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Putrescible animal or vegetable wastes
- ✓Food wrappers and non-recyclable packaging
Blue Cart with Yellow Lid Bin (Recycling)
Single-stream recycling system. All items must be empty, clean, dry, and placed loosely into the cart (never bagged). Keep the cart at least 4 feet away from your garbage cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Corrugated cardboard and office paper
- ✓Magazines, junk mail, and phone books
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans (discard caps)
- ✓Plastic bottles and containers
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Pizza boxes or food-stained paper
- ✕Styrofoam and garden hoses
- ✕Fluorescent lamps, light bulbs, and electronics
- ✕Ceramics, Pyrex, and tableware
Yard Waste Bin
Place curbside on your normal collection day. If possible, containerize loose clippings and cut and bundle tree limbs to assist the collection crews.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves and fallen fruit
- ✓Tree or shrubbery cuttings
- ✓Standard vegetative landscaping debris
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly (On your regular collection day)
Placement
Place items at the curb (not on the sidewalk) by 7:00 a.m. Ensure they are free from overhead obstructions like low-hanging wires or trees and placed away from parked cars.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture and mattresses
- ✓ Carpet and clothes
- ✓ Refrigerators, stoves, and microwaves
- ✓ Up to 5 vehicle tires (usually Wednesdays via special pickup or drop-off)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste and automotive fluids
- ✕ Propane tanks and fire extinguishers
- ✕ Pesticides and lawn chemicals
- ✕ Electronics and fluorescent bulbs
Standard residential bulk and junk collection is covered by your monthly $23.72 solid waste fee. There is a $5 fine if your empty carts are not removed from the curb by dark on the day following collection.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Depending on the specific holiday, collection days are typically shifted one day later (e.g., Monday collection moves to Tuesday). Mid-week holidays usually shift Thursday/Friday routes. Holidays like Good Friday, Juneteenth, Independence Day, and Veteran's Day do not impact the schedule.
Yard Waste Exception
Since yard waste, junk, and appliances are collected on the exact same day as standard garbage, they follow the identical holiday delay schedule.
The Solid Waste office and phone lines are closed on observed city holidays, but crews will operate on the adjusted holiday collection schedule.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Say No to Pizza Boxes and Wet Paper
While clean cardboard is perfectly fine for your blue recycling cart, any paper or cardboard soiled by food grease, human waste, or animal waste is strictly prohibited. Keep greasy pizza boxes and used napkins out to prevent ruining the entire batch.
Never Bag Your Recyclables
Plastic grocery bags and garbage bags are a major contaminant in Bartow's single-stream recycling system. They jam the sorting machinery at the processing plant. Always toss your clean bottles, cans, and paper loosely into the blue cart with the yellow lid.
Keep Hardware and Glass Intact
Do not place broken window glass, mirrors, ceramics, or Pyrex in your recycling bin. Furthermore, hazardous materials like fluorescent lamps and old electronics must be taken to specialized drop-off events rather than hidden in the recycling or trash carts.
Seasonal Information
Fall / Hurricane Season
August to OctoberDuring the peak of hurricane season, refrain from placing bulk waste or large yard debris piles at the curb if a tropical storm watch is issued for Polk County. High winds can turn junk and uncollected branches into dangerous projectiles that threaten homes.
Hazardous Waste Collection
OctoberThe City of Bartow's Solid Waste Department holds a special Hazardous Waste Collection Day every October. This is the designated time to clear out your garage of old paints, pesticides, pool chemicals, and automotive fluids for safe, local disposal.
Spring Cleaning
March to MaySpring is an ideal time to take advantage of the Capital City Clean-Up schedule or standard weekly bulk collection. You can place unwanted furniture, mattresses, and appliances at the curb for automated collection, or drop off large quantities of cardboard at the Solid Waste facility.
About Bartow Waste Management
Bartow's Single-Day Convenience for Waste Collection
In Bartow, residential solid waste services are streamlined for maximum convenience. The city's Solid Waste Department uses automated trucks to collect all streams of waste—garbage, recycling, yard debris, junk, and appliances—on the exact same day each week. Once you know your neighborhood's designated collection day, you can confidently roll all your materials to the curb without worrying about staggering different bins on different days throughout the week.
Handling Excessive Garbage and Roll-Out Cart Rules
Every household with an active utility account receives two City-provided carts: one for garbage and one for recycling. If your green garbage cart fills up, you cannot simply leave extra bags on the ground, as they will not be collected by the automated trucks. Instead, you can leave the cart lid slightly open with bags placed on top. If you consistently generate large amounts of trash, you can request an additional cart for a nominal monthly fee of $6.87 added directly to your utility bill.
Participating in the Capital City Clean-Up
The City of Bartow regularly hosts targeted Capital City Clean-Up events aimed at beautifying specific neighborhoods. During these times, residents are encouraged to spruce up their properties. While the city collects major items like furniture, mattresses, and up to five tires at the curb, hazardous liquids such as paints, motor oil, and pool chemicals are strictly prohibited. These must be held for the special Hazardous Waste Collection Day hosted annually in October.
E-Waste and Specialized Recycling Programs
While standard single-stream recyclables go into your blue cart with the yellow lid, electronic waste requires special handling to keep toxic heavy metals like lead and cadmium out of Polk County landfills. The city partners with certified local e-waste recyclers to ensure safe disposal of smartphones, computers, and batteries. Remember to wipe all personal data from your devices before dropping them off at designated community collection points or requesting an e-waste pickup.
Drop-off Facilities
Bartow Solid Waste Facility
2060 E Highway 60, Bartow, FL 33830
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I put my trash and recycling carts out in Bartow?
You must place your City-provided roll-out carts at the curb or street (not the sidewalk) before 7:00 a.m. on the morning of your scheduled collection day. Ensure the arrows on the lids point toward the street and keep them 4 feet apart.
Do I have to separate my yard waste and appliances on different days?
No! Bartow utilizes a highly efficient system where garbage, recycling, yard waste, junk, and appliances are all collected on the exact same day each week for your specific neighborhood.
What happens if I leave my garbage cart at the curb after my collection day?
The City of Bartow Solid Waste Ordinance requires carts to be removed from the curb and stored next to your home or in your garage by dark on the day following collection. Failure to do so will result in a $5 fine added to your utility bill per occurrence.
How do I dispose of an old refrigerator or couch?
Appliances like refrigerators, stoves, and microwaves, as well as bulk junk like furniture and mattresses, are collected right at the curb on your normal neighborhood waste collection day. Just be sure to remove the doors from refrigerators for safety.