Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Lake Worth Beach
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-issued Cart (Color varies) Bin (Trash)
All garbage must be bagged and fit entirely inside the city-issued cart. The lid must close. Carts must be placed at the curb on your designated collection days and removed afterward to avoid Non-Compliance Notices.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
- ✓Standard household refuse
Dual Bins (Yellow and Blue) Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag recyclables. Sort paper products into the yellow bin and rigid containers into the blue bin. Contaminated bins will not be collected.
Accepted Items
- ✓Yellow Bin: Clean paper, cardboard, and newspaper
- ✓Blue Bin: Rinsed plastic containers, aluminum/steel cans, glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and film wrap
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Food-soiled paper
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses)
Yard Waste Bin
Vegetation is collected weekly (e.g., every Thursday or Friday) EXCEPT during the specific week of the month designated for your bulk collection. Do not mix yard waste with household garbage.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Tree limbs and palm fronds
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Once a month on a designated day (e.g., 3rd Thursday or 3rd Friday)
Placement
Place items at the curb prior to 7:00 a.m. on your designated bulk day. Do not block sidewalks, mailboxes, or place items under low-hanging tree branches.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture and mattresses
- ✓ Large household items
- ✓ Appliances
- ✓ Oversized yard waste (on designated days)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Contractor-generated construction debris
- ✕ Household hazardous waste
- ✕ Automotive parts and tires
- ✕ Regular bagged garbage
The city charges fees for bulk piles that exceed the standard allowed amount. These fees are added to your utility bill in accordance with the City of Lake Worth Beach Schedule of Fees.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
The Solid Waste Division typically suspends collection services on major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. When a holiday interrupts service, the schedule often shifts by one day for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and bulk collections scheduled on a holiday will also be rescheduled. The city utilizes the Recycle Coach app to notify residents of the exact make-up days.
Always refer to the Recycle Coach app or the city's social media pages (Facebook, Nextdoor) for real-time holiday schedule adjustments.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Plastic Bags Cause Plant Shutdowns
The city notes that plastic grocery bags and shrink wrap are the biggest hazards to the recycling process. These items tangle in the sorting equipment, forcing the facility to shut down several times a day so workers can undertake dangerous manual removals. Take plastic bags back to the supermarket.
Respect the Dual-Bin System
Make sure you are correctly separating your paper and cardboard into the yellow bin, and your plastics, glass, and metals into the blue bin. Mixing these streams contaminates the loads and increases processing costs.
Check Before You Chuck
If you are unsure whether an item is recyclable, do not 'wishcycle' it into the bin. Use the searchable 'Is This Recyclable?' database on the Recycle Coach app or the city's website to confirm proper disposal.
Seasonal Information
Hurricane Season
June - NovemberThe city provides a 'Storm Season Readiness' guide. Prior to a storm, secure all carts and do not place bulk or yard waste at the curb if a watch or warning is issued, as these items become dangerous projectiles. Follow post-storm alerts via the Recycle Coach app.
Spring Cleaning
March - MayWhen utilizing your monthly bulk collection day for spring cleanouts, ensure that the amount you place curbside does not exceed the allowed limit. Piles exceeding the limit will result in a Non-Compliance Notice and extra fees on your utility bill.
Winter Holidays
November - JanuaryHoliday schedules may alter your normal collection days. The city sends push notifications through the Recycle Coach app and posts updates on Nextdoor and Facebook regarding specific holiday route shifts.
About Lake Worth Beach Waste Management
Municipal Refuse Services in Lake Worth Beach
The City of Lake Worth Beach operates its own Solid Waste and Recycling Division, providing direct full-service waste management to its residents rather than outsourcing to a private county hauler. Depending on your specific neighborhood (such as whether you live east or west of Dixie Highway), your garbage collection will occur twice a week on designated days (e.g., Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday). The city strictly enforces collection guidelines—bins placed out improperly or filled with unapproved materials are subject to a Non-Compliance Notice and potential fees added directly to your utility bill.
Monthly Bulk and Yard Waste Structure
Managing large debris in Lake Worth Beach requires attention to the calendar. Unlike standard garbage, both bulk waste and yard waste (vegetation) have highly specific monthly schedules based on your geographic zone. For instance, some neighborhoods have bulk pickup exclusively on the 3rd Thursday or 3rd Friday of each month. Yard waste is typically collected weekly on those same days, except during the week of your scheduled bulk pickup. This structured rotation ensures that specialized claw trucks can efficiently clear neighborhoods without overlapping standard routes.
The Recycle Coach App Integration
To help residents navigate the specific zone-based schedules and avoid compliance violations, the City of Lake Worth Beach highly encourages the use of the 'Recycle Coach' app. This digital tool provides personalized collection reminders directly to your smartphone. It also features a searchable 'Is This Recyclable?' database and allows residents to instantly report missed pickups or request replacement garbage and vegetation carts without having to call the public works office.
Navigating the Dual-Stream Recycling System
As part of Palm Beach County’s broader recycling initiative, Lake Worth Beach utilizes a dual-bin system (typically yellow and blue bins) to keep paper products separate from plastics, glass, and metals. The city emphasizes that the sorting facility must frequently shut down dangerous equipment to manually cut away tangled plastic grocery bags and film from the gears. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that residents never place recyclables inside plastic bags; they must be tossed loosely into their respective bins.
Drop-off Facilities
Solid Waste Authority (SWA) Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off
6161 N Jog Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33412
Materials Accepted
SWA Landfill and Transfer Stations
Multiple locations in Palm Beach County
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I miss my bulk trash day in Lake Worth Beach?
Bulk collection only occurs once a month on a specific day (e.g., the 3rd Thursday). If you miss it, you must pull the items back from the curb until your next scheduled month, or you may receive a Non-Compliance Notice and a fee on your utility bill.
How do I get a new garbage or vegetation cart?
You can request a new or replacement garbage or vegetation cart directly through the Recycle Coach app on your smartphone, or by submitting a request on the Solid Waste & Recycling page of the city's official website.
Why didn't the city pick up my yard waste this week?
In Lake Worth Beach, weekly yard waste collection (which typically occurs on Thursdays or Fridays) is suspended during the specific week that your monthly bulk collection is scheduled. It will resume the following week.
Can I put my recycling in a plastic garbage bag?
Absolutely not. The city stresses that plastic bags and wrap get tangled in the recycling processing equipment, causing dangerous and expensive facility shutdowns. You must place all recyclables loose in their proper bins.