Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Palmetto Bay
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.
Green Cart Bin (Trash)
All garbage and yard clippings MUST be securely bagged before being placed in the green cart. Place the cart at the curb by 7 a.m., ensuring the wheels face your home. It must be at least 3 feet from the street and 5 feet from mailboxes and parked cars.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Bagged grass clippings, leaves, and yard trimmings
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and packaging
Blue Cart Bin (Recycling)
Do not overfill; the lid must be completely closed. Items must be placed loosely inside the blue cart. Never put recyclables inside plastic grocery bags, as they damage the county sorting equipment.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard and clean paper
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs (flatten and replace caps)
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Poly-coated drink boxes (milk and juice cartons)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags (do NOT bag recyclables)
- ✕Pizza boxes (soiled with grease)
- ✕Polystyrene (Styrofoam) products and egg cartons
- ✕Batteries and home chemicals
- ✕Wire hangers and tanglers
Yard Waste Bin
Small yard waste should be bagged and placed inside your green garbage cart. Large volumes of brush or branches must be scheduled as a bulky waste pickup (up to 25 cubic yards) or taken to the Eureka Drive Center.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Small yard trimmings
- ✓Large tree limbs (via bulky waste pickup)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Two Scheduled Pickups Per Year (Up to 25 Cubic Yards Each)
Placement
Place items on the swale in front of your property. Keep piles away from low-hanging tree branches, power lines, and at least 5 feet from parked cars and mailboxes to allow the grapple truck claw to operate safely.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, mattresses, tables)
- ✓ Large household appliances (white goods)
- ✓ Clean yard trash and tree limbs
- ✓ Large household electronics
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction or demolition debris (drywall, tile, concrete)
- ✕ Automobile parts and batteries
- ✕ Home chemicals, flammables, and propane tanks
- ✕ Rocks and dirt
The two 25-cubic-yard pickups are included in your annual waste fee. If you exceed the size limit or place prohibited materials in the pile, you will be subject to heavy special collection fees.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Miami-Dade County collects waste rain or shine on all holidays EXCEPT MLK Jr. Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. Service is NOT pushed back by one day for the rest of the week; instead, your service simply resumes on your next regularly scheduled pickup day.
Yard Waste Exception
Bagged yard waste in the green cart follows the standard holiday schedule. Bulky waste routes do not run on these three holidays.
Thanksgiving Day, New Year's Day, and Memorial Day are regular collection days in Palmetto Bay. Ensure your carts are out by 7:00 a.m.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Avoid the $152 Three-Strike Penalty
Keep all garbage, greasy pizza boxes, and styrofoam out of your blue cart. Miami-Dade DSWM enforces a strict tagging system in Palmetto Bay; if your cart is tagged for contamination more than three times, you will be hit with a $152 special collection fee.
Never Bag Your Recyclables
The fastest way to ruin a recycling load is by putting your clean paper and bottles into a plastic garbage bag. Plastic bags wrap around the gears at the processing center. Always dump your recyclables loosely directly into the blue cart.
Flatten Plastics and Keep Caps On
Miami-Dade County requests that you flatten empty plastic bottles (like water and soda bottles) to save space, and then screw the plastic cap back on before tossing them into the blue bin.
Seasonal Information
Hurricane Season
June to NovemberIf a tropical storm or hurricane is approaching Palmetto Bay, do not place bulky waste or massive yard debris on the swale. Secure your green and blue carts indoors to prevent them from becoming dangerous wind-blown projectiles.
Winter Holidays
December to JanuaryDuring the holidays, break down and completely flatten all corrugated cardboard shipping and gift boxes. If they are jammed into the blue cart intact, they can prevent the materials underneath from falling out into the automated truck.
Spring Landscaping
March to MayWhen performing major spring yard makeovers, utilize one of your two annual 25-cubic-yard bulky waste pickups for massive brush piles, or take your landscape clippings directly to the Eureka Drive Neighborhood Trash Center.
About Palmetto Bay Waste Management
Miami-Dade DSWM Services in Palmetto Bay
While Palmetto Bay is an independent incorporated village, all residential solid waste, recycling, and bulky waste services are managed directly by Miami-Dade County's Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM). The cost for these services is billed as a non-ad valorem assessment on your annual property tax bill. Residents receive automated pickup of the green waste carts twice a week, and single-stream recycling in the blue cart once a week. All cart repairs, replacements, or missed pickup reports are routed through the county's 3-1-1 hotline, rather than the Village Hall.
Strict New Recycling Contamination Penalties
In June 2024, DSWM implemented aggressive new regulations to combat severe recycling contamination. Enforcement officers actively check blue carts in Palmetto Bay. If your cart is tagged for containing non-recyclable items (like plastic bags or food waste), you have three chances to take corrective action. If you are tagged more than three times as a repeat violator, Miami-Dade County will charge a heavy $152 special collection and disposal fee to forcibly remove the contaminated material from your recycling cart.
Massive 25-Cubic-Yard Bulky Waste Allowances
One of the major benefits of the Miami-Dade solid waste program is the generous bulky waste allowance. Each household in Palmetto Bay is entitled to two scheduled bulky waste pickups per year, allowing up to 25 cubic yards per pickup. If you are doing a massive home cleanout or yard landscaping project, the county even allows you to combine your two annual pickups into a single massive 50-cubic-yard pickup. You must use the DSWM online scheduling system or call 311 to lock in your date before placing items on the swale.
Convenient Access to the Eureka Drive Trash Center
When you have excess debris that won't fit in your green cart and you don't want to burn one of your scheduled bulk pickups, you have a local alternative. The Eureka Drive Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Center is located directly within Palmetto Bay. This facility is perfect for dropping off landscape clippings, old household appliances, vehicle tires, and minor fence or construction debris, ensuring your neighborhood remains clutter-free year-round.
Drop-off Facilities
Eureka Drive Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Center
9401 SW 184th Street (Eureka Drive), Palmetto Bay, FL 33157
Materials Accepted
South Dade Home Chemical Collection Center
23707 SW 97th Ave, Gate B, Miami, FL 33032
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for trash pickup in Palmetto Bay?
Trash, recycling, and bulky waste collection in the Village of Palmetto Bay are all managed by Miami-Dade County's Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM). You should contact 3-1-1 for all bin repairs, missed pickups, and scheduling.
What is the penalty if I put the wrong items in my recycling bin?
As of June 2024, Miami-Dade County enforces a strict recycling contamination rule. If your blue cart is tagged with non-recyclable items (like plastic bags or garbage) more than three times, you will be charged a $152 special collection fee.
How do I dispose of a massive pile of tree branches?
You can schedule one of your two annual bulky waste pickups (which allow up to 25 cubic yards each) by calling 311. Alternatively, because Palmetto Bay has a local facility, you can haul the landscape clippings directly to the Eureka Drive Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Center.
Does my garbage get picked up on Thanksgiving or New Year's Day?
Yes. Miami-Dade County only observes three holidays for waste collection: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Independence Day (July 4th), and Christmas Day. On all other holidays, including Thanksgiving and New Year's, you should put your green and blue carts out by 7:00 a.m. as normal.