Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for The Crossings
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 Bin (Trash)
Trash is collected twice a week via automated trucks. Place the official green DSWM cart at the curb by 7:00 a.m. Ensure the cart is at least 5 feet away from mailboxes, cars, and the recycling bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Small amounts of bagged yard clippings
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Recycling is collected every other week. All recyclables must be placed loosely in the cart, never inside plastic bags. Place the blue cart out by 7:00 a.m. on collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Clean, flattened cardboard
- ✓Paper and junk mail
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, cords, wires)
Yard Waste Bin
There is no separate weekly yard waste route. You must transport yard debris to a nearby TRC or schedule it as part of your twice-a-year bulky waste pickup allowance.
Accepted Items
- ✓Tree limbs (cut under 5 feet)
- ✓Palm fronds
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Brush
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By Appointment (2 times per year)
Placement
Place items at the curb no earlier than 3 days prior to your scheduled date and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the appointment day. Keep the pile 5 feet away from mailboxes and ensure a 15-foot overhead clearance.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables)
- ✓ Mattresses (must be sealed in plastic)
- ✓ Large appliances (doors removed)
- ✓ Yard trash (limbs under 5 feet)
- ✓ Up to 3 cubic yards of construction debris (e.g., fencing)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Contractor-generated construction debris
- ✕ Hazardous chemicals and paints
- ✕ Electronics
- ✕ Tires
The two 25-cubic-yard pickups are included in your annual non-ad valorem solid waste fee. Exceeding your volume limit or placing unapproved items will result in overage fees or fines.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Miami-Dade County DSWM provides garbage and recycling collection on almost all holidays, including Thanksgiving and the 4th of July. Services are ONLY suspended on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Christmas Day.
Yard Waste Exception
Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Centers (TRCs) are also closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Christmas Day.
If your normal collection falls on MLK Jr. Day or Christmas Day, your garbage will simply be collected on your next regularly scheduled service day.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Plastic Bags Out of the Blue Cart
Never bag your recyclables. Plastic grocery bags and garbage bags wrap around the rotating gears at the Miami-Dade sorting facility, causing dangerous jams and halting the recycling process. Return film plastics to local grocery stores.
Electronics Belong at Drop-Off Centers
Do not mix old TVs, computers, or monitors into your bulky waste piles or trash carts. It is illegal to send electronics to the landfill in Miami-Dade County. Take them to designated TRCs that accept e-waste.
Bag Your Regular Garbage
Unlike your recycling, which must remain loose, all standard household trash placed in the green cart must be securely bagged and tied. This prevents litter from blowing through The Crossings neighborhoods when the mechanical arm empties the bin.
Seasonal Information
Mosquito Season
May to OctoberDuring South Florida's rainy summer months, ensure the lids to both your green and blue carts are kept completely closed. Standing water inside bins serves as a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes, hindering county-wide vector control efforts.
Hurricane Season
June to NovemberHalt all yard trimming and landscaping once a storm watch is issued. Any debris left at the curb when collection is suspended poses a massive risk to property and safety during high winds.
Post-Holiday Cleanup
Late December to JanuaryMiami-Dade County offers a robust Christmas Tree Recycling program. Take clean, decoration-free natural trees to the nearby Sunset Kendall TRC or Eureka Drive TRC, where they will be chipped into mulch available to residents.
About The Crossings Waste Management
County-Managed Waste in The Crossings
Because The Crossings is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP), residents do not have a localized municipal trash department. Instead, solid waste and recycling are fully managed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM). This integration provides homeowners with extensive resources, including access to a massive fleet of automated collection trucks, standardized green and blue carts, and a network of neighborhood drop-off centers scattered throughout the Kendall area.
The 25-Cubic-Yard Bulk Pickup Allotment
A highly utilized perk of the Miami-Dade DSWM system is the generous bulk waste program. Every household in The Crossings is entitled to two free scheduled bulky waste pickups per calendar year, with each pickup accommodating up to 25 cubic yards of debris. Residents even have the option to combine both annual limits into a single, massive 50-cubic-yard pickup for major home cleanouts or extensive landscaping projects. Just remember: placing items at the curb without an appointment is a code violation.
Strict Rules for Mattress Disposal
When clearing out old bedroom furniture in The Crossings, pay close attention to Miami-Dade County's strict mattress disposal ordinance. Before you drag a mattress to the curb for your scheduled bulky waste pickup, it must be completely encased in a plastic mattress bag or sleeve and securely sealed with weather-resistant tape (like duct or packing tape). Failing to wrap your mattress can result in an uncollected item and a $100 fine from county code enforcement.
Navigating Hurricane Season on the Coast
Living in South Florida requires vigilance from June through November. During hurricane season, The Crossings residents are urged to complete all major tree pruning and property cleanups well before a storm threatens. Once Miami-Dade County issues a Tropical Storm or Hurricane Watch, all scheduled bulky waste pickups are immediately suspended. During this critical window, you must secure your green and blue carts indoors or tether them tightly to prevent them from becoming dangerous wind-borne hazards.
Utilizing the Sunset Kendall TRC
For times when you exceed your curbside cart capacity or need to quickly dispose of yard clippings without wasting a bulk pickup appointment, the Sunset Kendall Trash and Recycling Center (TRC) is an invaluable local resource. Located just a short drive away at 8000 SW 107th Avenue, this facility is free for DSWM customers to drop off clean cardboard, broken appliances, and yard debris seven days a week.
Drop-off Facilities
Sunset Kendall Trash and Recycling Center (TRC)
8000 SW 107th Avenue, Miami, FL 33173
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who manages trash collection in The Crossings?
Because The Crossings is an unincorporated community in Miami-Dade County, all household garbage, recycling, and bulk waste services are managed directly by the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM).
How do I throw away a mattress in The Crossings?
To throw away a mattress, you must first schedule a bulky waste pickup via 311. Critically, Miami-Dade County requires the mattress to be fully encased in a plastic bag or sleeve and sealed with weather-resistant tape before being placed at the curb. Unwrapped mattresses will result in a $100 fine.
Will my trash be picked up on Thanksgiving Day or the 4th of July?
Yes. The Miami-Dade County DSWM operates its normal collection routes on almost all major holidays, including Thanksgiving, Independence Day, and New Year's Day. The only two days of the year when collection is suspended are Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Christmas Day.
Can I leave yard clippings at the curb every week?
No. There is no separate, recurring weekly yard waste pickup. You must either bag small amounts of clippings to fit inside your green garbage cart, transport the debris to the Sunset Kendall TRC yourself, or schedule a bulky waste pickup for larger piles of branches and fronds.