Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Westchester
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)
Bag all household garbage and yard clippings before placing them in the green cart. Place the cart within 3 feet of the street and at least 5 feet from mailboxes, cars, or other obstacles by 7 a.m. The wheels must face your home, and the lid must be fully closed.
Accepted Items
- ✓Household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Bagged yard trimmings
- ✓Bagged leaves and grass
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Place your blue recycling cart out by 7 a.m. on your designated alternating week. Keep all recyclables completely loose inside the bin; never pack items in plastic garbage bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean and dry paper (newspapers, mail, office paper)
- ✓Flattened cardboard boxes
- ✓Steel and aluminum cans
- ✓Aseptic cartons (juice and milk)
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Glass beverage bottles (clear, brown, green)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam products
- ✕Pizza boxes soiled with grease
- ✕Batteries
- ✕Window glass and mirrors
- ✕Garden hoses
- ✕Household chemicals
Yard Waste Bin
Standard yard clippings must be bagged and placed inside the green waste cart. Larger tree limbs and brush should be reserved for a scheduled bulky waste pickup or taken to a Trash and Recycling Center.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Small branches
- ✓Tree limbs (cut to 5 feet for bulk pickup)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Two pickups per calendar year
Placement
Place items at the curb no earlier than 3 days prior to your confirmed appointment and no later than 7 a.m. on the collection day. Maintain a 15-foot overhead clearance from trees and power lines, and keep piles 5 feet from cars and mailboxes.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, tables, cabinets)
- ✓ Mattresses (must be encased in plastic and sealed)
- ✓ White goods/appliances (refrigerator doors must be removed)
- ✓ Up to 3 cubic yards of wooden fencing
- ✓ Carpet (rolled)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Microwaves and electronics
- ✕ Tires and auto parts
- ✕ Household chemicals and oil-based paint
- ✕ Free-flowing liquids
- ✕ Dirt, rock, or sand
- ✕ More than 3 cubic yards of construction debris
The standard two pickups are included in your annual non-ad valorem tax assessment. Any piles exceeding your cubic yard limit will exhaust future pickups or result in excess yardage fees.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Miami-Dade County provides waste collection services on most holidays, rain or shine. Collections are only paused on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day.
Yard Waste Exception
Because the county collects garbage twice a week, skipped holiday collections are not pushed back by one day. If your pickup falls on an observed holiday, your service will simply resume on your next regularly scheduled collection day.
The 311 Contact Center and solid waste administrative offices may have altered hours on all federal holidays. Download the MDC Solid Waste app for instant service alerts.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Tanglers Out of the Blue Bin
Items like garden hoses, wire hangers, extension cords, and holiday lights are known as 'tanglers.' They wrap around the mechanical sorting gears at the Miami-Dade recycling facility and cause significant damage. Put them in the green garbage cart instead.
Bag Garbage, Never Recyclables
While you are required to bag your household trash and yard clippings in your green cart to prevent odors and pests, you must leave all recyclables completely loose in your blue cart. Plastic grocery bags are strictly prohibited in the recycling stream.
Know Your Glass Rules
Standard glass food and beverage bottles (clear, green, and brown) are perfectly acceptable in your blue recycling bin. However, window glass, mirrors, ceramics, incandescent bulbs, and glass bakeware have different melting points and must be thrown in the trash.
Seasonal Information
Summer/Fall
June - NovemberDuring hurricane season, bulky waste collections may be temporarily suspended if a tropical storm or hurricane watch is issued for Miami-Dade County. Do not place new debris at the curb until after the severe weather threat has completely passed.
Winter
December - JanuaryFollowing the holidays, Miami-Dade County provides specialized Christmas tree recycling. Clean, decoration-free trees can be dropped off at designated Trash and Recycling Centers to be chipped into free mulch for residents.
Spring
March - MayIf you are conducting heavy spring landscaping before storm season, remember that any tree limbs placed out for a scheduled bulky waste pickup must be cut down to no more than five feet in length to be accepted.
About Westchester Waste Management
Unincorporated Miami-Dade Waste Services
Because Westchester is a census-designated place rather than an incorporated city, all residential trash and recycling services are managed directly by the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management. Automated green waste carts are collected twice a week, and the cost of this service is seamlessly billed as a non-ad valorem assessment on your annual property tax bill.
The Bulky Waste Appointment System
Westchester homeowners receive two generous bulky waste pickups per calendar year, each allowing up to 25 cubic yards of debris. Need to clear out a major renovation or landscaping project? You have the option to combine both of your annual pickups into a single massive 50-cubic-yard collection. Just remember to schedule your appointment before placing anything at the curb.
Mastering the 'Simple 5' Recycling Program
Miami-Dade operates a single-stream curbside recycling program utilizing large blue carts, which are serviced every other week. To reduce contamination, the county urges residents to stick to the 'Simple 5': paper, cardboard, cans, aseptic cartons, and bottles (both plastic and glass). All recyclables must be placed in the cart completely loose without the use of plastic bags.
Neighborhood Drop-Off Solutions
If you exhaust your bulky waste pickups or miss a collection day, Westchester residents have convenient access to the county's Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Centers. The Snapper Creek facility on SW 117th Avenue is an excellent nearby option for dropping off oversized yard debris, household appliances, and extra recyclables at no additional charge.
Hurricane and Severe Weather Protocols
Given South Florida's vulnerability to tropical weather, Westchester residents must adhere to strict solid waste rules during hurricane season. If a tropical storm or hurricane warning is issued, all bulky waste pickups are suspended, and residents must secure their green and blue carts indoors or tightly against their homes to prevent them from becoming dangerous projectiles.
Drop-off Facilities
Snapper Creek Trash and Recycling Center
2200 SW 117 Avenue, Miami, FL 33165
Materials Accepted
West Dade Home Chemical Collection Center
8801 NW 58th St, Doral, FL 33178
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I safely dispose of a mattress in Westchester?
Miami-Dade County requires all mattresses placed at the curb for bulky waste collection to be fully encased in a plastic mattress bag or sleeve and sealed tightly with weather-resistant tape (such as duct or packing tape). Failure to bag the mattress may result in a $100 fine.
Can I leave extra trash bags next to my green garbage cart?
No. The county's automated side-loading trucks can only collect waste that is securely inside the green cart with the lid closed. Items stacked on top of or placed alongside the cart cannot and will not be collected.
Are there size limits on tree limbs for bulk collection?
Yes. When scheduling a bulky waste pickup for heavy landscaping debris, all tree branches and limbs in the pile must be cut to a maximum length of five feet. A 15-foot overhead clearance from power lines is also required for the collection crane.
Will Miami-Dade County replace my green trash cart if it breaks?
If your 96-gallon green waste cart is damaged during the standard collection process by the automated trucks, the county will repair or replace it free of charge. However, if the cart is damaged due to misuse, such as loading it with prohibited heavy construction materials, you will be responsible for the cost of the replacement.