Waste Management (WM) is the official environmental solutions provider in Okeechobee County. Please review WM’s curbside collection guidelines to ensure you get the most from your solid waste service.
Phone: (863) 763-4818

Okeechobee County and WM entered into a new solid waste franchise agreement effective Oct 1, 2023, that revised portions of the collection to prepare for self-automated trucks for garbage pickup in the coming year.

Have Questions? Please contact WM’s Customer Experience Department at (863) 763-4818 or
visit www.wm.com for online support.

RESIDENTIAL TRASH:

Curbside trash collection is once per week.

Place your cart at least 3 feet away from all objects including other carts, bulk items, mailboxes, cars, and trees. The lid opening should face the street with the wheels of the cart facing your house.

All material must fit inside the cart with the lid firmly closed. Please note, personal trash containers will not be serviced. Unwanted personal containers may be placed curbside with bulk items for disposal. Please mark the container as “trash”.

Carts at vacant lots WILL NOT be serviced.

Bulk Waste is considered items such as household furnishings (couch, mattress, table) or other items too large to be placed inside your trash container. WM will collect 4 cubic yards per week.

DO NOT mix residential household trash together with yard trash, waste hazardous waste, furniture, appliances, or construction & demolition debris such as fencing, floor tiles, lumber, and concrete. 

RESIDENTIAL YARD WASTE:

Yard waste collection is once per week.

Yard waste, such as small branches, grass clippings and trimmings MUST be placed inside your cart. The lid DOES NOT need to be closed.  Please note, personal yard waste containers will not be serviced.

CART EXCHANGES:  
Residents have the option to exchange their yard waste cart for a second trash cart, at no additional cost, by returning the yard waste cart by contacting WM at (863) 763-4818. Please note, personal yard waste containers will NOT be serviced curbside.

BULK YARD WASTE: 

A different collection vehicle will collect bulk yard waste, which is considered large, loose piles that are 4 cubic yards or less (about the size of a picnic table).

If a pile is larger than 4 cubic yards, Waste Management will remove 4 cubic yards and leave behind the remainder along with a "tag" outlining any specific instructions for the homeowner.

The resident/property owner is responsible to make immediate arrangements for removal of anything more than 4 cubic yards. You may self-haul, hire a private contractor, or contact WM to schedule service for $15 per cubic yard.

NEED AN EXTRA CART?  Customers may contact Waste Management to purchase one additional cart for trash. Each additional cart is $85, there is no additional cost for collection.

WHITE GOODS:
Acceptable white good items include refrigerators, water heaters, freezers, BBQ grills (no propane tanks), and other similar appliances. 

Please contact WM’s Customer Experience Department at (863) 763-4818 to schedule a white goods collection.

The resident is required to remove all doors from refrigerators, freezers, ovens, ranges, washers, dryers, and other similar appliances as required by Florida Statutes Chapter 823.07, 823.08 & 823.09. Any person that abandons or discards any appliance without the doors removed is in violation of Florida Statutes mentioned and may be punished by fines and/or imprisonment as defined in Florida Statutes Chapter 775.083.

RECYCLING (effective October 1, 2023)

While this was not part of the previous contract, some residents were receiving recycling services, however, effective October 1, 2023, there is no curbside collection. Residents may continue to utilize the dedicated recycling drop-off­ container at WM’s Okeechobee Landfill, located at 10800 NE 128th Avenue, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Your recycling does not need to be separated. Acceptable items include Plastic Bottles, Jugs and Tubs; Aluminum, Tin, and Steel Cans; Paper (newspaper, office paper or junk mail); Cardboard; and Glass. Please DO NOT bag recyclables, items must be loose inside the container.

NON-CURBSIDE SERVICES: 

Waste Tires:  Disposal of waste tires is limited to (4) tires per resident and are accepted at the Waste Management Facility.  Only FDOT approved passenger car and pickup truck tires are permitted for disposal. Tires WILL NOT be collected curbside.

Amnesty Day - Waste Management is the provider and responsible entity for Amnesty Day in Okeechobee County. Amnesty Day is scheduled at least once per year, and sometimes twice per year. Waste Management will advertise in the local newspaper the Amnesty Day dates. You will be required to show identification for proof of residency. Location: Waste Management Okeechobee Landfill, located at 10800 NE 128th Avenue, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

HURRICANE SEASON TIPS:

Hurricane Season is June 1 through November 30.
If a storm impacts our area, visit www.WMFloridaStorm.com for collection service updates.

BEFORE THE STORM:

Trim trees, hedges, and all vegetation at the start of hurricane season in June and maintain your property throughout the season. Stop all yard maintenance and tree trimming activities and DO NOT place vegetative waste curbside within three (3) days of a hurricane warning.

AFTER THE STORM:

Please separate regular household garbage and recycling from storm debris curbside. WM is only responsible for collecting "regular" household waste after a storm and is NOT responsible for storm debris pickup.

The County contracts with a third-party contractor to collect storm debris.

WM will restart curbside collection of normal household waste and recycling as soon as it is safe to do so on the streets that are passable.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

There will be no collection on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Collection services will be delayed by one-day for the remainder of the week. Regular collection schedules will resume the following week. If a holiday falls on a weekend, collection service will not be impacted. For more information, please visit www.WMFloridaHoliday.com

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

All homeowners are charged a garbage collection fee on their tax bill annually as a special assessment. This annual fee coves your residential trash pickup which is once per week for 52 weeks.  This special assessment rate does not include storm debris pick up.

Vacant property owners are NOT charged the garbage assessment and must arrange for special collection service for the disposal of any waste generated on the property.

Any waste generated by building contractors or landscaping, lawn maintenance and tree trimming contractors must be properly disposed of by the respective contractor at a permitted facility.

Florida Statute Chapters 823.07, 823.08 & 823.09 & 775.083

Okeechobee County Solid Waste Ordinance Section 49-25

Okeechobee County Solid Waste Ordinance Section 49-25 (b) (2)

Okeechobee County Solid Waste Ordinance Section 49-32