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. 

Okeechobee County and Waste Management entered into a new solid waste franchise agreement effective October 1, 2023. The information below regarding Curbside Collection Services pertains to the new contract.

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

The following services are provided to Okeechobee County by Waste Management:

RESIDENTIAL TRASH

Curbside trash collection is once per week.

Containers must be placed curbside prior to 6 a.m. on your collection day, in front of your home and within 3 feet of the curb.

Containers at vacant lots WILL NOT be serviced.

Trash Container Requirements

• Customer must provide their own trash container.
• Container must be 50-gallons or less in size (32-gallon is the preferred size). It also must have two handles and a tight-fitting lid.
• Containers placed curbside cannot exceed 50 pounds in weight.

Bulk waste is considered items such as household furnishings (couch, mattress, table) or other items too large to be placed inside your trash container. These items will be serviced on your regularly scheduled trash collection day.

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

RESIDENTIAL YARD WASTE (effective October 1, 2023)

CONTAINERIZED OR SMALL PILES OF YARD WASTE

Yard waste collection of containerized or small piles is once per week.

Small branches, leaves, grass clippings, small yard waste piles, and palm fronds must be in containerized or neatly stacked at the curb.

Yard Waste containers CANNOT exceed 50 pounds in weight.

BULK YARD WASTE

WM 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). The resident/property owner is responsible for making 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.

WHITE GOODS

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

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

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.

NO RECYCLING (effective October 1, 2023)

While this was not part of the previous contract, some residents were receiving recycling services, however, beginning October 1, 2023, there will no longer be 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 in a one-year period. Only DOT approved passenger car and pickup truck tires are permitted for disposal. Tires WILL NOT be collected curbside. Okeechobee County will accept tires during Waste Amnesty Days, or residents may also take (4) tires per year to the Okeechobee Landfill (10800 NE 128 Avenue). You will be required to show identification for proof of residency. No semi-truck tires or off-road tires are accepted. NO free disposal of commercial business tires.

HURRICANE SEASON TIPS:

Hurricane Season is June 1 through November 30. If a storm impacts our area, please 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. A third-party contractor, secured by the County, will 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 for garbage collection on their tax bill annually.

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