Trash and recycling pickup in Lakeland: schedule, holidays and bulk

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Sources: the City of Lakeland Solid Waste Division, its residential trash, holiday schedule, bulk pickup and yard waste pages.

The City of Lakeland collects its own trash, but only inside city limits. Garbage, recycling and yard waste are each picked up once a week, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday depending on your address. Carts go to the curb no later than 6 a.m. on your day. Service starts automatically when your Lakeland Electric and water service is turned on.

Who to call

• Solid Waste Division (missed pickup, carts, bulk, yard waste): 863-834-8773, SolidWasteManagement@lakelandgov.net
• Office: 605 Evelyn Ave., Lakeland, FL 33801
• Polk County Solid Waste (outside city limits): 863-284-4319
• Official map: residential collection day map

City or county?

Many addresses with a Lakeland mailing address sit outside city limits. The quickest check is the color of your carts: the city’s are green (garbage) and blue (recycling). If your garbage can is gray or black with a yellow lid, you are a Polk County Solid Waste customer, and the county, not the city, sets your schedule. The city’s collection day map also shows whether an address is inside city limits.

Your pickup day

Type your address into the city’s map to see your garbage, recycling and yard waste day. The city’s cart rules:

• Put all bags and small items inside the cart. Loose bags beside it are not part of automated pickup.
• Cart at the curb by 6 a.m., lid opening toward the street and the handle toward your home.
• Leave 3 feet between the cart and other carts, mailboxes, fire hydrants, low branches, parked cars and utility poles.
• No hot ashes, paint cans, tires, medical waste, household hazardous waste or lithium-ion batteries in either cart.
• No yard waste in the green cart. Grass, leaves and branches are collected separately and composted.

A missing cart? Call 863-834-8773. The city tracks carts with RFID tags and will search for yours or deliver a new one.

Alley customers

Homes served from an alley have a fixed schedule, from the city’s alley collection page:

Bulk items are never collected in the alley. Put them at the curb in front of the house and call for a pickup.

Recycling

Blue-cart recycling is bag-free. The city accepts paper and cardboard, glass, plastic and metal containers, clean, empty and dry, loose in the cart. From its recycling FAQs, these stay out of the blue cart:

• Plastic grocery bags, plastic wrap and bagged recycling (many grocery stores take plastic bags)
• Styrofoam, food waste, diapers and household garbage
• Batteries, electronics, propane canisters and needles
• Yard waste and loose shredded paper. Shredded paper is fine in a closed paper bag.

The city’s rule when unsure: throw it out.

Bulk items and yard waste

City customers get four free collections a year of bulk junk or bulk yard waste, up to 20 cubic yards each, counted January through December. To book one, email SolidWasteManagement@lakelandgov.net with your address and what is at the curb, or call 863-834-8773. Requests are usually picked up on your regular service day, in the order they come in.

• Furniture and mattresses: couches, chairs, mattresses, box springs and bed frames go curbside after you book.
• Appliances: refrigerators, air conditioners, water heaters, washers and dryers go on a separate truck for recycling. Remove refrigerator and freezer doors.
• Regular yard waste: branches no longer than 5 feet or thicker than 5 inches, bundled, bagged or in a container, each under 40 pounds. Piles bigger than 6 feet by 4 feet need a request.
• Bulk yard waste: large piles, with no piece longer than 8 feet, away from power lines, mailboxes, storm drains and parked cars.
• Tires: up to four car tires a year at the curb, free.
• Construction debris: small amounts from a homeowner’s own upkeep only. Debris from a permitted job or a contractor’s work is the homeowner’s or contractor’s to haul away.

Holidays

The city lists the holidays that can move collection. The dates still to come:

Hazardous waste and shredding

• ShredFest: free document shredding 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 14, at 605 Evelyn Ave., up to five file boxes per vehicle.
• Household Hazardous Waste Collection: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027, at 605 Evelyn Ave.
• Any other time: household chemicals and electronics are accepted free at the Polk County North Central Landfill, 7399 Decastro Road, Winter Haven. Polk County: 863-284-4319.

What this means for you

• Carts out by 6 a.m., bags inside the cart, yard waste kept separate.
• Gray or black cart? You are a county customer: call 863-284-4319, not the city.
• Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, Thursday and Friday routes slide a day.
• A dead animal on a city street: the Solid Waste Division removes them 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at 863-834-8773. After hours, call the police non-emergency line, 863-834-6900.

Related: moving to Lakeland and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Lakeland?

Once a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, depending on your address. The city’s collection day map shows your garbage, recycling and yard waste days.

What time does trash need to be out in Lakeland?

The city asks for carts at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on your collection day, lid opening toward the street.

How do I get furniture or a mattress picked up in Lakeland?

Call the Solid Waste Division at 863-834-8773 or email it to schedule a bulk pickup. City customers get four free bulk or yard waste collections a year, up to 20 cubic yards each.

Is there trash pickup in Lakeland on Thanksgiving?

Thursday customers are collected Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, and Friday customers on Saturday, Nov. 28. Monday and Tuesday routes do not change.

Why doesn’t the city pick up my trash?

The city serves addresses inside Lakeland city limits only. If your cart is gray or black with a yellow lid, you are a Polk County customer: call 863-284-4319.