Hours, fees and pickup rules change, especially after storms and at the start of a new fiscal year. Every line below links to the official page it came from. Confirm with Lakeland or Polk County before you load the truck.
Who picks up trash in Lakeland
- The City of Lakeland Solid Waste Division collects trash from all residences inside Lakeland city limits.[2]
- The city serves addresses inside city limits only; if your garbage can is gray or black with a yellow lid, you are a Polk County customer and should call Polk County Solid Waste at 863.284.4319.[1]
- City customers have a green garbage can and/or a blue recycle can, and the city's service request page links to a lookup that tells you whether your street address is inside city limits.[11]
- City solid waste and recycling service starts when electric and water service is turned on at your home and stops when they are turned off.[1]
- The Solid Waste office is at 605 Evelyn Avenue, its phone is 863.834.8773, and the city encourages customers to email SolidWasteManagement@lakelandgov.net.[1]
- Residential service is once a week with automated garbage collection, automated recycling collection and yard waste collection.[1]
- Under rates effective October 1, 2025, single family automated trash service costs $19.61 for a 95 gallon cart, $18.34 for a 65 gallon cart and $17.08 for a 35 gallon cart, with recycling at $3.60.[4]
Bulk trash pickup in Lakeland
- City customers get four free yard waste or bulk junk collections per calendar year, each up to 20 cubic yards, and the year runs January 1 through December 31.[3]
- To arrange a bulk pickup, email Customer Service with your address and the type of material already at the curb, or call 863.834.8773.[3]
- Used furniture, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, couches, chairs and other household items may be placed curbside for bulk junk collection.[3]
- Used refrigerators, air conditioners, water heaters, washers, dryers and small appliances go curbside before pickup and are collected by a special bulk truck for recycling.[3]
- Refrigerator and freezer doors must be removed before the appliance is set out.[3]
- Bulk collections beyond the four free ones cost $13.81 per cubic yard with a $30.66 minimum, under rates effective October 1, 2025.[4]
- The city only picks up small amounts of building debris from a homeowner's own upkeep of a residence, not large amounts of construction and demolition debris.[3]
- If the work needed a city permit or a private contractor did the job, the homeowner or contractor must remove the debris.[3]
- Bulk yard waste means branches and trimmings too large to containerize or a pile larger than 6 feet by 4 feet, and items must not be longer than 8 feet.[7]
- Bulk yard waste requests are typically picked up on your regular service day once scheduled, in the order requests are received.[7]
- Keep large piles away from power lines, trees, mailboxes, fences, storm drains, sidewalks and parked cars, and do not put trash or large items in the street or alley.[7]
- Yard waste must be kept separate from trash and junk because the Polk County North Central Landfill requires it so the city can compost it.[7]
Lakeland trash pickup schedule
- Garbage, recycling and yard waste are each collected weekly, and the city publishes a collection service day map for finding your day.[2]
- Put your cart at the curb no later than 6:00 AM on your collection day, with the lid opening toward the street.[2]
- Keep carts at least three feet from other carts, mailboxes, fire hydrants, low branches, parked cars and utility poles.[2]
- Do not put hot ashes, recyclables, household hazardous waste, medical waste, paint cans, tires or lithium ion batteries in your carts.[2]
- Customers needing extra trash collections beyond four per calendar year pay $17.25 per request, under rates effective October 1, 2025.[4]
- The city holiday schedule lists dates that may shift collection, and a holiday not listed on it does not affect your normal day.[5]
- For Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, 2026, Thursday customers are collected on Friday, November 27 and Friday customers on Saturday, November 28.[5]
- For Christmas, Friday, December 25, 2026, Friday customers are collected on Saturday, December 26.[5]
- For New Year's Day, Friday, January 1, 2027, Friday customers are collected on Saturday, January 2.[5]
- Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026, causes no change to any collection day.[5]
Landfills and transfer stations near Lakeland
Transfer station
Polk County North Central Transfer Station
Run by: Polk County Solid Waste runs the North Central Transfer Station, which is open only to Polk County residents.[9]
Address: The transfer station is at 3131 K-Ville Ave., Auburndale, on the north side of the landfill off K-Ville Road.[8]
Hours: It is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.[9]
Phone: Questions go to the Polk County Solid Waste Division at (863) 284-4319.[9]
Fees
- All incoming loads at the county landfill site are subject to a $10 minimum fee and must be secured.[9]
- The county fee table lists garbage at $46 per ton, with a note that the rate rises to $48.30 per ton beginning Oct. 1, 2026.[9]
- Yard trash is listed at $36.50 per ton, rising to $38.33 per ton beginning Oct. 1, 2026.[9]
- Construction and demolition debris is listed at $46 per ton, rising to $48.30 per ton beginning Oct. 1, 2026.[9]
- The county says fees will rise 5% a year for the next five years.[9]
Accepted
- The transfer station takes cars, small trucks and utility or enclosed trailers; other vehicles must use the North Central Landfill.[9]
- The fee table also covers empty refrigerators, freezers and A/C units, standard passenger tires (no more than 24 per visit, residents only), scrap metal and single wide mobile homes.[9]
Not accepted
- Bulk liquids, pressurized tanks, 55 gallon drums of liquid, ammunition and explosives, biological waste, asbestos and radioactive waste are not accepted.[9]
- Out of county residents and waste are not accepted.[9]
Rules
Landfill
Polk County North Central Landfill
Run by: Polk County Solid Waste runs the North Central Landfill, and it is now used solely by commercial haulers carrying material from inside Polk County.[9]
Address: The county landfill page lists the North Central Landfill at 7425 De Castro Road, Winter Haven, FL 33880, while the county's main Solid Waste page lists the same road with an Auburndale, FL 33823 address.[9]
Hours: The landfill is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.[9]
Phone: The county Solid Waste customer service line is (863) 284-4319, staffed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.[8]
Rules
Drop off center
Northeast Landfill Customer Convenience Center (pilot)
Run by: Polk County Solid Waste opened a Customer Convenience Center pilot program at the Northeast Landfill for county residents.[9]
Address: The pilot center is at 4001 Bannon Island Road, Haines City.[8]
Hours: It is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.[9]
Fees
- Residents pay a flat $10 for a car, SUV or pickup, $18 with a trailer shorter than 6 feet, $27 with a 6 to 16 foot trailer, and $5 per tire.[9]
Accepted
- It takes household, yard and bulk waste, residential construction debris, tires and scrap metal.[9]
Not accepted
- Household chemicals, electronics, batteries, used motor oil and filters, refrigerators and freezers, pressurized cylinders and oversized tires are not accepted there.[9]
Rules
- Proof of Polk County residency is required, no cash is accepted, and commercial use is not allowed.[9]
Hazardous waste disposal in Lakeland
- Household hazardous waste must not go in your green or blue city carts.[6]
- The city's main Solid Waste page lists its next Household Hazardous Waste Collection on Saturday, February 6, 2027, from 8 a.m. to noon at Lakeland Solid Waste, 605 Evelyn Ave.[1]
- Polk County's event list shows the same February 6, 2027 Lakeland Solid Waste event as 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 602 Evelyn Ave., so confirm the time and address before you go.[10]
- The city's Hazardous Waste page was out of date when checked: it still names February 7, 2026 as the next collection event, so call the Solid Waste Office at (863) 834-8773 for event details.[6]
- City residential customers can set 4 car tires per calendar year at the curb for free collection, and tires are also taken free at the hazardous waste event.[6]
- Lithium ion rechargeable batteries are not allowed in the garbage or recycling cart because they cause truck and plant fires.[6]
- Between events, Lakeland residents can use Polk County's year round Household Hazardous Waste Facility, where household chemical and electronic waste from county residents is accepted at no additional fee.[10]
- Polk County also holds mobile hazardous waste and electronics events, including Oct. 10, 2026 at Bartow High School and Dec. 5, 2026 at Rueben Williams Sports Complex in Winter Haven.[10]
Hazardous waste drop off
Polk County Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Run by: Polk County Solid Waste runs the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility at the North Central Landfill.[10]
Address: The facility is at 5 Environmental Loop S., Winter Haven.[10]
Hours: It is open Friday 8 a.m. to noon and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.[10]
Phone: The facility phone number is (863) 284-4319.[10]
Fees
- Household chemical and electronic waste from Polk County residents is accepted at no additional fee.[10]
Accepted
- Accepted items include car and boat batteries, fuel and gas cylinders up to five gallons, used oil, filters and antifreeze, pesticides, fluorescent bulbs, flares and used cooking oil.[10]
- Paint is taken with a limit of 20 gallons a year, or latex paint can be dried out with sand, cat litter or sawdust and put in the trash.[10]
- Electronics such as computers, monitors, printers and TVs are accepted, with a limit of five components per visit.[10]
Not accepted
- Biohazardous waste, hypodermic needles and unused or expired medication are not accepted, and sharps go to Health Department collection sites instead.[10]
Rules
Check with the city first
- Check whether your address is inside Lakeland city limits before you schedule anything, because county customers are served by Polk County, not the city.
- Polk County's fee table still showed older per ton rates next to notes that they rose on Oct. 1, 2026, so confirm current disposal fees with the county before you haul a load.
- The city and county pages disagree on the time and street number for the February 2027 hazardous waste event in Lakeland, so call the Solid Waste Office before you go.
- Storm debris rules and holiday changes are announced separately, so check the city and county pages after a hurricane or a holiday week.
We left these out because we could not read them on an official page when we checked:
- Lakeland collection day lookup
- Lakeland alley customer bulk collection requirements
- North Central Transfer Station fees after Oct. 1, 2026