Wondering Why Your Recycling Was Not Picked Up?

Below are listed the main reasons why the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management  truck may not have picked up your recycling:

1. Your recyclables may have been improperly placed in plastic bags, bins, garbage containers, cardboard boxes or other containers that cannot be collected by the automated truck. The recycling truck can only collect recyclables placed in the County-issued blue recycling cart.

2. Your blue recycling cart may have contained garbage or trash. Recycling carts containing household garbage, tree limbs or other non-recyclable materials are prohibited and could lead to enforcement actions.

3. Your blue recycling cart may have been less than 5 feet from your mailbox, parked car, fire hydrant, pole, waste cart or other obstacle.

4. Your blue recycling cart may have been overfilled, packed too tightly and/or the lid was not closed. You may crush plastic bottles and cardboard boxes to flatten them to make more room in your cart. If the cart is overfilled, materials will fall on the ground when the automated truck empties the cart. Please make sure the cart is not too tightly packed. Otherwise, materials may not properly empty into the recycling truck.

5. Your recyclable materials may not have been placed inside your blue recycling cart. The automated truck cannot collect recyclables placed on top of or along side your recycling cart.

6. Your blue recycling cart may have been placed more than 3 feet of the curb or edge of pavement. The arm on the recycling truck cannot extend more than 3 feet to reach your blue recycling cart.

7. The wheels of your blue recycling cart may not have been facing your home. If the cart is facing the wrong way,materials may fall on the ground when the cart is emptied.

8. Your blue recycling cart may not have been put out for collection when the truck came by. Be sure your recycling cart is at the curb before 7:00 a.m. on your collection day.

https://www.miamidade.gov/global/solidwaste/recycling.page

• The following can be placed in the recycling cart:

  •  Narrow-neck plastic containers MARKED  "1" or "2" ONLY ( ex. milk, soda, shampoo) FLATTEN AND REPLACE CAP

  • Paper products and cardboard (flatten boxes)

  • Aseptic polycoated containers (ex. milk cartons, juice boxes)

  • Glass (ex. clear, brown or green food and beverage bottles and jars)

  • Metal (ex. aluminum/steel food and beverage container)

• Do NOT place in the cart:

  • Garbage or trash

  • Non-food glass items (ex. window glass, light bulbs, bakeware)

  • Plastic bags, foam, trays, microwave trays, and containers

  • Paint or chemicals

  • Coat hangers

  • Small appliances or electronic accessories (ex. toasters, CDs, PCs, cell phones)

  • Empty oxygen or propane tanks

If your waste or recycling cart is damaged in the collection process, call 3-1-1 and Miami-Dade County will repair or replace your cart free of charge. If the cart is damaged due to neglect or abuse you will be responsible for purchasing a replacement cart.

If your cart is stolen, call MSPD (non-emergency number) and obtain a case number. Contact 3-1-1 with the police case number, and a replacement cart will be delivered to you at no charge.

For additional information, or to request an email reminder the night before pick up, the Department of Solid Waste Management asks that you call the County Answer Center at 3-1-1 or click miamidade.gov/dswm.