Curbside Recycling Program

Your recycling is collected once per week on either Thursday or Friday. Please place your can curbside the night before collection with the handle facing away from the street. Your can has a label on the lid that outlines the Dos and Don’ts of recycling. You do not have to separate your material and it can be placed in your cart loosely (not bagged). The City of Fort Walton Beach does not encourage glass as a recyclable. Please do not place yard waste in your container.

What can be placed in the recycle cart?

The Recyclable Infographic in the documents area at the bottom of this web page depicts examples of acceptable items. Contact us at 850-833-9655 for more information. Note: Plastics #1 and #2 are acceptable.

The following items should not be placed in your recycle cart:

• Glass - Since the beginning of the City’s single-stream recycling program (curbside pickup of all recyclables in one cart), the City has had four different recycling vendors with varying accepted recyclables. Several of the vendors went out of business because of market struggles. Before ECUA, the City’s vendor did not accept glass for recycling. ECUA does accept glass, however, their acceptance of glass is based on the market and can cease at any time. Further, single-stream glass recyclables have a high probability of contaminating entire loads because glass often shatters and mixes into the recycling stream and cannot be removed. Currently, the City’s contamination rate is 16 percent which is very low. This equates to lower rates for the City and ultimately its residents. Because of these factors, the City made the decision not to promote single-stream glass recycling.
• Garden Hoses
• Plastic foam (cups, egg cartons, take-out containers)
• Plastic bags, films, and packaging
• Fabric, clothing, and textiles
• Wire clothes hangers
• Pizza boxes
• Syringes
• Trash (you may be charged for extra trash if you put trash in your recycling cart)
• Electronics
• Food
• Yard trimmings/leaves
• Helium tanks
• Large metal items (such as frying pans and metal pipes)
• Large plastics that do not fit in the recycling cart with the lid closed.

Before You Recycle

• Rinse food residue off all recyclables.
• Dry paper before placing it in your cart.
• Crush recyclables like cans, plastic jugs, and bottles.
• Flatten boxboard and corrugated cardboard.
• Remove any metal components from plastic items.
• Plastic bottle caps and lids are accepted.
• Place recyclables loosely in your cart. Bagging recyclables is not necessary and discouraged.

Collection Guidelines

• Place your recycling can curbside the night before collection.
• Set your cart at least 4 feet away from cars, mailboxes, trees, overhead wires, or other obstructions.

Holiday Schedule

If your collection day falls on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, or New Year’s Day, recyclables will be picked up on your next scheduled pickup day.