Residential Recycling & Garbage

Mission
Mission
Orange and Blue Recycling Bins filled with recycling and placed on the curb

To provide courteous and effective waste collection services to citizens of Alachua County, and to help those citizens manage and reduce their household waste.​​

For Curbside services, click here.​

Download our Let's Talk Trash brochure​.

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Litter
Litter

Image showing person throwing litter from a car window

Littering is an issue that Alachua County and most other communities face every day. It is estimated that in America nearly 56 billion pieces of litter end up on our roadways, in our creeks, and around our neighborhoods every year (Keep America Beautiful). Help us reduce litter and create a heathier, cleaner, more attractive environment.

Common sources of roadside litter

  • ​Improperly secured truck or trailer loads
  • Loose trash in garbage bins and dumpsters
  • Thrown out of vehicles
  • Dropped by pedestrians

Value of a litter free community

  • ​Healthier environment
  • Reduced crime
  • Increased property values
  • More attractive for new businesses
  • Reduced expense for litter pickup and disposal

What you can do to help reduce litter

  • ​Keep a trash bag in your vehicle to contain waste
  • Make sure to properly cover and secure truck and trailer loads to prevent flyaways
  • Educate your family on the importance of responsible waste management
  • If you are a smoker, keep an ashtray on hand. Do not flick your cigarette butts!
  • When you see litter, be a role model and pick it up!

And, best of all…

Volunteer with one of the groups listed below

  • ​Keep Alachua County Beautiful does cleanups of parks and communities within Alachua County and is always seeking volunteers. Call (352) 371-9444 or visit www.kacb.org/ for more information
  • Current Problems performs regular cleanups of our waterways in North Florida. You can volunteer by calling (352)222-6727 or visiting their website at www.currentproblems.org/.
  • Alachua County Forever matches volunteers with cleanups in your area. Call 352-264-6800 for details.
  • The Adopt-A-Street Program asks volunteer groups to clean up litter on sections of road within the City of Gainesville. If you are interested in participating, contact the Solid Waste Division at 352-393-7964.
  • Florida Department of Transportation provides volunteers an opportunity to make a difference in their community by "adopting" a two-mile section of State Highway for two years and providing removal of litter at least four times a year. For more information on the FDOT program call 1-800-BAN-LITT (ER) or visit https://www2.dot.state.fl.us/adoptahighway/ .

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Recycling Lights and Cords
Recycling Lights and Cords

​​​The Alachua County Office of Waste Alternative reminds residents that they can recycle holiday light strings free of charge at the five Alachua County Rural Collection Centers, the Alachua County Hazardous Waste Collection Center located at the Leveda Brown Environmental Park, and the Gainesville Public Works Department all year round. Holiday lights contain brass, copper, and plastic, and will ultimately get recycled into new items.

Holiday lights recycling hours and addresses:

The Rural Collection Centers
Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Alachua/High Springs (16929 N.W. US Hwy 441)
Archer (19401 S.W. Archer Road)
Fairbanks (9920 N.E. Waldo Road)
North Central (10714 N. SR 121)
Phifer (11700 S.E. Hawthorne Road)

Alachua County Hazardous Waste Collection Center - Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.
5125 N.E. 63rd Ave., Gainesville

Alachua County Waste Alternatives Manager Patrick Irby said, “As you hang lights this holiday season, you may find that some of them need to be discarded or upgraded. This keeps unwanted or broken holiday lights out of the landfill.”

For more information, contact the Alachua County Office of Waste Alternatives at 352-338-3233.

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Contact

  • Waste Collection
  • 5620 NW 120th Lane
  • Gainesville, FL 32653
  • Phone: 352-338-3233
  • TDD/TTY users, please call 711 (Florida Relay Service)
  • Office Hours
    Monday - Thursday
    7:00am-5:30pm
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