Rural Collection Centers

Residential Vegetative Storm Debris Drop-off Sites

The two residential drop-off sites for vegetative debris from Hurricane Helene will close at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, 2024. For any residents wishing to use these sites before they are closed, please remember to bring proof of residence, such as a utility bill and a driver’s license with a matching address.

Please follow these important rules:

  • Alachua County residents only – you must provide proof of residence. A utility bill and a driver’s license with a matching address are required.
  • No debris from commercial parcels
  • No commercial debris removal companies
  • Vegetative hurricane debris only

The Sites are located at:

  • NW Landfill – 15530 NW 173rd St, Alachua, FL
  • SW Landfill – 19401 SW Archer Rd, Archer, FL (Archer Rural Collection Center site)

Hours: Monday – Sunday from 7:30 am – 6:30 pm

Storm Debris Collection Update

To help prepare for the second and final pass, we are asking residents to follow these important guidelines:

Final Debris Placement Deadline

All hurricane-related vegetative debris must be placed curbside by Nov. 22, 2024. Areas where this debris is collected after Nov. 22 will be considered fully cleared. Contractors will not make additional passes to collect storm debris in these areas. To help speed up the collection efforts of the contractors, please consolidate your vegetative storm debris into a single large pile.

Non-Hurricane Yard Waste Collection

Starting Nov. 25, GFL (the county's waste collection hauler) will resume regular yard waste collections for non-hurricane debris. Please ensure that all yard waste complies with the following size and weight restrictions:

  • No items over 5 feet in length
  • No items with a diameter greater than 8 inches
  • No item with a weight greater than 40 pounds
  • All loose material in paper lawn bags or reusable containers

If you live in a gated community, please have your Home Owner’s Association reach out to the County at 352-338-3233 to complete a right-of-entry agreement. This document is required by FEMA and must be completed if your community wants the County’s contractors to collect debris from Hurricane Helene. The form can be downloaded here. Completed forms can be emailed to wastecollection@alachuacounty.us .

Illegal Dumping Reminder

The county has seen an increase in vegetative debris being dumped on public rights-of-way, away from the homes where it was collected. This practice is illegal and violators may face penalties

Thank you for your cooperation as we complete this critical cleanup effort.

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Alachua County’s Rural Collection Centers (RCCs)
Alachua County’s Rural Collection Centers (RCCs)

Image of Collection center attendant Helping customer alongside trash compactor. 

Alachua County’s Rural Collection Centers (RCCs) serve Alachua County residents.

The five Rural Collection Centers are rural, regional facilities for the collection of recycling, solid waste, yard trash, bulk items and household hazardous waste. These facilities are for residential use. The centers are staffed by Solid Waste and Resource Recovery employees during all operating hours.

  • If you live outside the county, please see the attendant for information about a residential Out-of-County Use Permit.


  • Commercially generated waste is prohibited. Please visit the Leveda Brown Environmental Park and Transfer Station for more information on disposing of commercial waste.​

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Alachua County’s Rural Collection Centers (RCC) locations
Alachua County’s Rural Collection Centers (RCC) locations
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What can I drop off at a RCC?
What can I drop off at a RCC?

Recycling

  • Cardboard (please ensure cardboard is dry & flattened)
  • Paper: junk mail, newspaper, magazines, paste board (i.e. cereal boxes)
  • Commingled containers: plastic bottles/jars, plastic yogurt/margarine tubs, aluminum, steel & tin containers, glass bottles/jars.

 **No plastic bags, food trays, any black plastics, plastic cups, plant-based plastics, plastic toys, tubs or Styrofoam. Also, please no Clamshell (blueberry etc.) take-out, petroleum product, pool chemical or pesticide containers. ​

Garbage

Please place trash bags in available compactor or in dumpster if directed. Please refrain form leaving items outside the gate if the center is closed.

Yard Waste

Leaves, Grass Clippings, Brush and Small Tree Limbs.

Please remove yard waste from plastic bags before recycling.

Please do not include: Boards, Lumber, Rocks, Fencing, Pallets, Toys, Furniture, or plastic bags.

Bulk Metals Recycling

Washers & Dryers, Stoves, Grills, Filing Cabinets, Metal Exercise Machines, Metal Patio Furniture, Metal Roofing, Bicycles, and Lawn Mowers & Other Gas-Powered Equipment

(Please Empty Gas & Oil - Attendant’s Must Check Gas Powered Items)

Rural Collection Centers cannot accept: Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, Water Coolers, Dehumidifiers, Metal Fencing, or Intact Metal Sheds. To recycle these items please take them to The Leveda Brown Environmental Park

Household Hazardous Waste

Oil filters, fluorescent lamps, rechargeable batteries, vehicle/boat batteries, computer equipment, electronics, and up to five gallons of waste oil and old paint per day are accepted. No items can be removed from the Household Hazardous Waste Area at any of the RCCs.

Reuse Area

Place any gently used items (such as toys, pots and pans, furniture, etc.) in the Reuse Area for other RCC patrons. Only 15-minute visit per day per customer. All items in the Reuse Area are FREE to Alachua County residents. 

Load Limits

One visit per day to one of the five RCCs. The load limit is one level truck bed per day of any combination of bagged household garbage, yard waste or any other acceptable item.​

Image showing two trucks. One has a level load and the other is overflowing with garbage.

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What are the hours of the RCCs?
What are the hours of the RCCs?

7:30am – 5:30 pm every Monday, Tuesday, Friday, & Saturday.

NOTE: Closed on Sunday, Wednesday, & Thursday

The RCCs are closed on the following holidays:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King, JR. Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independance Day
  • Labor Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day.
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As part of a pilot project, the Alachua/High Springs Center will also be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 pm until 5:30 pm.
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Contact Information for RCCs
Contact Information for RCCs
 
Archer Rural Collection Center
19401 SW Archer Road 
Archer, FL 32618
Phone: (352) 495-3257

Alachua/High Springs Rural Collection Center
16929 NW US Highway 441
High Springs, FL 32643
Phone: (386) 454-2563

Fairbanks Rural Collection Center
9920 NE Waldo Road
Gainesville, FL 32609
Phone: (352) 334-3873

North Central Rural Collection Center
10714 N SR 121
Gainesville, FL 32653
Phone: (352) 334-3875

Phifer Rural Collection Center
11700 SE Hawthorne Road
Gainesville, FL 32640
Phone: (352) 334-3874​
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