Rural Collection Centers

Storm Notice

10/8/24 Update

Due to the potential for high winds from Hurricane Milton, all Alachua County Solid Waste & Resource Recovery facilities and operations will not be open to the public on Wednesday, October 9, or Thursday, October 10. This includes the Leveda Brown Environmental Park and Transfer Station, the Rural Collection Centers, the Hazardous Waste Collection Center, and the administrative offices.

Residential waste collection services including garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulky items will not be conducted on Wednesday, October 9, or Thursday, October 10. These services are expected to resume on Friday, October 11 as shown below:

• Wednesday’s routes will be collected on Friday

• Thursday’s routes will be collection on Saturday

Regular collection schedules should resume the following week.

The County’s disaster debris collection contractors will continue collecting debris from Hurricane Helene until it is no longer safe to do so. They will resume collections as soon after Hurricane Milton passes as possible.

Please bring any waste containers or items which you have placed curbside away from the street and secure them so they will not be scattered by the wind or otherwise become a hazard. For the large portion of the community who have not yet had their yard debris from Hurricane Helene collected, that material can be brought to the Leveda Brown Environmental Park or the five Rural Collection centers free of charge in advance of Hurricane Milton.

With the cleanup from Hurricane Helene just beginning and the potential for Hurricane Milton to impact Alachua County this week, Alachua County is offering residents the opportunity to dispose of yard trash at the Leveda Brown Environmental Park free of charge and lifting the volume limit on yard trash accepted at the five Rural Collection Centers. The disaster debris collection contractors and GFL will continue to go through the unincorporated portion of the County collecting debris from Hurricane Helene until it is no longer safe to do so. These opportunities are only for the time leading up to the impact of Hurricane Milton and will not extend beyond it’s arrival.

The Leveda Brown Environmental Park is open Monday-Friday from 7:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday from 7:00am to noon. It is located at:

• 5115 NE 63rd Ave in Gainesville.

The five Rural Collection Centers are open Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday 7:30am to 5:30pm and are located at:

• 19401 SW Archer Rd.

• 16929 NW US Hwy 441

• 9920 NE Waldo Rd.

• 10714 NE State Rd. 121

• 11700 SE Hawthorne Rd.

The disaster debris collection contractors are currently collecting debris from Hurricane Helene which is located on rights-of-way and in publicly accessible residential areas of unincorporated Alachua County. They began collecting debris in the most heavily affected areas on Thursday, October 3. All areas of the County are expected to be reached at least once within the first 30 days of operation. The collection vehicles are operating from 7:00am to 6:30pm Monday-Sunday and will complete multiple passes through all areas. This service is provided to all residents located in the unincorporated portion Alachua County.

Residents in the mandatory collection area can expect to see two separate collection vehicles come through for yard trash. The regular yard trash collection vehicles operated by GFL will continue to operate on their regular schedule but will only be collecting yard trash in reusable containers. Yard trash in paper lawn bags or in piles will be collected by the debris collection contractors. Yard trash in plastic bags will not be collected. To help speed up the collection efforts of the contractors, please consolidate your yard trash into a single large pile.

Please follow the below rules when placing yard trash curbside:

• Regular yard trash size and weight restrictions are waived

• Do not place yard trash in plastic bags

• Place all debris on the curb or roadside, not in the street. Do not block traffic or street access

• Do not place debris on or near utility boxes, utility lines, cable lines, telephone lines, or other obstructions. Be aware of infrastructure below the ground as well as above.

If you live in a gated community, the County is still waiting for FEMA to approve collection from your areas. While we wait for that authorization, 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.
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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 SW 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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