Residential: Pickup Map
In connection with Residential Garbage - Pickup Days:
West of Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard - Monday and Thursday
East of Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard - Tuesday and Friday
In connection with Curbside Residential Recycling - Pickup Days:
West of Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard - Monday
East of Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard - Tuesday
The City of Fort Myers services approximately 15,211 single-family homes and a population of about 67,851 residents. The Solid Waste Division collects approximately 15,700 tons of solid waste from residential customers each year. This means each home produces about 1.03 tons of solid waste each year.
There are 7 regular daily residential routes in the City. Each operator has two separate routes. In 1985, the Solid Waste Division began using an automated-type of collection to service residential customers. What this means is that solid waste is collected in 90-gallon containers that are lifted, not by the driver of the truck, but by the truck itself. The truck is equipped with an arm-type device that raises the containers into the air and empties the contents into a hopper area inside of the truck. By utilizing this type of service, it improves the looks of the neighborhoods in the City and also reduces the number of worker's compensation cases due to back injuries in the Solid Waste Division.
Every single-family residence within the city limits of Fort Myers is provided with a 90-gallon container for the disposal of their solid waste. The containers are on wheels for ease in moving to and from the roadside for collection.
Each residential route is designed to collect approximately 1,200 cans each. The actual number of cans serviced each day will vary since not all residents utilize the service two days per week.
The containers are collected twice per week as part of your service. Collection days are determined by your location. Homes located west of Veronica Shoemaker Blvd., are serviced on Mondays and Thursdays and homes located east of Veronica Shoemaker Blvd., are serviced on Tuesdays and Fridays. This schedule only applies to the collection of your 90-gallon solid waste container. For the schedule on other services, please refer to that particular category.
Can’s should be placed at curbside no later than 6:30 a.m. on the morning of collection. When placing your container at curbside for collection, please make sure that the container is located within 4 feet of the paved edge of the road. The container should not be placed near any obstructions such as a mailbox, trees, telephone poles, Roadway signs or other refuse containers or piles. Please make sure that the handle is away from the road. This is necessary so that when the container is emptied by the refuse truck, debris falling from the container will fall freely, without getting hung up on the lid of the container. Be sure not to overfill your container, as this will cause debris to fall from the can as it is being lifted up to the truck. If your lid does not lay flat over the top of the container, then it is overfilled. Drivers will not be responsible for any debris that is spilled due to overloading of the container.
Please do not place your container out for collection more than 24 hours in advance of your collection day. Remember to remove your container once it has been emptied. It is against City Code to leave your container sitting alongside the road.
Since the refuse trucks are automated and there is no need for the driver to get out of his truck, no items outside of your container will be collected as part of this particular service. Large items that do not fit inside of your container such as furniture, appliances and large amounts of horticultural debris are collected separately one time per week on a designated day. The day of collection for these types of material is also based on location. Please refer to the map for the collection schedule in your area, or call the Solid Waste Division at (239) 321-8050.
Keeping the can clean is the responsibility of the customer. Once in a while, you should rinse the can out with a garden hose and maybe add some bleach to get rid of any odors. At times, the wheels and lids on your containers may need to be fixed or replaced. When this happens, simply call our office and we will schedule someone to repair your container free of charge.
The rate for residential solid waste service is $228.96 per year. Included in this rate is the collection of solid waste, curbside recycling, collection of bulk items, white goods (appliances) and horticultural debris. Piles of yard waste exceeding 10 cubic yards will be charged at a rate of $26.50 per cubic yard. These charges will be added to your monthly water bill.
Commercial
The City of Fort Myers Solid Waste Division services approximately 1,600 commercial accounts such as restaurants, night clubs, department stores, schools, government offices, small businesses, apartment complexes and condominiums within the city franchise area.
The Division has 7 regular daily commercial routes. Four of these routes are designed for the collection of dumpster accounts. The dumpsters are serviced using front-end loading refuse trucks. Each truck has one operator on board. The sixth commercial route concentrates on collection mostly in the downtown area. Dumpsters aren't as widely used in this area due to confined areas and lack of space and clearance required for dumpsters. Most customers in the downtown area utilize the 90-gallon containers for the disposal of solid waste. These containers are serviced by an automated rear-loading refuse truck.
Collection for commercial accounts begins at 4:00 a.m., primarily due to working in confined spaces and traffic concerns.
Commercial customers primarily use dumpster-type containers for their trash and garbage needs. Container sizes range from 2 cubic yards to 8 cubic yards. The size of the container needed is determined by the amount of refuse a business generates, the number of employees, the type of business and the square footage of the business. Our Commercial Supervisor is available to assist you in determining which size you may need by performing a solid waste audit.
Collection varies from one pick-up per week to as many as six pick-ups per week depending on the customers' needs. The frequency of your collection will depend on the amount of refuse generated and the type of refuse generated. For example, food waste requires more frequent collection than paper waste.
Most types of trash and garbage may be disposed of in your dumpster, however, hazardous waste materials such as paint, pesticides, Construction and Demolition debris, chemicals, explosives, fluorescent light bulbs, etc. should not be placed in your dumpster. If you have a question regarding non-conforming materials you need to dispose of, please call our office for assistance.
It is the property owner's responsibility for keeping the dumpster and the area around the dumpster clean. If requested, the City will provide a steam cleaning service on your dumpster. The charge for this service is $75.00 per dumpster. Only items inside the dumpster will be collected by the refuse truck operator. The City will collect bulky items from commercial accounts at a rate of $26.50 per cubic yard as per City Code. If your container is in poor condition or if you are missing a lid or a door, the City will repair or replace your dumpster as part of your service.
In order to reduce the amount of refuse a business disposes of, the City of Fort Myers offers recycling programs to commercial customers. Some programs are free of charge, others are provided for a minimal charge. Please call our Recycling Coordinator to inquire about what type of recycling program is available for your business.
Some smaller businesses may not require the use of a dumpster. The City will provide these customers with a 90-gallon can which holds approximately ½ cubic yard of solid waste. Unfortunately, this type of service is not available in locations such as strip malls. 90-gallon containers are collected twice per week as part of your normal service. The days of service depend on the location of your business.
Large items that do not fit in your can will be collected at curbside or in another area that has been approved by one of the Sanitation Supervisors for a nominal fee of $26.50 per cubic yard. Please contact our office to schedule pick-up for large items.
The rate for collection of solid waste from commercial accounts is based on the level of service received by the customer. This is based on the size of the container and the frequency of collection. Charges for your solid waste services will appear on your monthly water bill.