Residential Recycling

Dunedin has a robust recycling program including residential mixed curbside pickup and drop-off locations. The City provides drop-off locations for other materials recycling including residential cooking oil, batteries, and textiles. These programs allow for convenient disposal while reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfills. Reducing Dunedin's waste follows the City's  Green D.R.E.A.M. Plan.

Residential trash, recycling, and yard waste curbside pickup is done once a week. To find your scheduled day, use the link below.

For commercial or multi-family support, please contact the Solid Waste Division at 727-298-3215.

Are you new to recycling? Start with these 6 tips to get the ball rolling:

1. Keep it simple! Learn what materials are accepted. Not everything you'd expect can be recycled in Dunedin's program. Use Dunedin's Recycling Guide(PDF, 2MB) to find out what you can recycle and what to throw it out. Below are some good items to start recycling:

   • Plastic items: bottles, jugs, and containers

   • Paper & Fiber items: office paper, mail, magazines, paperboard, cardboard

   • Glass items: bottles and jars

   • Metal items: cans (soup cans and soda cans)

2. Nothing smaller than your fist. No matter the materials of the product, if something is smaller than your fist, it's too small to be processed at the sorting plant. 

3. Don't rely on the recycling symbol. The recycling symbol is not regulated, so some materials cannot be recycled in Dunedin's program. Make sure to check Dunedin's Recycling Guide.

4. No tanglers! Yard debris, plastic bags, chains, wires, and other contaminates can tangle machinery and slow down the recycling sorting process. 

5. Clean, dry and loose! Ensure all items are clean, dry and loose when placing them into the recycling bin.

6. When in doubt, throw it out! If you're unsure of an item, check the guide. Still can't find it? No problem, just throw it out. Recycling the wrong materials can cause damage and slowdown of machinery in recycling centers.

Curbside Recycling

The City contracts with Waste Pro, USA (WastePro), for once per week curbside pickup of recyclables at single-family homes. Recyclables are collected together in City-owned 65-gallon rolling carts. Service days occur on the same day as garbage and yard waste curbside pickup.

Drop-off Recycling 

Recycling drop-off locations for residents in multi-family homes are open 24/7 and under surveillance. 

Locations:
Lake Haven Recycling Center - 810 Lake Haven Road, Dunedin (behind Solid Waste)

Highlander Pool - 1941 Ed Eckert Drive (South of Fire Station 61 at corner of Michigan Blvd)

Leaving any material not accepted or interfering with the recycling process is considered an illegal dump and is a fineable offence. For questions on what can and cannot be recycled, contact the Solid Waste division.

The Recycling Process

Single-stream is a collection method where all recyclable materials are intermixed. After collections, those recyclables are transported by WastePro to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). WastePro is responsible for the processing, sorting, and marketing of the City's recyclable materials. The sorted materials are eventually purchased by manufacturers to complete the recycling lifecycle.

Ensuring that no contaminants are included in your recycling will make the sorting process easier, safer, and faster! Follow the Tips & Tricks guide for more information.

Commercial & Multi-Family Recycling

The collection of on-site commercial or multi-family recyclables are available by private hauler. Providing consistent services from one business or condo to another is a challenge because of the variation of building types and layouts. The Solid Waste Division is available to help owners establish a cost-effective recycling program.

Residential Cooking Oil Drop-off

The collection of residential cooking oil (non-commercial, non-restaurant) is done by FCS Grease Demons. The used cooking oil undergoes a purification and refining process. The processed oil can be used to produce biofuels, such as biodiesel, or other industrial products. Biofuels derived from used cooking oil are considered a more sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. 

Cooking oil drop-off is located at 810 Lake Haven Road, Dunedin. The drop-off facility is open 24/7 and under surveillance.

Leaving any material not accepted or interfering with the recycling process is considered an illegal dump and is a fineable offence. For questions on what can and cannot be recycled, contact the Solid Waste division.

Why Is It Important?

• Saves You Money. Improper disposal of used cooking oil can clog drains and pipes, leading to costly damages at a home owner's expense. 

• Reduces Environmental Impact. Improper disposal of used cooking oil, such as pouring it down the drain or into the environment, can lead to pollution of water sources and harm aquatic ecosystems. Collecting and recycling used cooking oil helps prevent environmental damage. 

• Produces Renewable Energy. Processing used cooking oil into biofuels provides a renewable energy source. Biodiesel produced from recycled cooking oil can be used in transportation, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. 

• Reduces Waste. Recycling used cooking oil helps reduce the amount of waste entering landfills or causing blockages in sewage systems. 

Battery Drop-off

The City collects batteries through partnership with Call2Recycle to recover valuable metals that are used to make new products like silverware, new batteries, pots and pans, and more. Recycling batteries prevents them from ending up in landfills where toxic metals could enter the waste stream and harm the environment.

Battery drop-off is located at our Solid Waste Office, 1070 Virginia Street, Dunedin. We accept drop-offs Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

What Do We Accept? 

• Rechargeable batteries up to 11 lbs. and under 300 watt hours. The rechargeable batteries can contain Lithium Ion, Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride, Nickel Zinc, and Small Sealed Lead Acid. 
• Single-use (primary) batteries. These single-use batteries can contain Alkaline, Button and Coin Cell, Carbon Zinc, and Lithium Primary. 
• We accept most cell phone batteries. 

What We Cannot Accept

Damaged or defective batteries, batteries part of a recall, wet-cell batteries, batteries over 11 lbs., or high energy batteries over 300 watt hours are not eligible for collection. 

Cloth & Fabric Drop-off

The collection of textiles, including any type of cloth or fabric material, is operated by Suncoast Textile Recycling. Collected materials are gathered and shipped overseas to be sold in second-hand clothing stores in third-world countries. 

Cloth and fabric drop-off is located at 810 Lake Haven Road, Dunedin or at 1941 Ed Eckert Drive, Dunedin. Both drop-off locations are open 24/7 and under surveillance.

Leaving any material not accepted or interfering with the recycling process is considered an illegal dump and is a fineable offence. For questions on what can and cannot be recycled, contact the Solid Waste division.

What Do We Accept?

Clothes and fabric items that are generally in good or wearable condition are accepted. Including wearable clothing, wearable shoes, usable purses, usable backpacks, usable belts, bed sheets, towels, pillow cases, and blankets. 

What We Cannot Accept

Clothing and fabric that is heavily used or in poor condition are not accepted. We do not accept pillows, cushions, and furniture.