One of the things that we most often get emailed about here at greenerMIAMI is "how in the heck can I recycle?" And the answer isn’t always an easy one. However, through the help of the research done by Luiz Rodrigues and ECOMB, we realized that there is a better answer.
Most of us live in apartments or condominiums in which recycling is not offered. Here’s the interesting part: it’s the law – they have to offer it. It’s been the law in Miami Dade for 15 years, in fact. And so, we’ve put together a page to get you the information you need to know in order to help that law go into effect at your residence.
If you are going to go through the process of trying to get your condo or apartment complex to recycle, please comment on this post and keep us posted throughout the whole process. Hopefully your tips and hard work will make it continually easier for the rest.
To see the details of the recycling ordinance and suggestions on how to make it work for you, please check out:
How to Get Your Condominium or Apartment Complex to Recycle.
Good luck and may the force be with you!
7 Responses to “Can’t recycle at home in Miami Dade County? Fix it.”
Recycling?. . . I’m sort of on the fence about the effectiveness of the practice, ever since watching a very entertaining 30 min observation by Penn & Teller.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC3CZBDz7Wg
Print Email Helpful?
Curbside Recycling
Miami-Dade County’s waste reduction and recycling programs have been designed to reduce waste generation and maximize recyclable material recovery. Serving nearly 320,000 homes, the Department of Solid Waste Management administers one of the nation’s largest residential curbside recycling programs. In addition to the unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, the program also serves the municipalities of Aventura, Cutler Bay, Doral, El Portal, Florida City, Medley, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Miami Springs, North Bay Village, Opa-Locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami, Sunny Isles, Surfside, Sweetwater, West Miami and Virginia Gardens.
Collection is provided to single-family homes, duplexes, tri-plexes and some cluster homes. Residents of multi-family housing units have a different recycling system. Requesting recycling bins for participating homes is now as easy as going online.
Excess materials should be placed in brown paper bags alongside your curbside bins. If your bins are missing or damaged, or you just moved in, you can order new bins online, or call our recycling contractor at 305-633-3100.
To report a missed recycling service, call our recycling contractor at 305-633-3100, our customer service number at 305-594-1500 or send us an e-mail.
Remember, whenever you recycle, avoid contamination.
Miami-Dade’s recycling efforts expand to include electronics! Click here to find out more.
What Goes In The Green Bin …
Newspapers and color inserts (without their plastic delivery bags). Place these in the bin each week.
Flattened corrugated cardboard no larger than 2 ft. x 3 ft. Place these on top of or next to the bins each week.
Household batteries, including AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, button and rechargeable batteries. Put batteries out for collection on the first recycling day of each month. They must be in a clear “zip-top” type plastic bag. The bag should be closed and placed on top of your newspapers in the green bin. Loose batteries or batteries that are too big to fit the bag will not be collected.
Phone books can be recycled on any recycling day from August through November. Place them on top of your newspapers. (Don’t include the plastic bag your new phone books come in!)
What Goes In The Blue Bin …
Aluminum food and beverage cans, such as vegetable soup, juice, and pet food containers. (Make sure they’re clean that you’ve thrown away the tin lids.)
Clear, brown and green glass food and beverage containers, such as soda, juice, wine, baby food and ketchup containers. (Discard lids and rinse. Labels are OK.)
Plastic containers with the “1″, “2″, or “3″ recycling number, such as soda, milk, juice, water containers, squeezable margarine containers and tubs, ketchup and cooking oil bottles, dishwashing and laundry detergent bottles, plus containers such as those used for shampoo, conditioners, and mouthwash. Look for the number on the bottom of the container.
Drink boxes, milk and juice cartons and “gable-top” type cartons, such as those used to package fabric softener.
Keep These Items Out Of Your Recycling Bins:
Aluminum pie tins or foil
Pizza and cereal boxes
Bubble wrap, foam or other packaging material
Window glass, ceramic glass or drinking glasses
Aerosol spray cans
Tin can lids & bottle caps
Medicine and pesticide containers
Medical waste including needles, IV bags and tubing
Miami Earth Dade
Local action on a global issue. Learn what Miami-Dade County is doing to look after the environment.
Recycling Resources
Curbside Recycling
Electronic Recycling
Business Recycling
Commercial Modified Recycling
Grasscycling
Apartment / Condominiums
Order Recycling Bins
Recycling Quick Facts
Resource Center
I live in the 8600 block of SW 43 Street in Dade County. There are 14 homes on the block and I am sure that all of them have been given the green and blue recycling bins. Only three of us them regularly. Use of these bins should be mandatory. When will Dade County get serious about recycling?
I just noticed that my plastic container from Whole Foods (Aventura) had a 5 on the bottom of it, and everything I’ve read says that Miami-Dade only recycles 1-2-3 plastics. Could it be that Whole Foods, of all places, isn’t offering recyclable plastics per region?
Rubbermaid Commercial Products sells Recycling bins and containers that are made with 30% post consumer recycled resin (plastic).
If you are trying to get your condo complex to recycle…you should also push for them to purchase these containers for everyone!
During my middle school years, we had two seperate trash containers for every class. One regular bin and a rather big blue recycling paper container. Now that I am in high school, i wanted to incoorporate these into the classrooms. How could i do that?
Do you know of a website I can find a list of recycling centers in Miami that I can drop off white copy paper?
there is a green garbage can that does not belong to me that say broken. and they always put it in my home.