Lee County Solid Waste to Begin Seasonal Adjustments to Schedule

Submitted by Publisher on

Some areas of county will see trash, recycling and yard-waste pickup begin one and a half hours earlier

Fort Myers, FL, April 22, 2026 – Residents of unincorporated Lee County, are asked to set their trash, recycling and yard waste to the curb by 5 a.m. beginning Friday, May 1.

This is 90 minutes earlier than the typical set-out time of 6:30 a.m. The seasonal change is to help the contracted haulers’ collection crews complete routes earlier in the day as summer heat arrives.

This annual seasonal adjustment does not impact the day of the week residents have their materials collected; that remains the same.

Unincorporated areas affected by the change include:  Matlacha and Pine Island

  • As a reminder,
  • Never put plastic bags or batteries in a recycle cart.
  • Household alkaline batteries, AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt and button batteries can be disposed of in your regular garbage cart.
  • Any other type of battery (rechargeable, nickel-cadmium, automotive, lithium-ion, lead-acid) should be brought to the Household Chemical Waste Facility, 6441 Topaz Court, Fort Myers.
  • Plastic bags should be recycled at designated drop‑off locations, typically available at grocery stores. They should not be put in a recycle cart.