Get in the Green: Recycling in Multi-Family Buildings

More than half of Fort Lauderdale neighbors live in multi-family buildings, making them vital contributors to our recycling goals.

Recycling in this environment has its challenges. Older buildings may have a single chute system. Recycling dumpsters may be located far from some residents. Small apartments have limited storage for staging recyclables. Private haulers may seem to have their own guidelines. Yet recycling is just as possible in a multi-family environment as it is in a single family house.

This section of our website has customized information for apartment dwellers, as well as for associations and property managers and owners.

It's the Law!

Recycling in multi-family buildings has been mandatory since 1999 and is governed by our City waste ordinance C-95-36. That means it is required for every apartment complex, condominium and other multi-family property to provision recycling services to all occupants. Properties without recycling service contracts are subject to review by City of Fort Lauderdale compliance officers and may receive warnings and citations.

Get in the Green

In 2014, we undertook a major initiative to expand recycling in multi-family buildings. Get in the Green was a rebate and education program aimed at beginning recycling in buildings that didn't offer it, and expanding recycling in buildings that already had a program. Over 150 properties shared more than $77,000 in rebates and used them to start or update service contracts. As a result, over 65% of multi-family properties in the City of Fort Lauderdale now provision recycling service, and we will continue to work with the remainder. We congratulate all of our program participants, and we urge all managers and owners who have yet to comply to "Get in the Green." Contact our Solid Waste Coordinator at (954) 828-4245 for assistance.