All commercially-collected waste generators in the City of Gainesville are required to arrange garbage collection services with one of the private companies authorized (franchised) to provide commercial solid waste services within the city. This includes construction and demolition debris collection and disposal services to properties within the City of Gainesville. Commercially-collected generators includes but is not limited to, businesses such as hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, retail stores, offices, institutions, apartments, and condominiums.
All commercially-collected waste generators in the City of Gainesville are required to recycle designated materials as specified by the city’s Mandatory Commercial Recycling Ordinance. Commercially-collected generators includes but is not limited to, businesses such as hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, retail stores, offices, institutions, apartments, and condominiums.
It is unlawful to provide commercial service or containers for garbage or construction and demolition debris collection and disposal to properties in the City of Gainesville without an approved and valid franchise issued by the city (City of Gainesville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 27, Article III). Franchises can be exclusive or non-exclusive, and the city reserves the right to grant similar rights or franchises to more than one person or corporation. Additionally, any person collecting, transporting, conveying or processing recovered materials in the city must register with the city as a recovered materials collector.
Commercial Garbage Collectors
Companies providing commercial garbage collection or transporting services must have an approved franchise agreement to do so within the City of Gainesville. Garbage generally includes all putrescible and non-putrescible waste, including but not limited to: garbage, trash, furniture, and other household goods. Garbage does not include hazardous waste, biomedical waste, or yard waste.
Commercial franchisees providing commercial service shall pay as compensation to the city, for the rights and benefits granted hereunder, a monthly fee of ten percent (10%) of gross revenues from the sale or lease of containers, from garbage and trash collection services, from all disposal billed, from late fees, from bad debt recoveries and from other fees collected from customers, with no deductions except for bad debts actually written off.
Commercial Garbage & Trash Collection Franchise Forms:
Constructions & Demolition Debris Collectors
Companies providing commercial construction and demolition debris collection or transporting services must have an approved franchise agreement to do so within the City of Gainesville. Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris generally includes non-water soluble and non-hazardous waste including, but not limited to: steel, glass, brick, concrete, asphalt roofing material, pipe, gypsum wallboard, and lumber, from the construction or destruction of a structure as part of a construction or demolition project or from the renovation of a structure. Mixing construction and demolition debris with other types of solid waste will cause the waste to be classified as other than construction and demolition debris.
Commercial franchisees providing commercial C&D services shall pay as compensation to the city, for the rights and benefits granted hereunder, an annual fee based on the vehicle type.
Commercial C&D Collection Non-exclusive Franchise Forms:
Registered Recovered Materials Collectors
Companies, including commercial collection franchised haulers, that collect, transport, convey or process recovered materials must have a registration certificate issued from the City of Gainesville. Recovered material includes: metal, paper (cardboard, office paper, etc.), glass, textile, and non-tire rubber materials. Recovered materials source-separated or removed from the solid waste stream have known recycling potential. Recovered materials, as described above, does not include garbage, trash, yard waste, food waste, or construction and demolition debris.
Registration of Recovered Materials Collectors Forms:
Helpful Franchise Related Links
Download Guidelines & Specs(PDF, 803KB)
Residential Properties (Single Family, Duplexes, Quadraplexes)
- All residences should have curbside access to a city street so refuse won’t have to be placed on someone else’s property for collection.
- Residences of 4 units or less under one roof will use the residential cart system unless they successfully petition for approval to opt out of the system.
- Cul-de-sacs should have a minimum 180 degree turning radius of 80 feet to accommodate collection vehicles.
- Single lane roads or alleys should be at least 12 feet wide with a minimum 90 degree turning radius of 40 feet.
Residential Apartments or Condos (Multi-family Properties)
- Collection vehicles must have safe access through the complex or room to turn around so they won’t have to back out blindly into the street.
- If trash carts are to be used, will they be accessible to ASL’s or will there be parked cars in the way?
- If dumpsters are to be used, will enclosures must be large enough to accommodate containers for garbage and recycling (which are mandatory)?
- A 10’ x 10’ enclosure will hold one dumpster. A 10’ x 15’ enclosure will hold one dumpster and some carts for recycling. A 10’ x 20’ enclosure will hold a dumpster for garbage and one for recycling.
- Where will bulk be stored and collected from?
- Is there sufficient refuse and recycling capacity? Apartments & condos can be expected to generate 1.5 to 2 cubic yards per unit per month.
- City ordinance requires refuse to be collected at least once per week. (Compactors are exempt from this requirement.)
Commercial Properties
- Collection vehicles must have safe access through the complex or room to turn around so they won’t have to back out blindly into the street.
- Front-loaders and roll-off trucks require overhead clearance of 24 feet to service containers.
- Dumpsters designed to be rolled out onto the street or right-of-way for collection are undesirable and should only be used as a last resort.
- Commercial recycling is mandatory. See above for sufficient size of dumpster enclosure.
Below are different versions of recycling educational signs that are free to download and to be used to promote proper recycling at businesses. These signs are separated based on the type of recycling collection service provided (dual stream or single stream) and the signs contain all the designated recyclables materials as required by the City of Gainesville's Mandatory Commercial Recycling Ordinance. Property managers can download and printout these signs to place in and around recycling collection areas.