Fort Walton Beach changes the weekly curbside routine with twice-a-week garbage collection starting October 5

Fort Walton Beach, Florida – Fort Walton Beach residents are about to see one of the biggest changes to their weekly trash routine in years: garbage trucks will now come through neighborhoods twice instead of once.

Starting Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, the city’s Sanitation Division will launch what it calls “2-1-1 Service,” giving residential customers two trash pickups, one recycling pickup and one yard waste collection each week.

The change adds a second trash day while keeping other sanitation services largely familiar.

Residents whose regular trash collection takes place on Monday will have garbage picked up on both Monday and Thursday. Customers currently served on Tuesday will move to a Tuesday-and-Friday trash schedule.

Recycling will remain a once-a-week service, but some residents may notice a different collection day beginning Oct. 5. In some neighborhoods, recycling and regular trash may now be collected on the same day.

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The city has published an updated curbside recycling route and collection schedule so residents can check when their recycling will be picked up under the new system.

Yard waste collection is not changing. Residents should continue placing yard debris at the curb for pickup on their existing scheduled day. The city asks customers to keep yard waste clear of mailboxes, above-ground utility boxes and other objects that could interfere with collection.

The new schedule also comes with reminders about where and when carts should be placed.

Trash and recycling containers should be moved to the curb the night before collection and removed from the street no later than 7 p.m. on pickup day. The city says residents should leave at least four feet of space between carts and between containers and nearby obstacles such as trees, mailboxes, light poles and above-ground utilities.

The Oct. 5 rollout means residential customers will receive four separate sanitation services each week when trash, recycling and yard waste pickups are counted together, although some may occur on the same day.

Residents who want to confirm their schedule or learn more about Fort Walton Beach sanitation services can visit fwb.org/sanitation or call 850-833-9655.