Trash and recycling pickup in Ponte Vedra Beach: schedule, holidays

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Facts on this page come from the St. Johns County Solid Waste Division, its garbage collection and drop-off page, its recycling page and its yard waste page.

Ponte Vedra Beach is unincorporated, so trash pickup comes from St. Johns County, not a city. The county’s Solid Waste Division runs the program and FCC Environmental Services has been the only residential curbside hauler since Aug. 1, 2024. Garbage, recycling and yard waste are each picked up once a week. Call the Solid Waste Division at 904-827-6980 with any question.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, new recycling cart or appliance pickup: St. Johns County Solid Waste Division, 904-827-6980, or SolidWaste@sjcfl.us. The office at 2750 Industry Center Road, St. Augustine, is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
• Find your pickup days: the county’s Recycle Coach page or the free Recycle Coach app
• Shredding event questions: FCC Environmental Services, 904-750-4066
• Emergencies: 911

What day is my pickup?

The county does not publish one citywide day for Ponte Vedra Beach. Each address has its own schedule for garbage, recycling and yard waste. Look it up in the Recycle Coach tool, which also sends reminders, or call the Solid Waste Division.

New residents do not need to start service. The county says curbside collection is paid through the solid waste non-ad valorem assessment on the property tax bill, which covers once-a-week garbage, recycling and yard waste pickup. See our guide to St. Johns County property taxes for when that bill is due.

The county’s rules for setting out garbage:

• Everything goes out by 6 a.m. on your collection day, with garbage, recycling and yard waste kept separate.
• Cans and bags go within 3 to 5 feet of the edge of the road.
• You buy your own garbage cans. FCC does not supply them. Bag household garbage or use cans that keep animals and wind out.
• No can or bag may weigh more than 50 pounds. Loose garbage, other than bulky items, is not collected.
• Garbage set out in front of a vacant lot is not collected.
• Tires, construction debris and household hazardous waste are never collected at the curb.

Holiday schedule

There is no garbage, recycling or yard waste collection on these three holidays, the county says. Use Recycle Coach or call 904-827-6980 for how your route is handled that week.

Both county transfer stations are closed on the same three days.

Recycling: “Take Five”

Recycling goes loose, not bagged, in the county recycling cart, placed no more than 3 feet from the curb and clear of parked cars, mailboxes and poles so the truck’s arm can lift it. Labels and caps can stay on; items should be empty, clean and dry. The five groups, from the county’s Take Five flyer:

1. Paper and cardboard: newspapers, magazines, books, catalogs, junk mail, office paper, cereal and food boxes. Flattened cardboard cut into 3-by-3-foot pieces can go beside the cart.
2. Plastic containers: clean food and drink containers, soap bottles and jugs, empty pill bottles.
3. Cartons: milk, juice, soup, broth and wine cartons.
4. Glass: clear, green and brown bottles and jars only.
5. Metal: aluminum and metal food and drink containers.

Keep out: plastic bags and film, holiday lights, wire, electronics, bubble wrap, toys, hangers, packing peanuts, garden hoses, food waste, foam, diapers, mirrors and ceramics. To request or replace a recycling cart, call 904-827-6980.

Yard waste and large items

Yard waste is picked up on your standard collection day:

• Leaves, grass clippings and twigs must be bagged, bundled or in a can of 32 gallons or less, under 50 pounds.
• Branches, shrubs and stumps no longer than 6 feet and under 50 pounds go in small, neat stacks. A pile that has to be pulled apart is not collected.
• Not yard waste: whole trees, land-clearing debris, fencing, landscape timbers, hoses, planters and yard decorations.
• Do not blow leaves into the street or storm drains.

Large items such as couches, sectionals, mattresses and household furniture go at the curb next to your regular garbage. Appliances are collected only by appointment; call the Solid Waste Division to schedule one.

Transfer stations, paint and electronics

St. Johns County residents with proof of residence (a driver’s license with a county address) can bring household garbage, hazardous waste and appliances to either transfer station:

• Stratton Road Transfer Station: 250 N. Stratton Road, St. Augustine
• Tillman Ridge Transfer Station: 3005 Allen Nease Road, Elkton

Both are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Household hazardous waste such as motor oil, pool chemicals, pesticides, car batteries and propane cylinders, and old electronics such as TVs, computers and printers, are taken free. Paint, fluorescent bulbs, tires and pressure-treated wood carry a fee, cash or check only; the county’s rate table lists them. Flattened cardboard is taken free at the cardboard drop-off at both stations.

Lithium-ion batteries from phones, laptops, vapes and tools can start fires in garbage trucks. Keep them out of both carts and take them to a drop-off or a store take-back bin.

Free shredding in Ponte Vedra Beach

The county is holding a free shredding and lithium battery collection event from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd., its event page says. Bring personal papers, files and household lithium-ion batteries; no binders, cardboard or business waste.

What this means for you

• Look up your own pickup days in Recycle Coach; there is no single day for the whole area.
• Buy your own garbage cans and keep each one under 50 pounds.
• Plan for no pickup on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Call 904-827-6980 before putting an appliance at the curb.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Ponte Vedra Beach?

Each address has its own weekly schedule for garbage, recycling and yard waste. Look it up by address in St. Johns County’s free Recycle Coach app or website, or call the Solid Waste Division at 904-827-6980.

Is there trash pickup on holidays in St. Johns County?

There is no garbage, recycling or yard waste collection on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. The county’s two transfer stations are also closed on those days.

How do I get rid of a couch or mattress in Ponte Vedra Beach?

Put large items such as couches, mattresses and furniture at the curb next to your regular garbage on your pickup day. Appliances need a scheduled pickup: call 904-827-6980.

Do I need to sign up for trash service in Ponte Vedra Beach?

No. Curbside collection is paid through the solid waste non-ad valorem assessment on your St. Johns County property tax bill, and it covers once-a-week garbage, recycling and yard waste pickup.

Who collects trash in Ponte Vedra Beach?

FCC Environmental Services has been the only residential curbside hauler in St. Johns County since Aug. 1, 2024, under contract with the county’s Solid Waste Division.