What Can and Cannot Go in a Dumpster in Polk County
Check the list before you load to avoid a rejected load or a surcharge. Type an item to search.
Almost everything from a renovation, cleanout or yard job is fine: furniture, lumber, drywall, shingles, concrete, carpet, mattresses and Freon-free appliances. What is not fine is anything liquid, pressurized, flammable, hazardous or containing refrigerant. Polk County accepts most of those items free at its Household Hazardous Waste facility.
Allowed in the container
- Household furniture, sofas, tables, dressers
- Mattresses and box springs
- Drywall, plaster and lumber
- Roofing shingles and underlayment
- Concrete, brick, block and pavers (dedicated 20-yard load only)
- Dirt, sand and fill (dedicated load)
- Yard waste, limbs, palm fronds, logs
- Appliances without Freon: washers, dryers, ranges, water heaters
- Carpet, padding, tile and flooring
- Cabinets, doors, windows, fixtures
- Siding, fencing and decking
- Cardboard, boxes, general household junk
- Metal, pipe, wire and scrap
- Dried-out latex paint cans
- Toilets, sinks and tubs
- Electronics, TVs and computers (small quantities)
Not allowed — hard no
- Car, truck and boat batteries
- Wet paint, stains, solvents and thinners
- Tires (car, truck, tractor)
- Hazardous chemicals, pesticides, pool chemicals
- Live animals or animal carcasses
- Gasoline, oil, antifreeze, flammable liquids
- Asbestos siding, tile or insulation
- Propane tanks, gas cylinders, fire extinguishers
- Refrigerators, freezers, AC units (Freon) — book appliance removal
- Fluorescent tubes and mercury bulbs
- Medical and biological waste
- Ammunition, fireworks, explosives
- 55-gallon drums or any bulk liquid
- Railroad ties and creosote lumber
- Radioactive material
No match. Ask us about the item — it is free to check: (863) 445-4416.
Where do prohibited items go in Polk County?
Polk County residents can take household hazardous waste to the county's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility at the North Central Landfill at no charge: auto and boat batteries, household batteries, fuel and gas cylinders, used oil and antifreeze, pesticides, mercury and fluorescent lights, flares, paint (limit 20 gallons per year) and used cooking oil. The facility phone is 863-284-4319. The county also runs periodic collection events that accept up to five tires per vehicle.
The landfill itself lists bulk liquids, pressurized tanks, commercial quantities of liquid such as 55-gallon drums, ammunition and explosives, biological waste, asbestos and radioactive waste as unacceptable, which is why those items are on our hard-no list.
Load rules that keep the price honest
- Level with the rim. Nothing sticking above the top; the truck cannot tarp an overfilled container and DOT will not let it roll.
- Heavy loads are dedicated loads. Concrete, brick, block, dirt and roofing go in their own 20-yard container so you pay the weight rate, not an overage. Concrete never goes in a 30 or 40-yard.
- Weight is measured at the scale. Included tonnage is 3 tons on a 20-yard, 4 on a 30-yard, 6 on a 40-yard. Overage is billed at the county's rate, $46 per ton for construction and demolition debris as of October 2025.
- Polk County Solid Waste Division, Household Hazardous Waste: polkfl.gov
- Polk County Landfill and Transfer Station, accepted and unacceptable materials, fees: polkfl.gov
- Polk County, "Solid Waste Disposal Fees Increased," effective Oct. 1, 2025: polkfl.gov
Last reviewed 1 September 2026. Rules change; the county pages above are the authority.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Mattresses and box springs are accepted in our containers and at the Polk County landfill. They take up a lot of room, so count each one as roughly a cubic yard when sizing.
Not wet paint. Latex paint that has been fully dried out (mix in kitty litter or a paint hardener) can go in with regular debris. Wet latex, oil-based paint, stains and solvents go to Polk County's Household Hazardous Waste facility at the North Central Landfill, free for county residents up to 20 gallons per year.
Not in the container — anything with Freon needs the refrigerant recovered first by a certified technician. Book our appliance removal and we route it to a certified recycler.
Please don't. Concrete, brick and dirt are weight-limited and billed differently; mixing them with light debris usually means an overweight container and a higher bill. Order a dedicated concrete load instead.
The landfill can reject or surcharge the whole load, and that cost passes through to you. If you are unsure about an item, ask before loading — there is no charge for the question.