Lakeland Landfill, Dump & Recycling — Hours, Fees & What They Take
Polk County publishes its whole fee schedule, which makes Lakeland easy to plan a trip in. One thing changed recently: residents now drop off at the North Central Transfer Station, not the landfill, which is for commercial haulers only. Garbage is $48.30 a ton, yard trash $38.33, scrap metal $27.50. Two lines are worth reading twice: a fridge with the Freon still in it costs nearly double one without, and the county has locked in a 5% rise every year for the next five years, starting October 1, 2026.
Construction & demolition — $48.30/ton (since Oct. 1, 2026)
Yard trash — $38.33/ton (since Oct. 1, 2026)
Scrap metal — $27.50/ton
$10 minimum on every load
For: Polk County residents in cars, small trucks, or with utility or enclosed trailers
This is the residents' entrance. Polk County now reserves the North Central Landfill itself for commercial haulers and sends residents here, on the north side of the landfill off K-Ville Avenue. Out-of-county waste isn't accepted. Cash, check, debit or credit. All loads must be secured.
Residents are redirected to the Transfer Station above. The landfill is now used only by commercial haulers carrying waste from inside Polk County. Loads must be covered and secured, and everyone must wear proper PPE. Waste from outside the county needs prior written approval from the Board of County Commissioners.
Accepts: Household chemicals, Electronics, Paint, Pesticides, Used oil, filters & antifreeze, Fuel and gas containers up to 5 gallons, Propane
Two mornings a week, that's it. Friday morning and Saturday morning. If you've got paint, solvents or chemicals to shift, this is the constraint to plan the weekend around.
Residents use the North Central Transfer Station: Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., closed Sunday. The landfill's longer 7-to-5 weekday hours are for commercial haulers only.
The 12:30 p.m. Saturday close is the tight one. A Saturday run needs to start in the morning, not after lunch. Both sites close on major holidays, including Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
What it costs to dump in Polk County
The county publishes its full schedule. These are the current rates. Garbage, construction debris and yard trash rise on October 1, 2026:
Material
Rate per ton
Garbage / trash (Class 1)
$48.30 (since Oct. 1, 2026)
Construction & demolition debris
$48.30 (since Oct. 1, 2026)
Yard trash
$38.33 (since Oct. 1, 2026)
Scrap metal
$27.50
White goods without Freon (must be empty)
$27.50
White goods with Freon (must be empty)
$50.00
Passenger tires, with or without rim — max 24 per visit, residents only
$300.00
Equipment / off-road tires
$175.00
Special handling materials
$175.00
Single-wide mobile homes, campers & RVs
$495.00 per side
Minimum fee, any load
$10.00
From Polk County's published Accepted Materials and Fee Schedule. Confirm on (863) 284-4319 before an unusual load.
Plan for the escalator. When the commissioners approved these rates they also approved an annual 5% increase for the next five years. That's not speculation — it's in the resolution. Garbage went from $46 to $48.30 on October 1, 2026 and, at 5% a year, reaches about $58.70 by 2030. If you're pricing a multi-year project or a rental portfolio, build that in.
Where the savings actually are
Get the Freon out first — it nearly halves the price. A fridge, freezer or A/C unit is $27.50/ton without refrigerant and $50/ton with. Federal law requires refrigerant to be recovered by a certified technician anyway; doing it before the trip turns a compliance step into a 45% discount. They must also arrive empty. See our appliance disposal guide.
Pull the metal out. Scrap metal is $27.50 against $48.30 for mixed garbage — 43% less. An old bed frame, some shelving and a broken grill weigh more than you'd think.
Separate the yard trash. $38.33 against $48.30 is a 21% saving on every pound of branches and clippings that doesn't ride in the general load.
Think hard about tires. Passenger tires are $300 a ton at the Transfer Station, but only $5 each at the Northeast convenience center in Haines City. They're capped at 24 tires per visit, residents only, no commercial vendors. Our tire disposal guide covers the alternatives.
Rules and what they won't take
Polk County refuses a specific list outright: bulk liquids, pressurized tanks, commercial quantities of liquids (55-gallon drums), ammunition and explosives, biological waste, asbestos and radioactive waste.
Two site rules worth knowing before you arrive:
All incoming loads must be secured. Tarp and strap it.
Smoking and salvaging are strictly prohibited at the landfill. No picking through what's already tipped.
Out-of-county waste needs a commission vote. The Transfer Station doesn't accept out-of-county waste at all, and the landfill won't take waste generated outside Polk County without prior written approval from the Board of County Commissioners.
Haul it yourself, or hire junk removal? — Lakeland
At $48.30 a ton with a $10 minimum, self-hauling is reasonable for anything you can sort. The friction here is the 12:30 Saturday close and the two-morning hazardous waste window:
Haul it yourself — cheapest by a long way if you have a vehicle and can lift it. The gate rates above are the whole cost.
Junk-removal crew — they carry it out and haul it off, which matters most for appliances (where the Freon rule applies) and anything needing special handling at $175/ton.
Find a drop-off near you
Enter your ZIP or city for the nearest disposal sites across Polk County and central Florida.
$48.30/ton for garbage and construction debris, $38.33 yard trash and $27.50 scrap metal, with a $10 minimum on every load. Garbage, construction debris and yard trash went up on October 1, 2026, the first of the 5% yearly increases the County approved for five years. At the Northeast convenience center in Haines City, residents pay a flat $10 a carload.
Why does a fridge cost more to dump in Polk County?
The refrigerant. White goods without Freon are $27.50/ton; with Freon still in them, $50/ton — nearly double. They must also be empty. Having the refrigerant recovered first roughly halves the cost.
What are the North Central Landfill hours?
Residents now use the North Central Transfer Station on K-Ville Avenue: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., closed Sunday. The landfill itself (7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays) is for commercial haulers only.
Where do I take paint and chemicals in Polk County?
The Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 5 Environmental Loop South, Winter Haven. No fee for residents. Open two mornings a week only: Friday 8 a.m. to noon and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Can I bring waste from outside Polk County?
Not to the Transfer Station, which only takes Polk County residents' waste. The landfill won't accept out-of-county waste without prior written approval from the Board of County Commissioners.
How many tires can I bring?
No more than 24 per visit at $300 a ton, residents only, no commercial vendors. At the Northeast Landfill convenience center in Haines City, residents pay $5 a tire.
