Florida’s plastic pollution picture includes both large reported quantities of plastic bottles and uneven recycling results across counties. The Florida DEP’s 2023 county data records reported plastic-bottle tons and recycled tons, while NOAA and Florida DEP sources provide context on coastal debris and one documented cleanup.
Table of contents
- What the 2023 county data measures
- The counties reporting the most plastic bottles
- Where reported recycling rates were highest
- Counties with the lowest reported recycling results
- A broader look across Florida counties
- Florida’s coastline and marine debris
What the 2023 county data measures
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s source, 2023 Plastic Bottles, Aluminum & Steel Cans, Glass, reports two related quantities for each county: tons of plastic bottles reported and tons recycled. It also supplies a displayed recycling rate for each county. These figures refer to calendar year 2023 and to county-level reporting; they are not a statewide estimate of every plastic item entering Florida’s environment.
The distinction matters. A county can report a large amount of plastic bottles and still recycle a relatively small share. Conversely, a smaller county can report a higher percentage even when its recycled tonnage is modest. The rate shown below is the source’s reported rate, including its displayed rounding.
The supplied research record identifies this Florida DEP material as legacy research that was not independently verified. The figures should therefore be read as reported source values, with the measurement year and geography kept explicit.
The counties reporting the most plastic bottles
Among the listed Florida counties, Miami-Dade County reported the largest quantity in 2023: 137,457 tons of plastic bottles. It recycled 1,015 tons, with a reported recycling rate of 1%. Broward County reported 48,966 tons and recycled 931 tons, also showing a 2% rate. Hillsborough County reported 61,364 tons and recycled 1,278 tons, with a 2% rate.
Palm Beach County reported 66,490 tons and recycled 6,355 tons, producing a 10% reported rate. Orange County reported 46,769 tons and recycled 3,251 tons, with a 7% rate. Lee County reported 49,921 tons but recycled 224 tons, with a displayed rate of 0%.
The comparison below keeps the source’s units and reported rates together.
| County | Plastic bottles reported in 2023 | Tons recycled | Reported rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | 137,457 tons | 1,015 tons | 1% |
| Palm Beach | 66,490 tons | 6,355 tons | 10% |
| Hillsborough | 61,364 tons | 1,278 tons | 2% |
| Lee | 49,921 tons | 224 tons | 0% |
| Broward | 48,966 tons | 931 tons | 2% |
| Orange | 46,769 tons | 3,251 tons | 7% |
The remaining larger reported quantities in the source include Duval County at 32,712 tons and 4,134 tons recycled, with a 13% rate; Polk County at 24,684 tons and 2,021 tons recycled, with an 8% rate; and Pinellas County at 20,873 tons and 809 tons recycled, with a 4% rate.
Brevard County reported 17,740 tons and recycled 368 tons, a 2% rate. Monroe County reported 11,814 tons and recycled 174 tons, a 1% rate. Escambia County reported 11,565 tons and recycled 123 tons, also a 1% rate. St. Lucie County reported 10,349 tons and recycled 2,362 tons, a 23% rate, while Walton County reported 9,587 tons and recycled 0 tons, a 0% rate.
Where reported recycling rates were highest
The highest displayed rate in the county records was Manatee County’s 25%. Manatee reported 9,327 tons of plastic bottles and recycled 2,319 tons. St. Lucie County followed with a reported 23% rate from 10,349 tons reported and 2,362 tons recycled. Clay County also reported 23%, from 7,202 tons and 1,674 tons recycled.
Alachua County reported 21%, with 6,909 tons of plastic bottles and 1,423 tons recycled. St. Johns County reported 20%, with 8,501 tons and 1,711 tons recycled. Sarasota County reported 17%, with 21,317 tons and 3,548 tons recycled. Martin County reported 14%, with 7,109 tons and 964 tons recycled, and Duval County reported 13% as noted above.
| County | Plastic bottles reported | Tons recycled | Reported rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manatee | 9,327 tons | 2,319 tons | 25% |
| St. Lucie | 10,349 tons | 2,362 tons | 23% |
| Clay | 7,202 tons | 1,674 tons | 23% |
| Alachua | 6,909 tons | 1,423 tons | 21% |
| St. Johns | 8,501 tons | 1,711 tons | 20% |
| Sarasota | 21,317 tons | 3,548 tons | 17% |
Several other counties reported rates in the middle of that range. Hernando County reported 7,835 tons and recycled 889 tons, an 11% rate. Putnam County reported 2,209 tons and recycled 233 tons, also an 11% rate. Volusia County reported 19,439 tons and recycled 2,000 tons, a 10% rate, matching Collier County’s 10% from 7,529 tons reported and 780 tons recycled. Leon County reported 7,563 tons and recycled 776 tons, also a 10% rate.
Counties with the lowest reported recycling results
The source displays a 0% recycling rate for several counties. Bay County reported 6,392 tons of plastic bottles and recycled 0 tons. Walton County reported 9,587 tons and recycled 0 tons. Suwannee County reported 3,366 tons and recycled 0 tons. Hendry County reported 2,600 tons and recycled 0 tons, while DeSoto County reported 3,343 tons and recycled 0 tons.
Baker County reported 1,325 tons and recycled 0 tons. Flagler County reported 5,631 tons and recycled 2 tons, with a displayed 0% rate. Highlands County reported 3,688 tons and recycled 10 tons, also displaying 0%. Columbia County reported 3,508 tons and recycled 14 tons, with a displayed 0% rate. Jackson County reported 1,909 tons and recycled 1 ton, likewise displaying 0%.
Other low displayed rates included Pasco County, which reported 20,305 tons and recycled 33 tons, and Lee County, which reported 49,921 tons and recycled 224 tons. Citrus County reported 5,140 tons and recycled 88 tons, a 2% rate. Osceola County reported 5,009 tons and recycled 87 tons, also a 2% rate. Seminole County reported 8,897 tons and recycled 219 tons, another 2% rate.
The source also reports 1% for Gadsden County, with 864 tons reported and 5 tons recycled; Okeechobee County, with 3,022 tons and 40 tons recycled; Wakulla County, with 1,603 tons and 15 tons recycled; Santa Rosa County, with 6,119 tons and 49 tons recycled; and Monroe and Escambia counties, described above.
A broader look across Florida counties
The 2023 county records show that reported bottle quantities and reported recycling rates vary substantially across the listed geographies. Some counties combine high reported quantities with low displayed rates, such as Miami-Dade at 137,457 tons and 1%, Hillsborough at 61,364 tons and 2%, and Lee at 49,921 tons and 0%. Others report smaller quantities with higher rates, such as Manatee at 9,327 tons and 25%, Alachua at 6,909 tons and 21%, and Clay at 7,202 tons and 23%.
The source also records counties with intermediate quantities and notable recycled tonnage. Palm Beach recycled 6,355 tons from 66,490 tons reported. Duval recycled 4,134 tons from 32,712 tons. Orange recycled 3,251 tons from 46,769 tons. Sarasota recycled 3,548 tons from 21,317 tons, while St. Lucie recycled 2,362 tons from 10,349 tons.
Additional county figures complete the reported picture. Lake County recorded 7,188 tons and 431 tons recycled, a 6% rate. Marion County recorded 6,075 tons and 480 tons recycled, an 8% rate. Okaloosa County recorded 6,022 tons and 288 tons recycled, a 5% rate. Sumter County recorded 5,554 tons and 295 tons recycled, a 5% rate. Nassau County recorded 2,596 tons and 136 tons recycled, also a 5% rate.
Charlotte County reported 6,639 tons and recycled 1,411 tons, an 18% rate. Indian River County reported 8,450 tons and recycled 1,048 tons, a 12% rate. Collier, Volusia, and Leon each had a displayed 10% rate, but their reported quantities and recycled tonnages differed. These figures are county reports for 2023, not forecasts or projections.
Florida’s coastline and marine debris
Plastic-bottle reporting is only one part of the pollution picture. According to the NOAA Florida Marine Debris Program, Florida has almost 8,500 miles of coastline. The program identifies tourism, fishing, and natural hazards as sources that generate marine debris. The coastline figure is a statewide geographic measurement, while the source’s description of debris sources provides context rather than a tonnage estimate.
A separate Florida DEP record documents a cleanup result at Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve. Volunteers removed 900 pounds of marine debris through the Keep Lignumvitae Lovely Project. This is a measured amount removed by that project, at that preserve; it is not a statewide estimate and should not be treated as the total amount of Florida marine debris.
Together, these two coastal facts show why Florida plastic pollution statistics need more than one measure. County bottle records describe reported material and recycling outcomes for 2023. The NOAA figure describes the state’s extensive coastline and named debris pressures. The Florida DEP cleanup figure records one documented removal event. Each number has a different geography, measurement period or project scope, so they should remain separate when comparing Florida’s plastic-waste challenges.