Coconut Creek made Florida history in 2026 with the launch of the state’s first fully electric residential recycling and waste collection fleet. Then the City put those trucks to work on a service residents had been waiting for: curbside recycling.
The City and its hauler, Republic Services, celebrated the milestone in August with a ribbon-cutting and media event showcasing the new vehicles. The fleet is made up of six McNeilus Volterra EVs, fully integrated zero-emission trucks designed for a full day of collection on a single charge. Their arrival makes Coconut Creek one of the first communities in the nation to serve its neighborhoods with a fully electric residential collection fleet.
For residents, the most noticeable difference is the sound. Electric trucks run far more quietly than diesel models and produce no tailpipe emissions on neighborhood streets. They also carry advanced safety technology, including 360-degree camera systems, enhanced driver visibility, lane-departure sensors, automated emergency braking, and audible alerts that warn nearby pedestrians and motorists.
Recycling returns to the curb
The launch also helped build excitement for a second milestone. On October 1, curbside recycling returned to single-family homes. The City had previously suspended the service after global markets for recycled materials shifted and contamination in single-stream loads rose to unacceptable levels, and residents had relied on the City’s recycling drop-off centers in the meantime.
The City Commission unanimously approved the program’s return on June 11 as part of a five-year agreement with Republic Services. Mayor Jeffrey Wasserman called the agreement “an investment in Coconut Creek’s future.” The City paired the rollout with a series of community events, and when the fleet was announced, the mayor summed up the approach: “In true Coconut Creek fashion, we’re having some fun with it.”
Built to keep recycling clean
The new program is designed to be simple and to prevent contamination. The accepted list is intentionally short: corrugated cardboard, empty aluminum and steel cans, and empty plastic bottles and jugs with screw caps. Materials go into the cart loose, never bagged. Glass is not part of the curbside program and can still be taken to the City’s drop-off center.
Technology supports those rules. AI-assisted collection systems on the trucks monitor the recycling stream, giving the City and Republic Services data to improve participation, target education, and reduce contamination.
A model for Florida cities
Together, the electric fleet and the return of curbside recycling reflect Coconut Creek’s commitment to innovation, responsible resource stewardship, and enhancing the quality of life for the community. They also offer other Florida municipalities a working example of what a city and its hauler can accomplish together.
To learn more, visit coconutcreek.gov.
