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The Florida Statutes

The 2024 Florida Statutes

Title XXIX
PUBLIC HEALTH
Chapter 403
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
View Entire Chapter
F.S. 403.708
403.708 Prohibition; penalty.
(1) A person may not:
(a) Place or deposit any solid waste in or on the land or waters located within the state except in a manner approved by the department and consistent with applicable approved programs of counties or municipalities. However, this act does not prohibit the disposal of solid waste without a permit as provided in s. 403.707(2).
(b) Burn solid waste except in a manner prescribed by the department and consistent with applicable approved programs of counties or municipalities.
(c) Construct, alter, modify, or operate a solid waste management facility or site without first having obtained from the department any permit required by s. 403.707.
(2) A beverage may not be sold or offered for sale within the state in a beverage container designed and constructed so that the container is opened by detaching a metal ring or tab. As used in this subsection, the term:
(a) “Beverage” means soda water, carbonated natural or mineral water, or other nonalcoholic carbonated drinks; soft drinks, whether or not carbonated; beer, ale, or other malt drink of whatever alcoholic content; or a mixed wine drink or a mixed spirit drink.
(b) “Beverage container” means an airtight container that at the time of sale contains 1 gallon or less of a beverage, or the metric equivalent of 1 gallon or less, and that is composed of metal, plastic, or glass or a combination thereof.
(3) The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation may impose a fine of not more than $100 on any person currently licensed pursuant to s. 561.14 for each violation of subsection (2). If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which such violation occurs constitutes a separate offense and is subject to a separate fine.
(4) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may impose a fine of not more than $100 against any person not currently licensed pursuant to s. 561.14 for each violation of the provisions of subsection (2). If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which such violation occurs constitutes a separate offense and is subject to a separate fine.
(5) Fifty percent of each fine collected pursuant to subsections (3) and (4) shall be deposited into the Solid Waste Management Trust Fund. The balance of fines collected pursuant to subsection (3) shall be deposited into the Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco Trust Fund for the use of the division for inspection and enforcement of this section. The balance of fines collected pursuant to subsection (4) shall be deposited into the General Inspection Trust Fund for the use of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for inspection and enforcement of this section.
(6) The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall coordinate their responsibilities under this section to ensure that inspections and enforcement are accomplished in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
(7) A person may not distribute, sell, or expose for sale in this state any plastic bottle or rigid container intended for single use unless such container has a molded label indicating the plastic resin used to produce the plastic container. The label must appear on or near the bottom of the plastic container product and be clearly visible. This label must consist of a number placed inside a triangle and letters placed below the triangle. The triangle must be equilateral and must be formed by three arrows, and, in the middle of each arrow, there must be a rounded bend that forms one apex of the triangle. The pointer, or arrowhead, of each arrow must be at the midpoint of a side of the triangle, and a short gap must separate each pointer from the base of the adjacent arrow. The three curved arrows that form the triangle must depict a clockwise path around the code number. Plastic bottles of less than 16 ounces, rigid plastic containers of less than 8 ounces, and plastic casings on lead-acid storage batteries are not required to be labeled under this subsection. The numbers and letters must be as follows:
(a) For polyethylene terephthalate, the letters “PETE” and the number 1.
(b) For high-density polyethylene, the letters “HDPE” and the number 2.
(c) For vinyl, the letter “V” and the number 3.
(d) For low-density polyethylene, the letters “LDPE” and the number 4.
(e) For polypropylene, the letters “PP” and the number 5.
(f) For polystyrene, the letters “PS” and the number 6.
(g) For any other, the letters “OTHER” and the number 7.
(8) A person may not distribute, sell, or expose for sale in this state any product packaged in a container or packing material manufactured with fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons. Producers of containers or packing material manufactured with chlorofluorocarbons are urged to introduce alternative packaging materials that are environmentally compatible.
(9) The packaging of products manufactured or sold in the state may not be controlled by governmental rule, regulation, or ordinance adopted after March 1, 1974, other than as expressly provided in this act.
(10) Violations of this part or rules, regulations, permits, or orders issued thereunder by the department and violations of approved local programs of counties or municipalities or rules, regulations, or orders issued thereunder are punishable by a civil penalty as provided in s. 403.141.
(11) The department or any county or municipality may also seek to enjoin the violation of, or enforce compliance with, this part or any program adopted hereunder as provided in s. 403.131.
(12) A person who knows or should know of the nature of the following types of solid waste may not dispose of such solid waste in landfills:
(a) Lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries also may not be disposed of in any waste-to-energy facility. To encourage proper collection and recycling, all persons who sell lead-acid batteries at retail shall accept used lead-acid batteries as trade-ins for new lead-acid batteries.
(b) Used oil.
(c)1. Yard trash in lined landfills classified by department rule as Class I landfills, unless the Class I landfill uses an active gas-collection system to collect landfill gas generated at the disposal facility and provides or arranges for a beneficial use of the gas. A Class I landfill may also accept yard trash for the purpose of mulching and using the yard trash to provide landfill cover for municipal solid waste disposed at the landfill. The department shall, by rule, develop and adopt a methodology to award recycling credit for the use or disposal of yard trash at a Class I landfill having a gas-collection system that makes beneficial use of the collected landfill gas. A qualifying permitted Class I landfill must obtain a minor permit modification to its operating permit which describes the beneficial use being made of the landfill gas and modifies the facility’s operation plan before receiving yard trash as authorized under this subparagraph. The permittee must certify that gas collection and beneficial use will continue after closure of the disposal facility that is accepting yard trash. If the landfill is located in a county that owns and operates a compost facility, waste-to-energy facility, or biomass facility that sells renewable energy to a public utility and that is authorized to accept yard trash, the department shall provide the county with notice of, and opportunity to comment on, the application for permit modification.
2. Yard trash that is source separated from solid waste may be accepted at a solid waste disposal area if separate yard trash composting facilities are provided and maintained. The department recognizes that incidental amounts of yard trash may be disposed of in Class I landfills. In any enforcement action taken pursuant to this paragraph, the department shall consider the difficulty of removing incidental amounts of yard trash from a mixed solid waste stream. This limited exception applies in all units of local government, including, but not limited to, municipalities, counties, and special districts. However, the exception does not apply to a county that currently operates under a constitutional home rule charter authorized in 1956 in a statewide referendum. The limited exception to the ban on disposing of yard trash in a Class I landfill is not intended to have a material impact on current operations at existing waste-to-energy or biomass facilities.
(d) White goods.
History.s. 1, ch. 74-342; s. 15, ch. 88-130; s. 18, ch. 93-207; s. 54, ch. 94-218; s. 398, ch. 94-356; s. 6, ch. 96-284; s. 1, ch. 97-23; s. 33, ch. 2000-153; s. 22, ch. 2000-211; s. 87, ch. 2007-5; s. 14, ch. 2007-184; ss. 1, 2, ch. 2010-276; HJR 3-A, 2010 Special Session A; s. 30, ch. 2020-158.