Gasparilla Party Recycling Tips

Once the crowd moves on and it's time to clean up after your Gasparilla festivities, you may be tempted to toss common party leftovers into the recycle bin. Follow these tips to sort your recyclables from trash.

Recycling treasure (Do not bag items in recycling carts)

All items must be clean, empty, and dry:

• Plastic bottles, jugs, and containers
• Steel, aluminum, and tin cans
• Glass bottles and jars
• Milk and juice cartons
• Dry, flattened cardboard, including pizza boxes. Be sure to remove the liners inside pizza boxes and place them in the trash, prior to recycling the box.
• Paperboard boxes (e.g. packaging for crackers, cookies, pasta, etc.)
• Paper, newspaper, and junk mail

Toss overboard (…into the garbage)

• Disposable cups - These containers break apart easily and don't successfully make it through the recycling sorting process
• Foam food trays - These should be trashed or dropped off in special bins at your local grocery store
• Takeout containers, paper plates, and napkins - These items are generally soaked in food residue
• Plastic bags, packaging, and film - These tanglers damage recycling sorting equipment and should be trashed or dropped off in special bins at your local grocery store

Share the Treasure (Donate beads for a good cause)

• Bead necklaces - Plastic beads aren't recyclable in curbside carts. However, you can donate beads to local organizations where beads will be cleaned and reused.

Sail to a Solid Waste Facility (Free drop-off disposal is available for households)

• Batteries - Single-use and rechargeable lithium/lithium-ion batteries can spark and cause a fire, endangering lives. Never place these batteries in garbage or recycling carts.
• Electronics - These devices can be recycled, saving resources and landfill space
• Household Chemicals - These products can be dangerous and should never be placed in recycling or garbage carts. A good rule of thumb is when in doubt, leave it out of the recycling bin.

Most residential garbage collected in Hillsborough County is turned into energy at the County's Resource Recovery Facility, so little goes to waste.

Resources

• Hillsborough County Recycling Guide
• What Can I Throw Away In My Carts?