See how local trash is burned and turned into energy
Hillsborough County, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2026) - Each day, Hillsborough County's Waste-to-Energy Facility burns up to 1,800 tons of trash, which reduces the amount of material sent to the landfill by 90% and produces enough electricity to power up to 35,000 homes a day.
How is the waste burned and turned into energy?
Hillsborough County Solid Waste is bringing the Waste-to-Energy Facility classroom to residents and beyond with a 360-Degree Interactive Virtual Experience Tour. Through the virtual tour, viewers can explore key areas of the facility, including the tipping floor, boiler, control room, ash and metals recovery, and power station.
Take a trip to the tipping floor where haulers dispose of their garbage and the process begins at the Waste-to-Energy Facility.
See the two grapples -- each can carry five tons of garbage -- mix the trash in the holding area known as the garbage pit, which holds around 8,000 tons of trash.
Then view how the crane operators move trash from the tipping floor to one of the four boilers, where the trash is burned.
Learn how the Waste-to-Energy Facility also plays a key role in recycling. After the trash is burned, only ash and metal are left over. Metals are recycled to save space in the landfill and turned into new products, like metal beams and car parts. More than 19,000 tons of metal are recovered each year from the waste-to-energy process, which is enough to build 15,000 cars.
The 360-Degree Interactive Virtual Experience Tour tool is designed to increase public awareness about solid waste management and the County's commitment to sustainability. It also highlights the importance of extending the life of the County's only landfill through innovative solutions like the Waste-to-Energy Facility.
Visit HCFL.gov/RecyclingEducation to tour the Waste-to-Energy Facility virtual experience.