A guide to what goes in your gray and blue carts
It is very important that you do not put plastic bags in your blue rolling recyclable cart. Also, do not bag any of your recyclables.
What can I throw away in my gray cart?
Your gray cart is for household garbage including:
- Food waste
- Windows, mirrors and ceramics
- Clothing, shoes and textiles
- Fake plants
- Soiled paper items
- Cords and wires
- Plastic items that fit in the cart including old grocery bags
- Diapers
- Rope, twine or straps
- Garden or pool hoses
- Yard waste up to 2-cubic yards can be put out for curbside collection
- Small appliances
- Incandescent light bulbs
Guidelines
- Everything must fit inside the carts in order to be collected
- Items too big for your cart? You can self-haul to a Community Collection Center or contact Solid Waste Customer Service at (813) 272-5680 to arrange a special collection.
- Tilt the roll carts and roll them to the curb by 6 AM on collection days
- At curbside, keep your roll carts at least 3 feet away from the curbside, 3 feet between carts and 3 feet away from mailboxes, vehicles, trees, shrubs, fire hydrants, poles, etc.
- Look for the arrows on the roll cart lid. Place the roll carts at curbside with the arrows pointed toward the street and the roll cart handles pointed in the direction toward your home
What can I recycle in my blue cart?
Your blue cart is for clean, un-bagged recyclables including:
- Do NOT Bag Recyclables - this is very important
- Clean and empty plastic bottles and containers
- Clean and empty aluminum cans
- Clean and empty glass bottles and jars
- Dry paper, newspaper and junk mail
- Clean and empty metal containers
- Clean and empty milk and juice containers
- Dry flattened cardboard (must be cut down to fit inside bin)
- Dry paperboard boxes
- See more information on what can be recycled
Do NOT recycle in your blue cart:
- NO plastic bags, bagged recyclables, or film
- NO food, liquids, or dirty materials
- NO batteries, chemicals, or oil
- NO yard waste
- NO clothing, furniture, or carpet
- NO foam cups, or containers
Guidelines
- Everything must fit inside the carts in order to be collected
- Tilt the roll carts and roll them to the curb by 6 AM on collection days
- At curbside, keep your roll carts at least 3 feet away from the curbside, 3 feet between carts and 3 feet away from mailboxes, vehicles, trees, shrubs, fire hydrants, poles, etc.
- Look for the arrows on the roll cart lid. Place the roll carts at curbside with the arrows pointed toward the street and the roll cart handles pointed in the direction toward your home
What can I do with yard waste?
You may set out up to twelve 30 gallon containers of yard waste (which amounts to approximately 2-cubic yards) for collection at curbside, per collection. Use your own cans, boxes, bags or other containers to store your yard waste (grass clippings, leaves, shrubbery, tree trimmings) and place these items at the curbside for collection.
Rules for curbside yard waste:
- Weekly set-out limit is less than 2 cubic yards (approximately 12 30-gallon containers or bags)
- Each container cannot exceed 50 pounds
- Limbs and branches must be less than 4 feet long and 6 inches in diameter
- Yard waste must be bundled, neatly stacked, or placed in a yard waste container
- Yard waste must be placed within 6 feet of the curb
- See information on where to discard yard and wood waste that exceeds these amounts
What about items that can't go in either cart?
Alternative options for bulky items that can't fit or items not allowed in your carts include:
Request a special curbside pickup for a fee
Prices generally range from $30 to $50, based on the size and type of items., based on the size and number of items. Check out the page for instructions and fees.
Self-hauling options
We have several Solid Waste Trash Facilities where residents can dispose of many types of waste, including electronics and household paint, that aren’t allowed in, or are too large for, the regular trash or recyclables cart. See the following pages for questions on the following: