There will be no garbage or yard waste collection service on New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1st.  Regular service will resume on our next scheduled collection day.

• Garbage Pick up: Monday & Thursday
• Recycling Pick up: Monday
• Yard Waste Pick up: Thursday

Other Important Reminders:

• Three-Foot Rule – At the curb, place the carts at least 3 feet away from other carts, mailboxes, cars, trees, shrubs, fire hydrants and utility poles.
• Everything Must Fit Inside The Carts – Items left outside the carts cannot be picked up by the mechanical arm on a collection vehicle and will not be picked up.
• Garbage, recyclables, and yard waste should be placed out no later than 6:00 AM on  collection days.  Carts are required to be kept out of sight on non-collection days.

As you begin to pack up your holiday decorations, you may be wondering what to do with your live Christmas tree after the holiday. Several free options are available to Hillsborough County Solid Waste customers including: free curbside pickup, free disposal at County yard waste facility, or recycling and reusing the tree in their landscapes.

Pickup at the Curb

Curbside pickup of live Christmas trees is available to County Solid Waste customers by following these steps:

• Remove all decorations, lights, and tinsel,
• Cut the tree into sections no larger than four feet long and six inches in diameter, and
• Place curbside on your regular yard waste collection day.

Drop it Off

Hillsborough County solid waste customers can skip the hassle and work of cutting their live Christmas trees into smaller pieces for curbside pickup by taking trees directly to one of the following Yard Waste Processing Facilities:

• 346 Falkenburg Road in Tampa
• 13001 U.S. Highway 41 in Gibsonton
• 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa

The County’s three yard waste sites are open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., with the exception of holidays. The sites will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Customers are required to have their current tax bill and photo I.D. to access the Yard Waste Processing Facilities, and they must be able to unload the trees themselves. Customers should also remove all decorations, lights, and tinsel. Artificial trees are not accepted at the yard waste sites. For any questions about taking trees to a Yard Waste Processing Facility, call Hillsborough County Solid Waste at (813) 272-5680.

Recycle and Reuse

One way to recycle your Christmas tree is to chop or grind your live Christmas tree and repurpose it as mulch around trees, shrubs, and flower beds. For more ideas and information regarding recycling and repurposing live Christmas trees, contact Lisa Meredith with Hillsborough County Extension Service’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program at MeredithL@HillsboroughCounty.org or (813) 744-5519 ext. 54146.

For more information about Hillsborough County solid waste collection and disposal services, visit http://www.HillsboroughCounty.org/SolidWaste, or call (813) 272-5680.

There will be no residential garbage or recycling collection service on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25th.  Regular service will resume on our next scheduled collection day.

• Garbage Pick up: Monday & Thursday
• Recycling Pick up: Monday
• Yard Waste Pick up: Thursday

Other Important Reminders:

• Three-Foot Rule – At the curb, place the carts at least 3 feet away from other carts, mailboxes, cars, trees, shrubs, fire hydrants and utility poles.
• Everything Must Fit Inside The Carts – Items left outside the carts cannot be picked up by the mechanical arm on a collection vehicle and will not be picked up.
• Garbage, recyclables, and yard waste should be placed out no later than 6:00 AM on  collection days.  Carts are required to be kept out of sight on non-collection days.

There is a public meeting to provide information to the residents and business owners in the vicinity of Bruce B. Downs from Bearss Ave. to Palm Springs Blvd. that the next segment (segment “A”) of the widening of BBD will start the week of January 19, 2015.

Tampa Palms Elementary
6100 Tampa Palms Boulevard
Tampa, Fl. 33647

Monday, January 12, 2015
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Additional Information
http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/index.aspx?NID=2414

As you deck the halls in coming weeks, Tampa Electric has a few handy tips for a safer, more energy-efficient holiday season.

Consider investing in energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lights. LED lights have dropped in price in recent years and are now available in many colors and styles. LEDs produce very little heat, so they reduce the risk of a fire and are safer than incandescent lights. They are also more durable.

And, since they use less energy, LEDs will save you money. Tampa Electric’s team of energy experts ran side-by-side evaluations of 600 LED and non-LED mini lights—enough for a 6-foot tree. To light the tree for 6 hours a day for a month, the non-LED mini lights will cost about $4.50, the LED mini lights will cost 60 cents—that is a savings of 86 percent.

Tampa Electric offers these additional tips for your home during the holidays:

• Make sure your holiday lights and cords are in good condition (no broken lights or frayed cords).
• Never string holiday lights on or near power lines. When using a ladder to install lights outdoors, look above your head before climbing the ladder to ensure you are not near power lines.
• Never place electric cords under a rug or door, or around a sharp edge or corner. Keep all cords away from high-traffic areas in your home.
• Never use indoor lights outside, and don’t overload electrical outlets.
• Be sure to turn off holiday lights before going to bed or leaving home – or use a timer, so it can do the work for you.
• Make sure a reliable testing laboratory, like the Underwriter’s Laboratory, has inspected your holiday lights.
• If you have a natural Christmas tree, make sure it has enough water to keep branches from drying out, which can pose a fire hazard.