Change for Hillsborough County Household Electronics Recycling

Hillsborough County’s residential recycling service for electronics is now available exclusively at the regional Community Collection Centers. Electronics are no longer being accepted during the County’s monthly Household Hazardous Waste collection events. Residents in unincorporated Hillsborough County will only need a photo ID for a no-cost drop-off of up to five electronic items a month containing a digital display or circuit board, including televisions, computers, laptops, mobile devices, stereo equipment, gaming consoles, VCR/DVD players, and printers.

The Community Collections Centers in Lithia, Seffner, Tampa, and Gibsonton already accept household electronics six days a week. The consolidation of electronics collection allows the Solid Waste Management Division to improve staffing and services at the centers and is expected to reduce wait times at Household Hazardous Waste collection events.

Not all items that plug in need to be disposed of at a collection center. Small items and appliances such as toasters, crock pots, electric skillets, blenders, phone and battery chargers, lamps, hair dryers, power tools, and curling irons may be discarded in regular trash.

The Community Collection Centers are self-unloading facilities open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., with the exception of holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day) at the following locations:

  • Alderman Ford, 9402 State Road 39 in Lithia
  • Hillsborough Heights, 6209 County Road 579 in Seffner
  • Northwest County, 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa
  • South County, 13000 U.S. Highway 41 in Gibsonton

Limited quantities of household paint can also be dropped off at the centers with a photo ID. Disposal of other items accepted at the centers, such as appliances, furniture, household quantities of construction materials, lead-acid batteries and tires, require a photo ID and a property tax bill showing the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Disposal Assessment.

For more information on items accepted at Hillsborough County Solid Waste facilities, locations, hours, and contact numbers, visit www.HillsboroughCounty.org/SolidWaste or call the Public Works Solid Waste Management Division at (813) 272-5680.

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Bright House Networks Line-Up Change Creates Local PEG Access Block

brighthoustAs of February 11, 2015, a channel realignment on the Bright House Networks cable system will create an access channel block, including all area Public, Educational and Government (PEG) access channels.

This change conveniently places previously scattered access channels into neighboring designations. For a short time following the realignment, Bright House Networks will post a message on each station’s prior channel number advising of the new location. In Hillsborough County, the new channel numbers will be as follows:

  • Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network (TBAE) Channel 635 (formerly Channel 614)
  • TBAE Uni Channel 636 (formerly Channel 620)
  • Hillsborough Television (HTV) Channel 637 (formerly Channel 622)
  • Tampa Bay Community Network (TBCN) Channel 638 (formerly Channel 949)
  • Tampa Bay Community Network 2 (TBCN2) Channel 639 (formerly Channel 950)
  • City of Tampa Television (CTTV) Channel 640 (formerly Channel 615)
  • Temple Terrace TV Channel 641 (formerly Channel 950 Temple Terrace only)

For more information, contact: Hillsborough Television, Terry McElroy (813) 276-2679

Hillsborough County Will Give You Money 4 Mercury

Hillsborough County residents can exchange hazardous mercury-containing devices for a $5 grocery store gift card at Household Hazardous Waste collections through April 2015, while gift card supplies last. Collection events are held monthly on selected Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

  • First Saturdayof the month – 9805 Sheldon Road in Tampa
  • Second Saturdayof the month – 13000 U.S. Highway 41 in Gibsonton
  • Third Saturdayof the month – 6209 County Road 579 in Seffner

Examples of mercury-containing devices that are eligible for a Money 4 Mercury gift card include thermometers, thermostats and switches. No commercial or business-related waste will be accepted. Gift cards are limited to one per eligible vehicle, while supplies last.

When a mercury-containing device is disposed of in a solid waste landfill or incinerator, the mercury can contaminate the air, surface water and groundwater. Residents are encouraged to always properly recycle mercury-containing devices at a hazardous materials collection site.

For more information about mercury collection events, visit www.HillsboroughCounty.org/Money4Mercury, contact Hillsborough County Solid Waste at (813) 209-3042, or email PUD-SpecialWaste@HillsboroughCounty.org.

Residents may also bring other household chemicals and hazardous wastes to the collection event for proper disposal, including compact fluorescent bulbs, other light bulbs and batteries; however, these items are not eligible for a gift card.

The goal of the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division’s Money 4 Mercury program is to educate and safely manage mercury containing items. Funding for the program is provided in partnership with Covanta Hillsborough, Inc. and through a $5,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County Pollution Recovery Fund.

No Garbage Collection on New Year’s Day

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.

Post-Holiday Options for Your Christmas Tree

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.