Junk removal in St. Petersburg, FL.

St. Petersburg, Florida (#85 nationally) is one of the few major cities where the City Sanitation Services directly provides residential collection — not contracted to a private hauler. The City of St. Petersburg Sanitation Services serves more than 76,000 residential accounts. Trash is collected on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, OR Friday depending on your zone — there is NO Wednesday trash collection. Bi-weekly recycling runs on a 8-zone color-coded system. Special bulky pickup is request-based: call (727) 893-7398 FIRST to schedule before placing items at the curb. The City operates 5 free brush sites open 7 days/week 9 AM–5:30 PM. HHW is handled at the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex. This guide covers every disposal option for City of St. Petersburg residents.

Free options at a glance

St. Petersburg residents have several free disposal pathways. Special bulky pickup handles furniture and appliances. Five brush sites accept yard waste, recyclables, and some materials free. The St. Pete Collects mobile app provides Waste Wizard guidance. The Solid Waste Disposal Complex handles HHW.

Special bulky pickup (call first)

St. Petersburg’s special bulky pickup is request-based with a critical rule: call (727) 893-7398 FIRST to schedule before placing items at the curb. Unscheduled bulky items may not be collected and could trigger code enforcement.

How to schedule:

· Call (727) 893-7398

· The City confirms a pickup date

· Place items at curbside ONLY on the confirmed collection date

Set-out rules:

· Items must be accessible and visible from the street

· Do not block sidewalks or driveways

· Place items in your designated collection location (curbside or alley)

What’s typically accepted: Furniture (sofas, mattresses, dressers, tables), appliances (washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators), large household items.

Vehicle batteries (separate program): Lead-acid vehicle batteries can be scheduled for free curbside pickup by calling 727-893-7398. Don’t mix with regular trash or recycling (fire risk in collection trucks).

Why scheduling matters: St. Petersburg neighborhoods have strict aesthetic and code-enforcement standards. Items left out without scheduling are considered illegal dumping. The Good Neighbor Guide explains community expectations.

St. Pete Collects mobile app: The Waste Wizard feature is invaluable — type any item name and it tells you whether it’s recyclable, regular trash, or requires special pickup. Available iOS and Android.

8-zone collection schedule

St. Petersburg uses an 8-zone color-coded recycling system overlaid on a Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri trash schedule. Customer service: (727) 893-7838.

Find your zone and day:

· Use the interactive zone map at egis.stpete.org

· Call (727) 893-7838

· Use the St. Pete Collects mobile app

Trash schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday depending on your zone. There is NO Wednesday trash collection — Wednesday is reserved for recycling routes and other services.

Recycling schedule (bi-weekly, color-coded):

· A1 Grey, A3 Red, A5 Purple, A7 Pink (one rotation)

· B2 Yellow, B4 Green, B6 Orange, B8 Blue (another rotation)

Set-out: Carts at curb by 7:00 AM. Wheels facing your home. Remove from curb by end of collection day.

Recycling rules:

· Empty, clean, dry — rinse containers (a quick rinse is all that’s needed)

· Leave caps and lids OFF

· Place items LOOSE in cart — do NOT bag recyclables

· DO NOT PUT PLASTIC BAGS IN THE RECYCLING BIN

· Flatten cardboard boxes

· Keep cart lid closed

What goes in recycling: Paper, magazines, mail, flattened cardboard, aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and jugs.

What does NOT go in recycling: Plastic bags (return to grocery stores), yard waste (use brush sites), HHW, electronics, food residue, Styrofoam.

Lithium-ion battery warning: St. Petersburg Fire Rescue specifically warns about lithium-ion battery fire risks. DO NOT place rechargeable or lithium-ion batteries in your recycling bin or household trash. They can spark and cause fires during collection and processing. Use Call2Recycle, a free national program, for batteries from phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, and small electronics.

Annual calendars: Zone-specific trash and recycling calendars are distributed by mail at the beginning of each year. If you don’t receive one, contact Sanitation Customer Service at 727-893-7838.

Holiday schedule: Holiday-impacted collections shift to alternate days; see the City’s annual calendar for current year. Brush sites are closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

5 free brush sites (7 days/week)

St. Petersburg operates 5 brush sites that handle yard waste plus a wider range of recyclables. Open every day 9 AM–5:30 PM, except 3 holidays.

Hours: 9:00 AM–5:30 PM, 7 days a week.

Holiday closures: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

What’s accepted:

· Yard waste (grass, leaves, brush, branches)

· Recyclables in labeled bins (similar to curbside accepted list)

What’s NOT accepted at brush sites:

· Plastic trash or grocery bags

· Plastic dry cleaning or newspaper bags

· Plastic wrappers from water bottles

· Toilet paper, paper towels

· Thin plastic packaging

· Styrofoam

One brush site location: Crescent Lake at 1320 5th St. Find all 5 sites at stpete.org/brush-recycling-sites.

Mulch giveaway: Regular mulch is free to pick up at brush sites or can be delivered for a fee. Log mulch, double-ground log mulch, and soil builder are available for fee and through delivery only. More information and order forms at the City’s sanitation pages.

Pinellas County recycling site: Beyond St. Pete brush sites, recyclable materials can also be taken to the Pinellas County recycling site. Operating hours vary.

Pinellas County HHW

All commercial and residential garbage that is generated in Pinellas County is sent to the Solid Waste Disposal Complex (SWDC) in St. Petersburg, managed by Pinellas County Solid Waste, which includes a Waste-to-Energy Facility and landfill. HHW is handled at the SWDC for Pinellas County residents.

What’s accepted:

· Paint (latex and oil-based), paint thinner, solvents

· Automotive fluids (motor oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid)

· Batteries (auto, household, lithium)

· Pesticides, herbicides, pool chemicals

· Fluorescent bulbs and CFLs

· Electronics (TVs, computers, monitors, printers)

Find current location and hours: Visit pinellas.gov/HHW or call (727) 464-7500. Email waste@pinellas.gov.

Required: Proof of Pinellas County residency.

Special battery rules:

· Vehicle (lead-acid) batteries: Schedule free CURBSIDE pickup by calling 727-893-7398. Don’t take to HHW.

· Alkaline household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V): Can be placed in regular trash for disposal — they should NOT go in curbside recycling.

· Rechargeable / lithium-ion batteries (phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, small electronics): Use Call2Recycle, a free national battery-recycling program. NEVER place in recycling or household trash — fire risk during collection and processing.

Best Buy: Best Buy stores in the Tampa Bay area accept most consumer electronics free at customer service.

Donation pickup, what gets accepted

Donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.

Items typically not accepted: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don’t work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call the program before scheduling.

Paid options

For items the City can’t schedule fast enough, items requiring in-home loading, or large cleanouts, paid options are available.

What to do, by item type

Reporting illegal dumping in St. Petersburg

Report illegal dumping to St. Petersburg Code Compliance at (727) 893-7373 or via the City of St. Petersburg website. For Sanitation issues (missed pickups, container problems), call (727) 893-7838.

For Florida state environmental violations, contact the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Active dumping in progress: call St. Petersburg Police non-emergency.

Photos with timestamps and license plate numbers significantly improve enforcement outcomes. See our complete illegal dumping guide for Florida state penalty information and reporting best practices.

Common questions