Hillsborough Trash Pickup, Recycling, Yard Waste & Bulk Schedule 2026
This resident-first guide helps Hillsborough County solid waste customers find the correct pickup day, avoid missed-pickup mistakes, understand city-vs-county service boundaries, check holiday rules, recycle correctly, schedule bulky items, and use County waste facilities when something does not belong in the curbside cart.
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Hillsborough trash pickup schedule garbage collection is address-based. Use Hillsborough County’s official “Find My Trash & Recycling Schedule” tool to look up your garbage, recycling and yard waste collection days, plus the next two collection dates and holiday impacts.
For Hillsborough County solid waste customers, carts and yard waste should be placed at the curb no earlier than 6 PM the day before collection and by 6 AM on the scheduled collection day. Keep carts spaced correctly and make sure all garbage and recycling fits inside the right cart.
Hillsborough Trash Pickup Day Lookup — Use the Official Address Tool First
Hillsborough County is large, and the right answer depends on whether your address is in the County solid waste service area or inside a city with its own sanitation department. The official County lookup tool is the safest first step because it confirms the service schedule for your actual address instead of relying on a generic “Hillsborough” search result.
Open the official County schedule tool
Use the Hillsborough County “Find My Trash & Recycling Schedule” page. It is built for curbside collection schedules, holidays and missed pickups.
Enter the exact service address
Do not use only ZIP code or neighborhood name. The wrong address can send you to the wrong provider or city department.
Check garbage, recycling and yard waste separately
Each stream can have different rules, and holiday impacts are not always the same for every service.
Save the next two collection dates
Use the next-date information before storm weeks, holidays, move-outs, rental turnovers or bulk cleanups.
Best local move: Bookmark the official lookup page on your phone. It solves pickup day, holiday, and missed-pickup questions faster than searching every week.
Open Official LookupHillsborough County vs Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City — Call the Right Provider
Many residents search “Hillsborough trash pickup” even when their home is inside a city. The County page separates provider contacts by service area. If you call the wrong department, you may lose a day before getting routed to the right provider.
| Where You Live | Primary Contact | Phone | Use For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County Service Area | Hillsborough County Solid Waste | 813-272-5680 | County curbside schedule, missed pickup, bulk pickup, carts, facilities. |
| City of Tampa | City of Tampa Solid Waste | 813-274-8811 | City trash and recycling customers inside Tampa utility service. |
| City of Temple Terrace | Temple Terrace Public Works | 813-506-6570 | Temple Terrace municipal trash and recycling service. |
| City of Plant City | Plant City Solid Waste | 813-757-9208 | Plant City sanitation service and collection questions. |
Important boundary note: Hillsborough County’s service area includes New Tampa, Tampa Palms and Hunter’s Green, but not every address with a Tampa mailing address is a City of Tampa sanitation customer. Use the official lookup if you are unsure.
Hillsborough Garbage Cart Rules — Set-Out Time, Spacing, Direction and Overflow
Most missed pickup problems are not caused by the whole route being skipped. They happen because carts were late, blocked, facing the wrong direction, too close to objects, or had overflow that did not fit inside the cart.
- Place carts and yard waste out by 6 AM on your collection day.
- Do not place carts out earlier than 6 PM the day before.
- Keep carts at least 3 feet from the curbside and 3 feet from other carts.
- Keep carts 3 feet from mailboxes, vehicles, shrubs, poles and hydrants.
- Point the arrows on the cart lid toward the street.
- Keep cart handles facing your home.
- Do not overfill carts; everything must fit inside the cart.
- Do not place bulky items out without scheduling a special pickup.
- Do not put plastic bags or bagged recycling in the blue cart.
- Do not block carts with parked cars or trailers.
- Do not place yard waste more than 6 feet from the curb.
- Do not report a missed pickup when the day is a recognized no-collection holiday.
Resident tip: If your street has tight parking, place carts where the truck arm can reach them before cars fill the curb. A correctly placed cart is much easier to defend if you need to report a real missed pickup.
Hillsborough County 2026 Holiday Trash Schedule — No Make-Up Days for Missed Holiday Collection
Hillsborough County lists specific holidays when curbside collection does not run. The key local rule is important: there are no holiday make-up days for residential garbage, recycling or yard waste. If your collection date falls on a holiday, service resumes on your next regularly scheduled collection day.
| Holiday | 2026 Date | Curbside Collection | Resident Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1 | No garbage; recycling and yard waste yes | Check your stream carefully because garbage differs from recycling/yard waste. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19 | No | Wait for next regularly scheduled pickup. |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | No | No missed-pickup request for holiday collection. |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | No | Use next scheduled service date. |
| Day Before Independence Day | July 3 | Yes | Facilities open; admin offices closed. |
| Independence Day | July 4 | No | Falls Saturday in 2026; verify if your service would normally run. |
| Labor Day | September 7 | No | Service resumes next regular day. |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Yes | Facilities open; admin offices closed. |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 26 | No | Thursday route waits until next regularly scheduled collection day. |
| Day After Thanksgiving | November 27 | Yes | Facilities open; admin offices closed. |
| Christmas Eve | December 24 | Yes | Facilities close early; admin offices closed. |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | No | Friday route waits for next regular pickup. |
| Day After Christmas | December 26 | Yes | Facilities and offices listed open. |
Do not file a missed pickup report for a holiday skip. Hillsborough County says collection dates that fall on recognized holidays are not eligible for missed pickup requests.
Hillsborough County Recycling Pickup — Blue Cart Rules That Prevent Contamination
Hillsborough County’s blue cart is for clean, unbagged recyclables. Plastic bags and bagged recycling are specifically called out because they create sorting problems. When in doubt, use the County’s Where Does It Go guide instead of guessing.
- 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.
- Milk and juice containers.
- Dry flattened cardboard cut down to fit inside the bin.
- Plastic bags, bagged recycling or plastic film.
- Food, liquids or dirty materials.
- Batteries, chemicals or oil.
- Yard waste.
- Clothing, furniture or carpet.
- Foam cups or foam containers.
- Electronics and cellphones.
Practical rule: Recyclables should be loose, clean, dry and able to fit inside the blue cart. If the item is questionable, search the County Where Does It Go guide or keep it out of the recycling cart.
Hillsborough County Recycling Video Guide — The Recycle Life Cycle
Hillsborough County’s official educational resources link to “The Recycle Life Cycle,” a video that helps residents understand what happens after recycling leaves the curb. It supports the recycling section above by showing why clean, loose, accepted materials matter.
Best for: new residents, families teaching kids how to recycle, apartment residents unsure about sorting, and homeowners who want to avoid contaminating the blue cart with plastic bags or dirty items.
This video supports the practical guidance in this article. For exact pickup dates, holiday changes, missed collection, bins, fees, special pickup pricing, facility hours, and service alerts, residents should still verify details through the official Hillsborough County links below.
Hillsborough Yard Waste Pickup — Weekly Limits, Branch Rules and Storm-Cleanup Mistakes
Hillsborough County allows curbside yard and wood waste pickup, but the material must be prepared correctly. Yard waste that exceeds the weekly limit or size rules may need a County facility instead of regular curbside pickup.
- Weekly set-out limit is 2 cubic yards or less.
- Two cubic yards is about twelve 30-gallon containers or bags.
- During February, March and April, residents may set out up to eighteen 30-gallon containers or 3 cubic yards of stacked material.
- Each container must be 50 pounds or less.
- Yard waste must be bundled, neatly stacked or in a yard waste container.
- Place yard waste within 6 feet of the curb.
- Limbs and branches must be less than 4 feet long.
- Branches must be less than 6 inches in diameter.
- Accepted examples include branches, brush, grass clippings, leaves, palm fronds and shrub trimmings.
- Wood must be free of paint, glue, preservatives and treatments.
- Oversized tree debris may require facility disposal or private service.
After-storm warning: Do not assume all storm debris is regular yard waste. Large limbs, treated lumber, construction debris and material over the size limits can be left behind or require a facility drop-off.
Hillsborough County Bulk Pickup — Furniture, Mattresses, Appliances and Special Collection Fees
Bulky items that do not fit inside your cart should not be placed at the curb before scheduling. Hillsborough County says bulky waste pickup must be requested before placing trash at the curbside for collection.
- Mattresses, box springs and bed frames.
- Furniture such as chairs, couches, desks, dressers and tables.
- Barstools, cabinets, toilets, sinks, tubs and doors.
- Cardboard boxes when bundled as a special item.
- Carpet, small appliances, microwaves and TVs under 50 inches.
- Clothes dryers and washing machines.
- Dishwashers, freezers, ovens and stoves.
- Refrigerators and unit air conditioners.
- Commercial large appliances.
- Televisions 50 inches and larger.
Schedule first: Call Solid Waste Customer Service at 813-272-5680 before placing bulky items curbside.
Special Pickup DetailsMissed Trash Pickup in Hillsborough County — What to Check Before Reporting
Hillsborough County contracts with three different companies to provide trash and recycling pickup. If your scheduled garbage, recycling or yard waste pickup was missed, the County directs residents to report it online through At Your Service, but only after checking obvious causes.
Check holiday status first
If the collection day fell on a recognized holiday with no service, it is not eligible for a missed pickup request.
Check set-out timing
Late carts are not missed pickups. Place material out by 6 AM on your designated collection day.
Check cart placement and contents
Blocked carts, overfilled carts, bagged recycling, oversized yard waste or bulky items without scheduling can cause rejection.
Report online or call
Use At Your Service online, call 813-272-5680, or email SolidWaste@HCFL.gov for help.
Official report page: Use this only for a real missed scheduled pickup, not for a holiday skip or rejected material.
Report Missed PickupHillsborough Waste Disposal Facilities — When Items Do Not Belong at the Curb
Hillsborough County’s waste facilities handle items that do not fit or do not belong in curbside carts, including bulky waste, appliances, scrap metal, electronics, paint, tires, recyclables, batteries, household hazardous waste and yard or wood waste. Always check facility type, hours, proof-of-residency rules and fees before driving there.
- Alderman’s Ford — 9402 County Road 39, Plant City.
- Hillsborough Heights — 6209 County Road 579, Seffner.
- Northwest County — 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave., Tampa.
- South County — 13000 U.S. Highway 41, Gibsonton.
- Wimauma — 16180 W. Lake Dr., Wimauma.
- HHW events run on select Saturdays from 8 AM to 2 PM.
- Sheldon Road HHW is listed for first Saturday events.
- South County is listed for second Saturday HHW events.
- Hillsborough Heights is listed for third Saturday HHW events.
- Resource Recovery Facility accepts burnable waste only.
- Southeast County Landfill is at 15960 County Rd. 672, Lithia.
Facility lookup: Use the County facility page to check map, hours, accepted materials, documentation and current limits.
Find a FacilityRelated Trash Pickup Guides — Florida, Bulk Pickup and Holiday Schedule Help
Use these related trash-pickup.org guides when comparing holiday delays, bulk pickup rules, cart placement and recycling contamination guidance across other city and county systems.
Hillsborough Trash Pickup FAQ — Local Questions Residents Actually Ask
Source Verification and Editorial Note
Independent information guide — not affiliated with Hillsborough County Government. trash-pickup.org does not collect trash, dispatch trucks, replace carts, schedule bulky pickup, operate facilities, or manage Hillsborough County’s At Your Service system.
Pickup lookup rules, provider routing, set-out timing, cart placement, holiday schedule, recycling rules, yard waste limits, bulky item fees, missed pickup reporting, waste facility locations and official video availability were checked against official Hillsborough County resources as of May 2026. Always verify exact pickup dates, holiday changes, fees, facility hours and alerts through the official links below before acting.
Official Sources — Verified May 2026
- Hillsborough County — Find My Trash & Recycling Schedule
- Hillsborough County — Holiday Curbside Collection Schedule
- Hillsborough County — What Can I Throw Away In My Carts?
- Hillsborough County — Recycling
- Hillsborough County — Yard and Wood Waste
- Hillsborough County — Special Curbside Pickup for Bulky Items
- Hillsborough County — Report a Missed Trash Pickup
- Hillsborough County — Find a Waste Disposal Facility
- Hillsborough County — Educational Resources and Official Recycling Videos
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