Cleaning out the garage? Drop off household chemicals and more for free until May 31st

Pinellas County residents can drop off paint, gasoline, other household chemicals, plus more through May 31st at the Household Hazardous Waste Center in mid county. A lot of things which seem fine are actually made more hazardous by hurricanes and storms. Certain batteries can leak dangerous fluids, and can start fires if crushed or damaged (the HHW Center accepts some batteries – check this website). There is a more detailed list below of what is accepted and how much on each trip.

Lowes, Home Depot, and Batteries Plus accept batteries and CFL (compact florescent lights) and LED Bulbs  for recycling (Ikea also accepts these used bulbs).

Information about business drop off is at the end of this article. 

Just in case this has gotten you interested in how Pinellas County handles all the waste and recycling, the next Solid Waste Disposal Complex tour is Friday, May 22nd, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

HHW Center Hours

Open Tuesday through Friday and the first & third Saturdays only
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
2855 109th Ave. N., St. Petersburg

If you are in North Pinellas, the North HHW Center is open on the below Saturdays/dates only from 9am to 2pm.

The Beaches have a day to drop stuff off as well.

On Saturday, May 30th, Pinellas Solid Waste will collect items from residents living on the barrier islands. They will be at the Treasure Island Community Center Park: 150 106th Ave., Treasure Island, 9am – 2pm. All the same rules apply.

More information is here. And if you are not sure of the proper way to dispose of something, you can use this WHERE DOES IT GO search tool to find out what to do.

You Can Bring These Things

*Commercial or industrial grade materials are not accepted. Material limits are per vehicle per day.
Automotive Fluids Oil and Antifreeze (limit: 5 gallons each) Gasoline and Diesel (limit: 2 five-gallon DOT containers total, no tanks)
Household Chemicals Adhesives/Epoxies, Aerosols, Cleaners
Lawn and Garden Chemicals Pesticides, Herbicides, Fertilizers, Cleaners, Sprayers
Mercury-Containing Devices Thermometers, Thermostats, Fluorescent Bulbs (bulb limit: 12)
Paint Products Paints, Stains, Solvents (limit: 20 one-gallon and 5 five-gallon total)
Pool and Spa Products Chlorine, Muriatic Acid, Cleaners, Clarifiers
Signal Flares Marine, Road Guns and cases not accepted (flares only)
Rechargeable Batteries Nickel-Metal Hydride (i.e., electric toothbrushes, razors, cameras, cellphones) Nickel Cadmium (i.e., cordless phones) Small Sealed Lead Acid Lithium-Ion (i.e., cellphones, laptops, tablets, power tools, toys) Lithium Polymer (LiPO) (found in remote control vehicles) Non-Rechargeable, Single-Use Batteries Lithium Zinc-Air (i.e., hearing aid batteries) Zinc-Chloride Mercury (i.e., watches, hearing aids) Lithium Manganese (LR) Button Batteries Silver Oxide (SR) Button Batteries Items with rechargeable batteries that cannot be removed Vape Devices (i.e., e-cigarettes) (Limit: 12) E-Batteries (Limit: 1)

What about what you CAN’T bring?

Got you covered, see below.

Don’t Bring These Things

What Not To Bring
Electronics Computer Monitors, TVs, Other Electronics (that plug into the wall for power)
Fire Extinguishers
Propane Tanks Over One Pound Other Compressed Gas Tanks
Appliances Microwaves, Toasters, Vacuums, Other Appliances (that plug into the wall for power)
Medicine and Sharps
Vehicle Batteries Cars and Boats (large, non-sealed lead acid batteries and large, lithium marine batteries)

If you own a small business, you may also be able to drop off a bunch of stuff. There is a collection event on Wednesday, May 13th, 9am-4pm, and every second Wednesday of the month (unless it is a federal holiday). More information about what your business can do here.