The City of Tampa’s Solid Waste and Environmental Management Department is working with city leaders to educate the public about the right way to recycle this holiday season, in an effort to stop shutdowns of recycling equipment, according to a news release.
The average resident’s household waste will increase by more than 25%, the release says, as trash cans may be full of holiday food waste, shopping bags, bows and ribbons, packaging, and wrapping paper — all of which contribute to an additional 1 million tons a week to the landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Families are encouraged to look for waste reduction opportunities — through reuse, composting and recycling.
Certain items, such as Christmas lights, garland, ribbons, and electronics with rechargeable batteries, are known to be “tanglers” of recycling equipment and can cause hazardous conditions for the department’s employees.
Acceptable items for recycling include wrapping paper (paper only); paper cards and envelopes; glass bottles and jars (Pasco County no longer accepts glass); and, plastic bottles and jugs.
Unacceptable items include Christmas lights (accepted at select scrap metal recyclers); bubble wrap and plastic air pillows (accepted at select retail stores); foil and glitter wrapping paper; paper and plastic plates; and polystyrene foam.
Hillsborough residents can look up items in the new Tampa Trash and Recycling app, or visit Tampa.gov/recycle to determine the correct disposal method for an item. The app is available for download on Apple and Android products.
Residents in Pasco can visit Pascocountyfl.net/187/East-Pasco-Facilities, for more information.
Published December 29, 2021
