After Milton: Where to dispose of sandbags, what to do with storm debris

What do I do with sandbags after Hurricane Milton? Where do I dispose of Hurricane debris? How should I remove trees in my yard? What should I do with my plywood?

Hurricane Milton left damage and debris throughout the Tampa Bay area. Many are left with questions on how to recover. ABC Action News has compiled answers from local officials on what you can do after the storm.

Sandbags

Any sandbags which did not come into contact with floodwaters can be safely reused or stored. Homeowners can spread the sand on their lawns or landscape beds and either reuse the bag or place it in their garbage.

If you want to keep the clean sandbags for a potential future flooding event, make sure to store them in a dry place.

Do not dump sand from sandbags onto the beach. The sand used to help stop flooding may be different from beach sand, which could cause issues for turtle nesting and other problems.

Sandbags that came in contact with flood water can become contaminated with bacteria, produce odors and are considered dirty.

You should not dispose of any sand or full sandbags in your regular trash. The sand will not burn in trash incinerators. Also, do not mix sandbags with yard debris. The sand is abrasive and damages equipment used to grind yard debris into mulch.

To dispose of used sandbags:

• Pinellas County
  
  • Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex
  • 3095 114th Ave. N., St. Petersburg
  • Disposal fees apply
  • Bring used sandbags separated from other waste

For those who do not live in Pinellas County, you will want to call your county's Solid Waste Department for its guidelines on the reuse or disposal of sandbags.

Storm Debris

• Pinellas County
  
  • Residential debris drop-off sites for residents in unincorporated areas reopen on Friday, Oct. 11.
    
    • 13600 Icot Boulevard in Clearwater
    • Corner of Keystone Road and East Lake Road in East Lake
    • Identification Required
  • City residents should check with their municipality for more info. To find where your property is located and who you should contact for debris drop off/pick up, click here
  • Storm debris that is not in bags will be accepted
  • Accepted items: logs, plants, tree branches, building materials, carpet, drywall, furniture lumber, mattresses, plumbing, fences, air conditioners, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, water heaters
  • Refrigerators must be empty
  • For a complete list of accepted and not accepted items, click here
• Hillsborough County
  
  • Trash and yard waste collection will resume on routes that can be safely accessed on Friday, Oct. 11.
  • Collection will occur on your scheduled day. Find your scheduled day here
  • Limit 2 cubic yards or less
  • Limbs and branches must be less than 4 feet long and 6 inches in diameter
  • Accepted items: brush, grass clipping, leaves, tree trimmings, shrub trimmings
  • For more information, visit here
• Pasco County
  
  • Residents have two ways to dispose of storm-related debris
  • Option 1: residents can pile yard waste at the curb, and Pasco County will pick it up in the coming weeks
  • Option 2: residents can drop off tree limbs and branches for free at one of two solid waste facilities
    
    • East Pasco Transfer Station
      
      • 9626 Handcart Road, Dade City - Open daily from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    • West Pasco Resource Recovery
      
      • 14606 Hays Road, Spring Hill - Open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Identification required for drop-off
• Sarasota County
  
  • Garbage and yard waste collections for residents in unincorporated Sarasota will resume on Friday, Oct. 11.
  • Officials are working with debris vendors on a plan to begin debris collection.
  • Large vegetative storm debris, such as branches and palm fronds, should be placed separately from yard waste for collection.
  • Small branches and leaves may be placed in containers or bags and placed at the curb for pickup.
  • Bundled items should not exceed 4 feet in length and should not exceed 40 pounds in weight.
  • Recycling suspended until further notice
• Polk County
  
  • Residents with questions should call the Hurricane Milton Residential Debris Hotline at 1-833-843-1920
  • The hotline will be active from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning Thursday, Oct. 10.
  • Residents should place debris in piles according to the following categories
    
    • Vegetative Debris (unbagged leaves, logs, plants and tree branches)
    • Construction and demolition debris (building materials, carpet, drywall, furniture, lumber, mattress, plumbing, etc.)
    • Appliances and white goods (A/C units, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, etc.)
    • Electronics (televisions, computers, etc.)
    • Household hazardous waste (cleaning supplies, batteries, paints, pesticides, etc.)