TAMPA, Fla. - Some Hillsborough County recycling service will be stopped because of COVID-19 cases among truck drivers, the county announced Wednesday.
The county says there is a shortage of Waste Connections truck drivers due to the coronavirus pandemic. In order to keep twice-per-week trash collection going, they are putting an indefinite stop on recycling collection.
Residential recycling collection service is suspended as of today. Blue recycling carts will not be emptied “until further notice.”
Yard waste may be delayed by a day for some customers, the county warned, and trash collection may still have some interruptions.
“If customers experience a missed garbage collection this week, please place the residential waste out for collection on the next scheduled service day,” the county advised.
Residents who want to continue recycling may instead drop off their recyclables off at one of the county's community collection centers, which are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Yard waste can be dropped off at one of the county's three yard waste processing sites.
The interruptions only impact residential solid waste customers served by Waste Connections. You can determine if you are effected by visiting HCFLGov.net/trash and clicking on the "Find my trash and recycling" tab. There you can input your address and the waste service provider will be displayed.
“Hillsborough County values the environmental and economic benefits recycling provides our community; however, the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event,” a county press release added. “The county is working diligently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible and will announce when Waste Connections is able to offer regular curbside recycling and yard waste services.”
LINK: HCFLGov.net/trash