Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Apollo Beach
Florida residential routes generally operate Monday through Friday. Your specific household collection depends on your local county zoning map.
State Mandate
Do not mix yard trimmings with regular household garbage.
Gray Cart Bin (Trash)
Bag all trash before placing it in the gray cart to prevent odors and litter. The lid must close completely. Place carts at the curb with the lid arrows pointing toward the street no later than 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Soiled paper products
- ✓Diapers
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and packaging
Blue Cart Bin (Recycling)
Items must be placed loosely into the blue cart. Never bag your recyclables. Cardboard must be broken down so it doesn't get wedged inside the cart during automated dumping.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Clean plastic food and beverage containers
- ✓Dry paper, magazines, and newspaper
- ✓Flattened cardboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Bagged recyclables
- ✕Styrofoam and egg cartons
- ✕Food waste and liquids
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, cords, wire hangers)
- ✕Batteries
Yard Waste Bin
Limit of 2 cubic yards per week (increases to 3 cubic yards in Feb, Mar, and Apr). Use your own cans, bags, or boxes. Do not place yard waste in your gray or blue county carts. Each container must not exceed 50 lbs.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Tree limbs (under 4 feet long and 6 inches thick)
- ✓Shrub trimmings
- ✓Palm fronds
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By Request (Paid) or Self-Haul (Free Allowance)
Placement
If you schedule a paid special curbside pickup, place items at the curb no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the day before the confirmed appointment, maintaining a 3-foot clearance from roll carts and mailboxes.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas and indoor/outdoor furniture
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Large household appliances (white goods)
- ✓ Scrap metal
- ✓ Tires (strict limits apply)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Commercial construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Biomedical waste
- ✕ Explosives
- ✕ Hazardous chemicals (curbside)
Self-hauling is free (up to 2 tons annually) for residents paying the solid waste assessment. Curbside special pickups require an upfront fee, which varies based on the volume and type of the material.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Hillsborough County does not provide make-up days for skipped garbage collection. If an observed holiday falls on your scheduled pickup day, your service is simply canceled and will resume on your NEXT regularly scheduled collection day.
Yard Waste Exception
On New Year's Day, household garbage service is skipped, but recycling and yard waste are actually collected as usual. For all other listed major holidays, yard waste collection is completely canceled.
County solid waste administrative offices and Community Collection Centers are typically closed on major observed holidays.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Loose Recyclables Only
Never use plastic garbage bags in your blue recycling cart. Plastic bags wrap around the gears at the county sorting facility and cause massive mechanical failures. Take your clean plastic grocery bags to a local Apollo Beach supermarket for specialized recycling instead.
Keep Batteries Out of the Bins
Rechargeable, lithium-ion, and lead-acid batteries are severe fire hazards and must never be placed in your curbside roll carts. They can spark and ignite fires inside the collection trucks. Drop them off safely at the South County Community Collection Center.
No Plastic for Tree Branches
While you can bag your leaves and grass clippings, Hillsborough County requests that you avoid using plastic bags for heavy tree limbs and woody brush. This ensures the county's recycled mulch product remains free of plastic contamination.
Seasonal Information
Hurricane Season
June to NovemberIf a tropical storm or hurricane warning is issued for the Tampa Bay area, secure your gray and blue roll carts inside a garage or sturdy shed. Suspend all major tree pruning, as curbside vegetative debris can become dangerous projectiles in high winds.
Post-Storm Recovery
As NeededFollowing a major weather event, do not mix your standard yard waste (like fallen branches) with structural debris (like broken fencing, siding, or roofing). Wait for specific instructions from Hillsborough County regarding emergency FEMA debris sweeps.
Winter Holidays
December to JanuaryLive Christmas trees can be collected at the curb on your regular yard waste day. You must remove all lights, ornaments, and tinsel, and cut the tree into sections no larger than four feet in length to meet collection requirements.
About Apollo Beach Waste Management
County-Managed Collection in Apollo Beach
Because Apollo Beach is an unincorporated master-planned community, residential garbage and recycling services are managed directly by Hillsborough County Solid Waste Services through franchised private haulers. The county utilizes an automated dual-cart system for all properties, outfitting homes with a gray cart for household trash and a blue cart for single-stream recycling. Standard curbside service includes two trash pickups per week, alongside once-a-week recycling and yard waste collection. To ensure automated trucks can safely service your address, carts must be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. with a strict three-foot clearance from mailboxes, vehicles, and other carts.
Springtime Yard Waste Allowances
Maintaining Apollo Beach's coastal landscapes generates significant yard debris throughout the year. The standard weekly curbside limit is two cubic yards (roughly twelve 30-gallon bags or containers). However, to accommodate heavy growing seasons, Hillsborough County increases this limit during February, March, and April. During these spring months, residents can set out up to three cubic yards, or eighteen containers, per week without any extra charges. For the cleanest mulch processing, residents are asked not to use plastic bags for tree branches or woody debris.
Disposing of Oversized Bulky Items
If you are upgrading furniture or getting rid of an old mattress, note that Hillsborough County does not offer free, scheduled neighborhood bulk collection days. Apollo Beach homeowners who pay the annual solid waste assessment receive an allowance to self-haul up to 2 tons of bulky waste and yard debris to a Community Collection Center (CCC) for free. The closest facility is the South County Solid Waste Facility in nearby Gibsonton. If you cannot haul the items yourself, you must contact the county to arrange and pay for a 'Special Curbside Pickup'.
The Donation and Waste Diversion Program
When decluttering your garage or preparing for a move, Apollo Beach residents can utilize a unique hybrid initiative at the South County Solid Waste Facility. This location features a 'Donation & Waste Diversion' zone, allowing you to drop off both outright garbage and usable household goods in a single trip. Usable items are successfully diverted from the local landfill and donated to charity, making it a highly convenient, eco-friendly way to dispose of unwanted clutter and give back to the Hillsborough County community.
Drop-off Facilities
South County Solid Waste Facility (Community Collection Center)
13000 U.S. Highway 41, Gibsonton, FL 33534
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who manages garbage pickup for homes in Apollo Beach, FL?
Because Apollo Beach is an unincorporated community, residential trash, recycling, and yard waste services are managed directly by Hillsborough County Solid Waste Services, utilizing contracted franchise haulers.
What happens if my trash day falls on Thanksgiving in Apollo Beach?
Hillsborough County does not schedule make-up collection days for holidays. Because Thanksgiving is an observed holiday, your Thursday collection will be canceled entirely, and you must wait until your next regularly scheduled garbage day.
How do I get rid of an old couch or mattress?
You have two options in Apollo Beach: you can request a paid 'Special Curbside Pickup' from the county, or you can haul it yourself to the South County Solid Waste Facility in Gibsonton. Residents paying the solid waste assessment can utilize this self-haul drop-off for free up to annual limits.
Where can I safely dispose of paint or pool chemicals?
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is strictly prohibited in your gray and blue curbside bins. You can take items like paint, solvents, and pool chemicals to the South County Solid Waste Facility in Gibsonton, but this specific HHW drop-off is only available on the second Saturday of each month between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.