Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Town 'n' Country
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)
Carts must be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on collection day (no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before). The arrows on the lid must point toward the street with a 3-foot clearance from all obstacles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Clothing, shoes, and textiles
- ✓Ceramics and incandescent bulbs
Blue Cart Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables must be placed completely loose inside the blue cart. Do not bag recyclables. Clean and empty all food containers before recycling.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean plastic bottles and containers (No. 1-7)
- ✓Aluminum, tin, and steel cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Dry paper, newspaper, and junk mail
- ✓Flattened cardboard and paperboard
- ✓Plastic and paper to-go cups
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Styrofoam packing materials
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses, wires)
- ✕Food-soiled paper
- ✕Yard waste
Yard Waste Bin
Limit of 2 cubic yards per week. Use personal reusable containers, paper lawn bags, or tie into bundles. Bundles must be under 4 feet long and under 6 inches in diameter. No plastic bags allowed.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Tree limbs and branches
- ✓Palm fronds
- ✓Shrub trimmings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Self-service drop-off (up to 10 cubic yards per year)
Placement
Must be dropped off in person. You must present a valid photo ID and a copy of your Hillsborough County property tax bill to prove residency for the 10-cubic-yard allowance.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (couches, tables)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ White goods (appliances)
- ✓ Tires
- ✓ Electronics and lead-acid batteries
Not Accepted
- ✕ Commercial or contractor waste
- ✕ Explosives or biohazards
- ✕ Propane tanks
Disposal up to 10 cubic yards is free for county residents as it is included in the annual solid waste assessment. Curbside bulk pickup is only available for a special fee by calling customer service.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Hillsborough County does not provide holiday make-up days. If your collection date falls on one of the observed holidays, service is simply skipped and will resume on your next regularly scheduled collection day.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and recycling collections are also suspended on most holidays, with the exception of New Year's Day where only garbage is suspended but yard waste and recycling are collected.
Hold all materials until the next scheduled pickup day for that specific cart or waste stream.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Do Not Bag Recyclables
Never bag your recyclables in plastic grocery bags, and do not throw empty plastic bags into the blue cart. They jam the mechanical sorters at the processing facility. Return soft plastics to local grocery stores instead.
Ditch the Tanglers
Items like garden hoses, holiday lights, and extension cords are known as 'tanglers.' They wrap around the sorting gears, shutting down the entire recycling plant. Throw them in the regular gray trash cart.
Foam Goes in the Trash
Styrofoam cups, takeout containers, and foam packing peanuts are not accepted in Hillsborough County's curbside recycling program. Place all foam materials securely in your gray garbage cart.
Seasonal Information
Hurricane Season
June to NovemberIf a tropical storm or hurricane watch is issued for Hillsborough County, immediately secure your gray and blue carts inside a garage. Do not place yard debris or bulk items at the curb, as they can become dangerous windborne projectiles.
Summer Rainy Season
May to OctoberHeavy afternoon thunderstorms can flood open garbage carts, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes and making the carts too heavy for the automated trucks to lift. Always ensure your cart lids are completely closed.
Post-Holiday Cleanup
Late December to JanuaryLive Christmas trees can be collected curbside on your regular yard waste day if you remove all decorations, lights, and tinsel, and cut the tree into sections no larger than 4-feet long. Pre-lit or artificial trees must go in the regular trash.
About Town 'n' Country Waste Management
Hillsborough County Manages Town 'n' Country's Waste
As a large census-designated place in unincorporated Hillsborough County, Town 'n' Country does not operate its own municipal sanitation department. Instead, residential garbage and recycling are governed by the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division. The county contracts with franchised haulers to provide automated curbside services using standard gray carts for twice-weekly trash and blue carts for weekly single-stream recycling.
Self-Hauling Bulk Waste to the Northwest CCC
A defining feature of Hillsborough County's waste program is the absence of regular free curbside bulk pickup. Town 'n' Country residents needing to dispose of large furniture or appliances must self-haul these items to a Community Collection Center (CCC). Fortunately, the Northwest County Solid Waste Facility on W. Linebaugh Avenue is just minutes away. Homeowners receive up to 10 cubic yards of free bulk disposal per year by presenting a photo ID and their annual property tax bill.
Recent Additions to the Blue Recycling Cart
Hillsborough County continually refines its recycling capabilities. In a recent update to the program, residents can now place clean plastic and paper to-go cups into their blue recycling carts, joining the standard mix of cardboard, aluminum, and glass bottles. However, it is absolutely critical that residents never bag their recyclables; all items must remain loose, and soft plastics like grocery bags must be returned to supermarkets or thrown in the gray trash cart.
Managing Rapid Florida Yard Growth
With Town 'n' Country's warm, wet climate, maintaining tropical landscaping produces constant yard debris. Residents receive once-a-week yard waste collection with a strict limit of two cubic yards per week. Unlike standard trash, you must use your own reusable containers, recyclable paper lawn bags, or securely tie branches into bundles. Plastic bags are strictly prohibited for leaves and clippings and will simply be left at the curb by the county's yard waste trucks.
Navigating the No Make-Up Holiday Schedule
Hillsborough County runs a unique holiday schedule that observes more days than many neighboring areas, including Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Memorial Day, alongside standard holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. If your normal pickup falls on one of these observed holidays, the county does not offer a cascading delay or a make-up day. Service is simply skipped, and you must hold your waste until your next regularly scheduled day for that specific bin.
Drop-off Facilities
Northwest County Solid Waste Facility (Community Collection Center)
8001 W. Linebaugh Ave, Tampa, FL 33625
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of an old couch or mattress in Town 'n' Country?
Because Town 'n' Country is unincorporated, there is no free curbside bulk pickup. Residents must take large items to a Community Collection Center, such as the Northwest County Solid Waste Facility on W. Linebaugh Ave. Bring your ID and property tax bill for free disposal.
Does Hillsborough County recycle glass bottles?
Yes. Clean and empty glass bottles and jars are accepted in the blue recycling cart. However, you must ensure they are placed completely loose inside the cart and not bagged in plastic grocery bags.
Why wasn't my bagged yard waste picked up?
Hillsborough County strictly prohibits the use of plastic bags for yard waste. All leaves and grass clippings must be placed in reusable personal garbage cans, biodegradable paper lawn bags, or tied into bundles under 4 feet long.
What happens if my trash day falls on Labor Day or Thanksgiving?
Hillsborough County does not provide make-up days for holidays. If your normal collection falls on an observed holiday like Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Memorial Day, your service is skipped and resumes on your next regularly scheduled collection day.