Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for University
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)
All trash must be bagged. The lid must close tightly with no overflow. Place the cart wheels against the curb by 6:00 a.m., keeping it at least 3 feet from other carts, mailboxes, and parked cars.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Soiled paper items and diapers
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging and old grocery bags
- ✓Incandescent light bulbs
- ✓Cords, wires, and garden hoses
Blue Cart Bin (Recycling)
Do NOT bag recyclables; place them loosely inside the blue cart. The lid must close completely. Place exactly 3 feet away from your gray cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean, dry plastic bottles and containers (#1-#7)
- ✓Empty aluminum, tin, and steel cans
- ✓Clean glass bottles and jars
- ✓Dry paper, newspaper, and junk mail
- ✓Flattened cardboard (must fit in cart)
- ✓Plastic and paper to-go cups
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags, bubble wrap, or film
- ✕Bagged recyclables
- ✕Food waste or liquids
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Tanglers (cords, wires, hoses)
Yard Waste Bin
Use your own reusable cans, boxes, or non-plastic bags. Plastic bags are strictly prohibited. The weekly limit is 2 cubic yards or twelve 30-gallon containers. Each container/bundle must not exceed 50 pounds.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves and pine needles
- ✓Shrub trimmings
- ✓Tree limbs (under 4 feet long and 6 inches in diameter)
- ✓Live Christmas trees (all decorations removed)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By request (Fee applies) or Self-Haul (Up to 10 cubic yards annually free)
Placement
If you schedule and pay for a Special Curbside Pickup, place the items directly at the curb away from your carts, mailboxes, and overhead wires.
Accepted
- ✓ Couches and large furniture
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Appliances (white goods)
- ✓ Large yard and wood waste (exceeding curbside limits)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste (chemicals, paint, motor oil)
- ✕ Biohazardous or medical waste
- ✕ Liquid waste
- ✕ Contractor-generated construction debris
Special Curbside Pickups range from $30 to $50 depending on the size and type of items. Alternatively, residents can self-haul up to 10 cubic yards of bulky waste per year to a Community Collection Center for free by showing a photo ID and their property tax bill.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
There are absolutely no holiday make-up days in Hillsborough County. If your scheduled collection day falls on an observed holiday, your service is skipped, and collection will simply resume on your next regularly scheduled collection day for that specific material.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste follows the exact same 'no make-up day' policy. If a holiday falls on your yard waste day, wait until the following week.
For New Year's Day, garbage is NOT collected, but recycling and yard waste ARE collected normally. Always double-check the county's digital schedule tool during major holiday weeks.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Loose is the Law for Recycling
The absolute biggest rule in Hillsborough County is to never bag your recyclables. All paper, cardboard, cans, and bottles must be tossed freely into the blue cart. If you put a sealed plastic bag into the blue cart, the sorting machines cannot process it, and it will be sent to the landfill.
Keep Tanglers in the Trash
Items like garden hoses, holiday light strings, extension cords, and rope do not belong in the recycling bin. These items are known as 'tanglers' because they wrap around the sorting gears at the recycling plant, causing severe mechanical failures. Throw them in your gray trash cart.
Plastic Bags Belong at the Supermarket
While you should use old plastic grocery bags to contain your household trash in the gray cart, never place loose plastic bags, bubble wrap, or shrink wrap in your blue recycling cart. Take clean, dry plastic bags to the special recycling bins located at the entrance of your local Publix or supermarket.
Seasonal Information
Spring Cleaning
February, March, AprilDuring the peak spring landscaping months, Hillsborough County temporarily increases the weekly curbside yard waste limit. You may set out up to eighteen 30-gallon containers or 3 cubic yards of stacked materials each week, rather than the standard limit of twelve.
Post-Holiday Cleanup
December - JanuaryLive Christmas trees can be placed curbside on your regular yard waste collection day. You must remove all lights, tinsel, and decorations, and cut the tree into sections no larger than 4 feet long and 6 inches in diameter.
Hurricane Season
June - NovemberDuring active storm warnings, residents should immediately halt all yard trimming and secure their gray and blue roll carts indoors or firmly against their homes to prevent them from becoming dangerous projectiles.
About University Waste Management
Automated Cart Services in the University Area
Residents of the University CDP (Census-Designated Place) are serviced directly by Hillsborough County's fully integrated Solid Waste Management System. The county partners with WM (Waste Management) to provide highly efficient automated curbside collection. Each single-family residence is assigned a gray cart for household garbage—which is collected twice a week—and a blue cart for single-stream recycling, collected once a week. All refuse must fit entirely inside these carts with the lids fully closed. Bags left on the ground or overflowing materials will not be collected by the automated trucks.
Managing Yard Waste Without Plastic Bags
Keeping the county’s mulch product clean is a high priority in Hillsborough County. Therefore, yard and wood waste is collected manually at the curbside once a week, but you are strictly forbidden from using plastic bags. Residents must containerize leaves, grass clippings, and small twigs in their own reusable cans, boxes, or compostable bags. The weekly curbside limit is generous, allowing up to 2 cubic yards of stacked brush or twelve 30-gallon containers, making routine landscaping maintenance highly convenient.
Bulky Item Collection vs. Community Collection Centers
Unlike some Florida municipalities that offer unrestricted free bulk waste days, Hillsborough County approaches bulky waste differently. While you can request a 'Special Curbside Pickup' for couches, mattresses, or appliances at your home, this service incurs a direct fee ranging from $30 to $50 based on the item. However, as a resident paying the annual solid waste assessment on your property taxes, you are entitled to self-haul up to 10 cubic yards of bulky waste per year to a local Community Collection Center (CCC), such as the Northwest County facility on Linebaugh Avenue, at no additional charge.
The Three Basic Rules of Tampa Bay Recycling
Hillsborough County emphasizes its 'Recycling 101' initiative to prevent contamination at local processing facilities. The program hinges on three non-negotiable rules: recycle only dry bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard; keep all food and liquids entirely out of the blue cart; and never place loose plastic bags, film, or bagged recyclables in the bin. A recent program update now allows residents to recycle empty plastic and paper to-go cups, expanding the acceptable materials list for University residents.
Drop-off Facilities
Northwest County Solid Waste Facility (Community Collection Center)
8001 W. Linebaugh Ave., Tampa, FL 33625
Materials Accepted
Sheldon Road Household Hazardous Collection Center
9805 Sheldon Rd., Tampa, FL 33615
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
If my garbage day falls on Thanksgiving in the University area, when will it be picked up?
Hillsborough County does not offer holiday make-up days. Since Thanksgiving is an observed holiday and no collection occurs, you must hold your garbage until your next regularly scheduled collection day (which would typically be the following Monday, as garbage is collected twice a week).
Can I leave extra bags of trash next to my gray cart if it is full?
No. All garbage must fit completely inside your gray cart with the lid closed. Overflowing trash or bags left on the ground will not be collected by the automated trucks and may be subject to additional fees. If you consistently have extra trash, you can request an additional cart from the county for an annual fee.
How do I get rid of an old mattress in the University CDP?
You have two options: You can self-haul the mattress to the Northwest County Solid Waste Facility (Community Collection Center) on Linebaugh Avenue for free as part of your annual 10-cubic-yard bulk allowance, or you can call 813-272-5680 to schedule a 'Special Curbside Pickup' at your home for a $30 to $50 fee.
Why didn't they pick up my yard waste in plastic bags?
Hillsborough County strictly prohibits the use of plastic bags for yard waste. Because the county processes yard debris into mulch, plastic bags contaminate the final product. You must use reusable cans, boxes, or compostable paper yard bags for your leaves and grass clippings.