Residential Trash Collection Information

Find out if there are changes to the city's trash and recycling holiday collection schedule.

• Place garbage other than yard waste in your container, and close the lid. Be sure nothing hangs down the sides of the barrel.
• Place your container at the curb no earlier than 7 p.m. on the night before to your collection day and no later than 7 a.m. the morning of your collection day.
• Remove the container from the curb no later than 7 a.m. on the day following collection.
• Place the container within 2 feet of the curb with the handle facing away from the curb.
• Do not place your container within 3 feet of your recycling bin or other obstructions, i.e., mailboxes, parked cars, trees and wires. An automated vehicle services all City issued barrels.
• Drain all liquids and place debris in a trash bag. Such items include:
  • Raw Garbage
  • Paper plates, paper towels, etc.
  • Light weight materials; Styrofoam shredded paper, etc.

  The Solid Waste truck is on a scheduled route and cannot return if your container is not put out according to the above-listed guidelines.

• Hot ashes
• Yard waste
• Concrete
• Dirt, sod, sand
• Plaster, plasterboard
• Carpet, tile
• Lumber, bricks
• Roofing materials
• Construction, remodeling, and demolition debris
• Tires
• Auto batteries
• Pool and other chemicals
• Flammable items
• Liquid paint

The city of Clearwater offers a once-a-week collection for yard waste and bulk items. Yard waste/bulk debris should not be placed at the curb more than 24 hours prior to your service day.

Debris must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on the day of your regular service. The Solid Waste trucks are on scheduled routes, and drivers cannot return if your items are not set out according to the listed guidelines.

Yard waste/bulk must be placed free from all obstructions:

• Overhead wires
• Trees
• Poles
• Mailboxes
• Vehicles

Yard waste and junk debris should be kept separate.

Smaller junk items should be bagged or boxed:

• Dishes
• Lamps
• Clothing
• Magazines
• Books
• Etc.

Raw garbage will not be picked up outside of the black garbage barrel.

Additional guidelines for yard waste collection: 

• 40 cubic yards per calendar year are permitted per single-family home and multi-family dwelling unit.
• Yard waste should be leaves and grass clippings that are either boxed or bagged (not to exceed 50 lbs.).
• Tree limbs/brush should be cut into 4-foot lengths and bundled.
• Bag uncontaminated twigs, loose leaves and grass or put in non-city garbage cans (up to 32 gallon) and place curbside
• For large materials, cut limbs and stumps over 4 inches in diameter into lengths of 4 feet or less and stack curbside, clear of obstructions. Call (727) 562-4920 to arrange for the removal of these and other very bulky yard waste piles.
• If residents remove a tree without a permit from the city, a letter from an arborist is required by Florida Statute 163.045. Solid Waste personnel may ask the resident to provide the permit or letter from an arborist before picking up the debris (must have been removed by resident). Find out how to get a permit.

The city will pick up materials cut and gathered by the property owner only. Any debris collected from tree trimming companies or landscapers must be removed from the property by that company/person, as per city ordinance.

Bulk Items

The City of Clearwater provides once-a-week bulk item collection for large household items such as furniture. Residents may place furniture and other large items at the curb on their regular collection day. Each single-family home is allowed up to 40 cubic yards of bulk collection per calendar year. As a general guideline, 4 to 5 pieces of furniture or similarly sized items are considered appropriate for curbside pickup. Larger amounts may be subject to additional time charges. For pickup of appliances or electronic equipment, please call ahead. For full guidelines, visit this page.

• Dirt, rocks, sod
• Plaster
• Highly flammable liquids
• Potentially explosive materials
• Toxic substances
• Biohazardous waste
• Motor oil
• Lumber
• Metal
• Construction or building material
• Pesticides/Herbicides
• Hazardous material
• Paint*
• Electronics**

*Paint cans will get crushed and leak onto your streets. Leave the lids off latex paint cans to allow the paint to dry out, or saturate them with newspaper, then place them in your container when no wet paint remains.

**Oil-based paints and other hazardous wastes can be disposed of at Pinellas County's Household Hazardous Waste Center, or at scheduled household chemical collection events. Call (727) 464-7500 for more information.

• Contact the Solid Waste Department at (727) 562-4920 or report online, and report the type of damage or repair required.
• Be sure to provide your service address.
• Containers needing repair or replacement must be emptied, washed out and placed at the curb.
• The city is not responsible for repair or replacement of containers at no charge when damage is caused by abuse or negligence.

• First, call the city of Clearwater Police Department at (727) 562-4242 as soon as possible. Request a police report number for reference.
• After you have called Clearwater Police Department, call the Solid Waste/Recycling Department at (727) 562-4920 and give the supervisor your police report number and service address.

It is the landlord’s responsibility to have any debris left behind from a tenant, whether it is from a move-out or eviction, to be removed from the property. The city offers a service at an additional charge. Call (727) 562-4920 for more information.

Penalties for non-compliance include having no service until the issue is corrected and/or a fine being placed on your utility bill.

If you have questions regarding a posting on your property or non-service, call (727) 562-4920.

Hazardous wastes are corrosive, toxic, flammable and reactive substances that present a threat to public health, safety and the environment. Never place hazardous waste in garbage or recycling containers. Call (727) 464-7500 for more information.

Hazardous waste including household and nickel-cadmium batteries, oil-based paint, paint thinners, paint removers and solvents can be taken to Pinellas County's Household Hazardous Waste Center at 2855 109th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33716. Hours of operation are Tuesdays through Fridays and the first and third Saturday of each month. Call (727) 464-7500 for information.

There are many additional options for automotive batteries, plus options for rechargeable and button cell batteries, as listed in Pinellas County's "Where Does It Go?" Tool, including information on the following:

To dispose of latex paint, line a box with plastic. Crumple newspaper into the box. Pour all remaining paint onto the newspaper. Set the box out in the sun to dry out, along with paint cans and lids. When completely dried, put the box in a garbage bag and place into the regular garbage for collection.

All debris generated in Clearwater by a contractor (tree surgeon, landscaper or arborist) must be removed and disposed of by the contractor, per City Ordinance 6391-99, Sec. 32.282 (1).