Pinellas Sandbag Disposal Free Through Jan. 6

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Pinellas County residents who used sandbags to help stave off flood waters from Hurricane Irma have a limited time to dispose of the sandbags for free.

The Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Facility will accept sandbags that came in contact with floodwaters free of charge until Saturday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. After Jan. 6, the standard disposal rate of $37.50 per ton for the sandbags will apply.

The Solid Waste Disposal Facility is located at 3095 114th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg.

Pinellas County distributed more than 445,400 sandbags in preparation for Hurricane Irma.

Sandbags must be separated from other waste brought to the Solid Waste Disposal Facility. The sand brought to the facility will be stockpiled, tested and analyzed. Any sand not contaminated will be recovered and reused for future sandbags or future county projects.

Pinellas County encourages residents who have sandbags that did not come in contact with floodwaters to store them for reuse. The sand can be used in landscape beds or spread on lines. Residents who wish to dispose of their sandbags are asked to place empty bags in their garbage for disposal, not in the recycling bin.

Pinellas County requested residents not dispose full sandbags or sand with their yard debris or regular curbside trash. According to Pinellas County Solid Waste, sand does not burn and will not convert to energy in the county’s Waste-to-Energy Facility. The department said sand is also abrasive and will damage equipment used to grind yard debris into mulch.

For more information, call Pinellas County Solid Waste at (727) 464-7500.

Image via Hillsborough County Government Facebook page