Household HazWaste Collection Centers
The old hazardous waste Amnesty Days events county staff used to hold twice a year in different towns, are now replaced with two permanent facilities open to the public on a weekly basis plus on a Saturday once a month. County residents no longer have to wait for six months or a year to bring their hazardous waste to us. Not only does this concept save you storage space, but will also make your home safer.
The County's two facilities are equipped
to accept just about any hazardous waste generated at home:
Hays Road off of State Road 52; and
Handcart Road off of County Road 759A.
Household hazardous waste includes pesticides, herbicides, pool chemicals, solvents, polishers, and gasoline. The only items we do not accept from households are biomedical wastes, explosives or radioactive wastes which you are not likely to have at home anyway. The County has a separate program for handling household biomedical waste. Please call us for more information. Our two centers are managed and operated by trained county staff, when in doubt about disposal ask the staff present.
Businesses are restricted from utilizing these two centers. As a matter of fact businesses that cannot show receipts for their hazwaste disposal are in violation of all hazwaste rules including Federal, State and County rules. These violations could be very risky to you and your business and do not go unpunished. So, please bring in only household items.
For more information on the centers'
operating hours
and examples of what is acceptable,
please call (727) 847-8041 or visit our centers.
How is hazardous waste recycled?
All hazardous waste received at the County centers is either recycled or
treated in an environmentally sound matter. For example, oil based paint; flammable
liquids such as solvents, and gasoline are bulked in 55-gallon drums. These are then
transferred to an out-of-state facility by a licensed, registered and certified hauler.
These liquids undergo a fuel blending process where they are mixed in a certain ratio for
their caloric contents, and then used to generate electricity at other plants throughout
the country. This is real recycling. Pasco County does not have the capabilities to
perform this type of recycling.
Other items that cannot be recycled at this time, such as pesticides, are treated by incineration (destroyed) at special hazardous waste incinerators located elsewhere in the country but not in Florida. . Since these types of household hazwaste cannot be recycle easily or inexpensively, the County staff recommends that you
Buy pesticides in very small quantities,
Give leftovers to a neighbor to utilize, or
Use substitutes that are less toxic.
The County generally receives about 15-20 cars representing one or more families per day and more people visit our facilities in the wintertime due to the presence of our winter residents. The County packs and sends out for recycling and treatment, on average, 25,000 to 33,000 pounds of hazardous waste annually. Through education and smart shopping we hope this volume will continue to decline. Expensive recycling costs can be true for some other items--so please shop wisely.
For your own safety do not store or accumulate hazwaste at home or in your garage, bring it to us as soon as possible. If you do not drive or if you do not have the time, ask a neighbor or a friend to bring it for you.
For more information please contact the
Environmental & HazWaste Programs Coordinator,
(727) 847-8041.