Tampa Bulk Waste Pickup: SWEEP Program, Hillsborough County, and Hurricane Prep

In Tampa Bay, June 1st isn’t just the start of hurricane season. It’s the deadline that turns spring cleaning into an obligation. Loose yard debris, unsecured outdoor furniture, and bulk items sitting at the curb are exactly the kind of things that become projectiles when the winds pick up. Getting them out of your yard before June 1st is the move.

The City of Tampa runs a free annual bulk pickup program called S.W.E.E.P. This program allows for one collection per year at no extra charge, with a varying schedule depending on your address. If your SWEEP date falls before hurricane season, that’s your window.

Not every Tampa address is served by the city, though. A lot of residents in New Tampa, Tampa Palms, or Hunter’s Green are actually served by Hillsborough County, and their program works differently with separate drop-off facilities across the county.

Here’s how each program works, what you should clear before hurricane season, and what to do when the city’s schedule doesn’t fit yours.

S.W.E.E.P. (Solid Waste Enhanced Environmental Program) is the City of Tampa’s annual bulk cleanup service. Every residential customer with an active solid waste account (single-family homes and multi-unit properties with four or fewer units) gets one free collection per year, up to 10 cubic yards. Additional cubic yards are billed at $18.12 per cubic yard.

Find your SWEEP date at tampa.gov/sweep or by calling (813) 274-8811.

Setout rules

• Items must be in one pile, curbside, in front of your residence on the right of way
• Pile out by 8 PM on the Sunday of your scheduled SWEEP date
• No earlier than 5 days before that Sunday
• Do not place items in front of vacant lots or neighboring homes
• Items blocked by vehicles, powerlines, or other obstacles will not be collected
• Flat glass (mirrors, windows, tabletops) must be duct-taped or wrapped before setout

What SWEEP accepts

When SWEEP has passed or doesn’t apply

If your SWEEP date has already come and gone, the City of Tampa offers year-round Special Services for large items too big for regular collection. The rate is $18.12 per cubic yard. You can submit a request by calling (813) 274-8811 or requesting through Tampa Connect.

Residents with active solid waste accounts can also self-haul items to the McKay Bay Scale House at no additional charge:

• Address: 114 South 34th Street, Tampa, FL 33605
• Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 7 AM to 5:30 PM; Wednesday and Saturday: 7 AM to 3:30 PM
• Cost: Free for City of Tampa residential customers with active solid waste accounts
• Accepts: furniture, mattresses, appliances, yard waste

McKay Bay is a waste-to-energy facility that converts household garbage into electricity, making it one of the more efficient waste systems in Florida.

This is the Tampa Bay area’s most common bulk waste confusion. Residents in New Tampa, Tampa Palms, and Hunter’s Green have Tampa, FL mailing addresses but are served by Hillsborough County, not the City of Tampa. The SWEEP program does not cover these neighborhoods. The City of Tampa’s official SWEEP page says so explicitly.

If you’re unsure which program serves your address, use the Hillsborough County Find My Trash & Recycling Schedule tool at hcfl.gov. If the result shows Hillsborough County, the SWEEP rules don’t apply.

Hillsborough County Community Collection Centers (CCCs)

Hillsborough County operates five Community Collection Centers where residents can self-haul bulk waste, appliances, electronics, and yard debris. As part of your annual solid waste assessment (approximately $240/year on your tax bill), you receive 10 cubic yards of free disposal per year at these facilities. The annual limit resets each October.

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

What to bring: State-issued photo ID with your Hillsborough County residential address, plus a printed or digital copy of your current Hillsborough County Property Tax Bill. No commercial vehicles.

Anyone whose lived in South Florida can contest that when a hurricane watch goes up in Tampa, loose items sitting in the yard rarely end up staying in the yard. Lawn furniture, potted plants, bicycles, trash cans, and piles of debris all become projectiles as soon as the wind picks up. Hillsborough County Emergency Management’s storm prep guidance is specific: clear these items out before a storm approaches, not after. Secure them in a garage or shed, or have them removed entirely.

The 2024 storm season made that very clear. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton rolled through, Hillsborough County alone collected 2.9 million cubic yards of debris, enough to fill up Raymond James Stadium SEVEN times. And a significant portion of that was avoidable.

SWEEP timing and the June 1st window

The City of Tampa’s SWEEP program runs on a neighborhood rotation from early in the year through the summer. Many SWEEP dates fall in spring, which aligns well with the June 1 hurricane season start. If your SWEEP date is before June 1, use it to clear bulk items, tree debris, and accumulated outdoor materials before the season begins.

If your date has passed or is too far out, the McKay Bay Scale House is open six days a week for free self-haul, and the City of Tampa’s year-round Special Services can be requested by phone.

For yard debris removal in Tampa on a tighter timeline than either program allows, LoadUp handles yard waste, tree debris, and outdoor debris from wherever it is in your yard or garage.

After a hurricane, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County collect curbside debris at no charge. But there’s a rule that disqualifies entire piles if it’s ignored: storm debris must be kept completely separate from regular garbage, SWEEP items, and normal yard waste.

For both Tampa and Hillsborough County to qualify for FEMA reimbursement, storm debris must be accounted for separately. Mixing hurricane debris with a SWEEP pile, regular trash, or everyday yard waste removes it from the FEMA-eligible stream.

The three separate post-storm piles

• Vegetative debris: Branches, palm fronds, shrubs, grass, leaves, and twigs. Pile separately at the curb
• Household items and damaged appliances: Furniture, appliances, and items destroyed by flooding or storm. Keep as a separate pile
• Construction and demolition debris: Lumber, drywall, fencing, and concrete. Keep as a separate pile

Do not mix these three piles together, and do not mix any of them with your regular gray garbage cart, recycling cart, or a pre-existing SWEEP pile. Storm debris collection is a separate service from SWEEP. For more details see the official Tampa Hurricane Debris Removal page.

The City of St. Petersburg runs its own Special Pickup program, completely separate from Tampa’s SWEEP. The rules and accepted items are different. If you’re in St. Pete and you put large items at the curb without calling first, they won’t be picked up.

City of St. Petersburg Special Pickup

The City picks up the following items free of charge: TVs, furniture, and computer equipment. Call (727) 893-7398 or submit a request through SeeClickFix before placing anything at the curb. Place items only after scheduling and on your confirmed collection date. Items must be accessible and visible from the street.

For items outside the free list (large quantities of accumulated waste, construction debris, or brush) the charge is $25.65 per cubic yard, one cubic yard minimum. Details at stpete.org/special_pickup.

Yard waste in St. Petersburg

Yard waste is NOT collected curbside in St. Pete. All grass clippings, brush, cuttings, and tree trimmings must go to one of the city’s five Brush Sites. All five are open 9 AM to 5:30 PM, 7 days a week, and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. They also accept mixed metals and appliances. Proof of St. Petersburg residency required.

Find all five Brush Site addresses at stpete.org/brushsites.

For private hauling in the St. Pete area, LoadUp serves St. Petersburg with same-day and next-day availability.

Pinellas County itself does not provide residential garbage or recycling collection. Each municipality handles its own, and unincorporated Pinellas residents use county-licensed private haulers.

Manatee County (new in May 2026)

Manatee County launched a Bulk Collection Pilot Program on May 1, 2026 for unincorporated residential customers. Residents can now set out up to 2 bulk items per month on their zone-based collection day, plus one annual bulk collection of up to 10 cubic yards (must be scheduled in advance through mymanatee.org/css or by calling 311). Tires and appliances require advance scheduling so the proper truck is dispatched.

Household hazardous waste and electronic scrap are NOT accepted curbside and must go to the Lena Road Landfill: open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and the third Saturday of each month, 9 AM to 3 PM.

City of Bradenton (separate from Manatee County)

City of Bradenton residents pay $10 per bulk item, added to the utility bill. Items accepted include appliances (refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, water heaters, freezers, washers, and dryers) and furniture (mattresses, sofas, box springs, chairs, and tables). Items must be at the curb by 6 AM. Call (941) 708-6340 within 48 hours of placing items at the curb to schedule pickup.

Tampa’s SWEEP program comes once a year. Hillsborough County’s facilities close at 5 PM and cap at 10 cubic yards annually. St. Pete’s program charges $25.65 per cubic yard for anything outside the free list.

Here’s when a private hauler makes more sense:

• Your SWEEP date has passed and the next one is 11 months away
• You need items cleared before hurricane season and the timing doesn’t line up
• You have more than 10 cubic yards and the free annual SWEEP limit isn’t enough
• Items need to come out from inside the home. No Tampa Bay city program will enter the premises
• You have construction or renovation debris: not accepted through any Tampa Bay residential program
• You have yard debris that needs to move faster than the weekly cart schedule allows before a storm
• You’re in St. Pete, Manatee County, or Bradenton and need a single service that doesn’t require juggling multiple programs

When the city schedule doesn’t work, LoadUp provides junk removal and bulk item pickup across Tampa Bay with same-day and next-day availability. No annual limit, no waiting for SWEEP week, no requirement that items be at the curb first.

For furniture and household items still in good condition, LoadUp routes eligible pieces to donation partners including Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and the Furniture Bank Association of North America before anything goes to disposal.

LoadUp runs 20-30% below what most junk removal companies charge for comparable work in the Tampa Bay area, and offers a price match guarantee for any written quote for the same service.