Hours, fees and pickup rules change, especially after storms and at the start of a new fiscal year. Every line below links to the official page it came from. Confirm with Clearwater or Pinellas County before you load the truck.
Who picks up trash in Clearwater
- The City of Clearwater Solid Waste/Recycling Department collects trash from residential and commercial customers inside the city.[1]
- Single-family homes get trash collection once a week; schedules for commercial and multifamily customers vary.[1]
- Trash and recycling are billed on the city utility bill; as of October 1, 2026, the in-city minimum bill of $139.21 includes $38.66 for solid waste and $3.92 for recycling.[9]
- The Solid Waste/Recycling Department is at 1701 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater, and its operations and services line is (727) 562-4920.[2]
- Since June 15, the department's phone lines close daily from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.[2]
Bulk trash pickup in Clearwater
- You do not need to schedule a bulk pickup: set furniture, appliances and other large items at the curb on your regular collection day.[4]
- Call ahead if you need appliances or electronic equipment picked up.[4]
- Each single-family home is allowed up to 40 cubic yards of bulk collection per calendar year.[3]
- As a general guideline, 4 to 5 pieces of furniture or similar items count as a normal curbside pickup, and larger amounts may be subject to additional time charges.[3]
- Bulk items and yard waste should not go to the curb more than 24 hours before your service day.[3]
- Debris must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on your service day, because trucks run fixed routes and cannot come back.[3]
- Keep piles clear of overhead wires, trees, poles, mailboxes and vehicles, and keep yard waste and junk in separate piles.[3]
- Smaller junk items such as dishes, lamps, clothing, magazines and books should be bagged or boxed, and raw garbage is only taken from the black barrel.[3]
- Bulk and yard waste collections will not take dirt, rocks, sod, plaster, lumber, metal, construction or building material, paint, electronics, motor oil or hazardous materials.[3]
- Tree limbs and brush should be cut into 4-foot lengths and bundled, and bagged or boxed leaves and clippings should not exceed 50 lbs.[3]
- For limbs and stumps over 4 inches in diameter or other very bulky yard waste piles, call (727) 562-4920 to arrange removal.[3]
- The city only picks up material cut and gathered by the property owner; tree trimmers and landscapers must haul away their own debris.[3]
- Landlords are responsible for removing debris a tenant leaves behind after a move-out or eviction; the city offers this service at an additional charge.[3]
- If an electronic item is too big for your black barrel, call (727) 562-4920 to request a special pickup.[7]
- After a storm, the city's May 2026 guidance asks residents to sort curbside debris into separate piles for yard waste, construction materials, appliances and hazardous waste.[8]
Clearwater trash pickup schedule
- Find your trash and recycling day by entering your street address in the city's collection schedule finder.[5]
- Trash, recycling, yard waste and bulk items are all collected on your one weekly service day.[4]
- Put your container out no earlier than 7 p.m. the night before and no later than 7 a.m. on collection day.[3]
- Bring the container back in by 7 a.m. the day after collection.[3]
- Set the container within 2 feet of the curb with the handle facing away from the street, and keep it 3 feet from your recycling bin, mailboxes, cars, trees and wires.[3]
- Regular trash cannot include construction or demolition debris, concrete, dirt, carpet, lumber, roofing, tires, auto batteries, pool chemicals, flammable items, liquid paint or yard waste.[3]
- On Thanksgiving, November 26, 2026, the city is closed and Thursday collections move to Wednesday, November 25.[6]
- On Christmas, December 25, 2026, Thursday collections move to Wednesday, December 23, and Friday collections move to Thursday, December 24.[6]
- On New Year's Day 2027, Thursday collections move to Wednesday, December 30, and Friday collections move to Thursday, December 31.[6]
- Veterans Day and the day after Thanksgiving are normal collection days in 2026.[6]
- After a storm, the city may prioritize trash collection and announce delays to recycling or yard waste pickup.[8]
Landfills and transfer stations near Clearwater
Landfill
Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex (Bridgeway Acres Landfill and Waste-to-Energy Facility)
Run by: Trash from across Pinellas County goes to the Solid Waste Disposal Complex in St. Petersburg, run by Pinellas County Solid Waste, which includes a waste-to-energy plant and a landfill.[10]
Address: The complex is at 3095 114th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33716.[11]
Hours: The disposal complex and scalehouse are open Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Sundays.[11]
Phone: Pinellas County Solid Waste can be reached at (727) 464-7500.[11]
Fees
- As of Oct. 1, 2026, the disposal fee rose from $58.86 to $63.57 per ton.[12]
- Unmodified cars, pickup trucks and vans pay flat fees of $4.25 per load for cars and $11.75 per load for pickups and vans.[12]
- Anything larger than a passenger vehicle, anything towing a trailer, and pickups with sidewalls pay by the ton.[12]
- Customers without an account who pay by the ton have a deposit of 35% of the loaded weight held up front, and failing to reweigh after unloading means the hold is charged.[12]
- Loads with five or more tires are weighed in and out at $210 per ton.[12]
- From September 28, 2026, to October 30, 2026, the county is waiving the disposal fee for household tires brought as a separate load of no more than four tires.[12]
- Extra charges include a $110 per load special handling fee and a $100 per load contractor surcharge for materials that need extra processing.[12]
Accepted
- Tires up to 36 inches are accepted whole; larger tires must be cut into quarters.[12]
- Asbestos, sludge, dead animals, soil, treated lumber, boats and industrial process waste are taken only by appointment at (727) 464-7500.[12]
Not accepted
- Vehicles (including campers and mobile homes), biological waste, explosives, liquid waste and radioactive waste are prohibited and will be rejected.[12]
- Gasoline, fuel oil and hazardous waste are refused at the landfill but accepted from residents at the HHW Center.[12]
Rules
Hazardous waste disposal in Clearwater
- Never put hazardous waste in your garbage or recycling containers.[3]
- Clearwater sends residents with oil-based paint and other hazardous waste to the Pinellas County Household Hazardous Waste Center or scheduled chemical collection events.[3]
- Latex paint can go in the regular garbage once it is completely dried out in a lined box with crumpled newspaper.[3]
- In Clearwater, household electronics without rechargeable batteries go inside your black trash barrel, not on the ground.[7]
- Do not put anything with a rechargeable battery in garbage or recycling bins, because the batteries can start fires in collection trucks.[7]
- Drop off at the county HHW Center and HHW North is free, and your government issued ID is scanned to verify residency.[13]
- Pack chemicals in a box or tray with crumpled newspaper, do not mix them, and carry them in the trunk or truck bed away from passengers.[13]
- Quantities over the household limits are referred to the county's Business Collection Events.[13]
- The free Swap Shop at the HHW Center gives away reusable paint, cleaners and automotive fluids to Pinellas County residents.[13]
Hazardous waste drop off
Pinellas County HHW North
Run by: HHW North is a Pinellas County Solid Waste household chemical collection site located in Clearwater.[13]
Address: HHW North is at 29582 U.S. 19 N., Clearwater, behind the Pinellas County Government Center and south of Curlew Road.[13]
Hours: HHW North opens on select Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the remaining 2026 dates on the county schedule are Oct. 10, Oct. 24, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.[13]
Phone: HHW questions go to Pinellas County Solid Waste at (727) 464-7500.[13]
Rules
- HHW North stays open during construction of the new North County Service Center; check the county calendar for the next operating day.[13]
- You stay in your vehicle with items in the trunk, truck bed or trailer, and collections may be delayed or canceled for bad weather.[13]
- Your government issued ID is scanned to verify Pinellas County residency.[13]
Hazardous waste drop off
Pinellas County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Center
Run by: Pinellas County Solid Waste runs the Household Hazardous Waste Program, which takes household chemicals for free.[13]
Address: The HHW Center is at 2855 109th Avenue N., St. Petersburg.[13]
Hours: The HHW Center is open Tuesday through Friday and the first and third Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on county holidays.[13]
Phone: HHW questions go to Pinellas County Solid Waste at (727) 464-7500.[13]
Accepted
- Accepted items include oil and antifreeze (5 gallons each) and gasoline or diesel (two 5 gallon DOT containers total).[13]
- Paints, stains and solvents are limited to 20 one gallon and 5 five gallon containers total.[13]
- Lawn and pool chemicals, aerosols, cleaners, fluorescent bulbs (up to 12), flares and many household batteries are also accepted.[13]
Not accepted
- Electronics such as TVs, monitors and printers are not accepted, nor are fire extinguishers, propane tanks over one pound, appliances, medicine, sharps or vehicle batteries.[13]
- Electronics are no longer recycled at the HHW Center or HHW North.[11]
Rules
Check with the city first
- Clearwater's curbside bulk allowance is about 4 to 5 pieces per pickup and 40 cubic yards a year, and larger amounts can bring time charges, so call (727) 562-4920 before setting out a big pile or any appliance.
- Pinellas County raised its disposal fees on October 1, 2026, and the free household tire drop off ends October 30, 2026, so confirm current rates before hauling a load.
- HHW North in Clearwater only opens on select Saturdays and can be canceled for weather, so check the county calendar before you drive.
- After a storm, the city may change collection schedules and the county landfill may refuse contaminated hurricane debris, so follow the city's storm debris instructions.
We left these out because we could not read them on an official page when we checked:
- Clearwater bulk pickup extra time charge amount
- Clearwater landlord move-out debris service charge
- Solid Waste Operations Line hours
- Clearwater resident yard waste or bulk drop-off site