Trash and recycling pickup in St. Petersburg: schedule, holidays

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of St. Petersburg’s Residential Trash and Recycling pages. Updated when the city changes its schedule or rates.

The City of St. Petersburg Sanitation Department picks up trash for more than 76,000 household accounts, from the curb or from the alley behind the home, depending on the street. Most homes get trash pickup twice a week and recycling on a set day. Furniture, appliances and tires go out as a free special pickup, and residents can drop off yard waste and recycling at five city brush sites.

Who to call

• Special pickup, recycling, billing: Sanitation Department, 727-893-7398
• Missed trash pickup: 727-893-7334
• Zone calendars, missed recycling: Sanitation Customer Service, 727-893-7838
• Neighborhood cleanup: 727-893-5141
• Illegal dumping (24-hour police tip line): 727-892-5000
• Official page: Collection Schedule

What day is my pickup?

St. Petersburg runs on collection zones (A1 through B8, each with a color). Look up your zone on the city’s collection zone map or the trash collection and recycling map, then open your zone’s 2026 calendar on the collection schedule page. The city mails the calendars at the start of each year; call 727-893-7838 if yours did not arrive.

The free St. Pete Collects app shows your personal schedule, sends alerts when a holiday or bad weather moves a pickup, and has a Waste Wizard that tells you whether an item can be recycled.

The cart rules

From the city’s recycling page, which sets out the city ordinance:

• Put containers at the curb, or in the alley if your address has alley service, after 7 p.m. the night before collection and by 7 a.m. on collection day.
• Take them back to the side or back of the home by 7 p.m. the same day.
• Regular trash and yard waste go in the trash cart, not loose on the curb or in the alley.

If your recycling was out before 7 a.m. and was missed, call 727-893-7838. Calls before 4 p.m. may get a same-day pickup; later calls are picked up the next weekday.

Once-weekly trash service

Single-family homes can apply for once-weekly trash collection at a lower rate if the household has one or two people, the lot is 8,500 square feet or less and the home uses 5,000 gallons of water or less a month. If water use goes higher, the twice-weekly rate applies.

Recycling

There is no need to sort. The blue bin takes:

• Glass bottles and jars, any color
• Aluminum and steel cans and steel jar lids
• Milk and juice cartons and drink boxes
• Plastic bottles, jugs, jars and tubs
• Newspapers, magazines, mail, windowed envelopes, mixed paper and cardboard

Rinse everything. The city does not go by the number inside the recycling arrows; it goes by shape. Not accepted: plastic bags (or anything bagged in them), dry cleaning bags, thin plastic wrap, berry containers, plastic cups, lids and straws, Styrofoam and paper towels. Rechargeable and lithium-ion batteries never go in the bin or the trash, because they can start fires in the truck; drop them at a Call2Recycle location. Ordinary alkaline batteries can go in the trash.

Special pickup: furniture, appliances, tires

The city picks up these items free, per its special pickup page:

• Furniture, carpet and appliances, up to 3 cubic yards
• Car tires and car batteries, up to five of each
• Doors, windows and kitchen cabinets, up to two of each
• Empty 20-pound propane tanks, up to two

Request it in SeeClickFix, with a photo if you can, or call 727-893-7398. Put the items where your trash is normally collected, curb or alley. Other loads, such as building materials, large amounts of brush or accumulated waste, are charged by the cubic yard, and the department gives an estimate first.

Brush sites: yard waste and recycling drop-off

The city’s five brush sites are open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days a week, and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day:

• 1000 62nd Ave. NE
• 7750 26th Ave. N
• 2500 26th Ave. S (the only site that takes logs)
• 4015 Dr. Martin Luther King St. S
• 2453 20th Ave. N

They take grass, brush, trimmings, palm fronds, recyclables, mixed metals, appliances and cement roof tiles from properties that pay a city sanitation charge. Show a Florida driver’s license with a St. Petersburg address, or your license plus the water account number for the city property. Lawn services need the owner with them or a signed brush site consent form for each day. Limbs must be under 5 feet long and stumps under 300 pounds. Free mulch is there to take home.

Paint, chemicals and electronics

Paint, fertilizer, fluorescent bulbs and rechargeable batteries go to the household chemical collection events Pinellas County holds through the year; see the county’s recycling guide. TVs and computer equipment can go out as a free city special pickup (727-893-7398).

2026 holiday schedule

From the city’s 2026 holiday collection schedule:

The brush sites close on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

What it costs

From Oct. 1, 2026, the city’s utility rate page lists the standard single-family sanitation rate at $34.29 a month for twice-weekly pickup, $27.18 for approved once-weekly pickup and $4.53 a month for recycling. The charges appear on your city utility bill. Residents away for at least two months can ask for standby service at a reduced charge.

What this means for you

• Find your zone once and download the St. Pete Collects app for holiday alerts.
• Out after 7 p.m. the night before or by 7 a.m.; back in by 7 p.m.
• No plastic bags in the recycling bin.
• Furniture and appliances go free by special pickup; call 727-893-7398.

More city services: who to call at City Hall, property taxes and moving to St. Petersburg.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in St. Petersburg?

It depends on your collection zone. Find your zone on the city’s collection map or in the St. Pete Collects app, which shows your trash and recycling days and sends holiday changes.

What time does trash need to be out in St. Petersburg?

Carts go to the curb or alley after 7 p.m. the night before or by 7 a.m. on collection day, and must be taken back in by 7 p.m. that day.

How do I get rid of furniture in St. Petersburg?

The city picks up furniture, carpet and appliances free, up to 3 cubic yards, as a special pickup. Request it in SeeClickFix or call the Sanitation Department at 727-893-7398.

Where can I take yard waste in St. Petersburg?

The city runs five brush sites open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day for residents who pay a city sanitation charge. Bring a driver’s license with a city address.

Is trash pickup moved for Thanksgiving in St. Petersburg?

Yes. Thursday collections move to Wednesday on Thanksgiving week; Monday, Tuesday and Friday collections stay the same.