Temple Terrace Trash & Recycling Schedule
Official garbage collection rules, bin guidelines, and holiday schedules for residents of Temple Terrace, Florida.
Find Your Exact Pickup Days
Enter your street address on the official collection map to see your specific trash, recycling, and yard waste schedule.
📍 View Official Collection MapService Provider
Temple Terrace Solid Waste Division
Phone Number
813-506-6570Facility Address
11250 N 56th St, Temple Terrace, FL 33617
Collection Schedule
The city provides twice-weekly garbage pickup, alongside weekly recycling and yard waste collection.
Bin Colors
Green or Black for garbage, Blue for recycling.
Guidelines & Rules
🎄 Holiday Delays
Service shifts by one day for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
🛋️ Bulk Waste Pickup
Bulk items and white goods are collected on the regular garbage day, but residents must call in advance to schedule.
⚠️ Important Guidelines
Yard waste must be bundled, tied, or placed in a container not exceeding 4 feet in length or 50 lbs.
Comprehensive Guide & Details
Independent Sanitation Fleet of Temple Terrace
Unlike many surrounding unincorporated areas, the incorporated City of Temple Terrace operates its very own dedicated Public Works Department to handle residential waste. This localized approach allows for highly responsive neighborhood services. Standard household garbage is picked up twice weekly. To guarantee your refuse is collected, residents are required to place their city-issued rollout carts at the curb prior to 7:00 AM on scheduled service days. The municipal code dictates that all loose trash must be tightly bagged before being deposited into the cart, a vital step that minimizes offensive odors and keeps the city's historic streets free from windblown litter.
Navigating the Commingled Recycling Program
Environmental stewardship is heavily promoted within the city limits through a comprehensive single-stream recycling initiative. Temple Terrace households receive a specific container solely for recyclable materials, which is emptied once a week. Acceptable commodities include flattened corrugated cardboard, rinsed aluminum drink cans, steel food tins, and rigid plastic jugs. A critical mandate from the Public Works facility is to leave these items entirely loose. Residents must never package their recyclables inside plastic grocery bags, as these flimsy materials create disastrous mechanical tangles at the regional material recovery facility.
Managing Yard Waste Under the Oak Canopy
Famed for its breathtaking, mature oak tree canopy, Temple Terrace naturally produces a massive volume of yard waste. The city provides a dedicated weekly pickup for vegetative debris to help homeowners maintain their manicured landscapes. Grass clippings, fallen leaves, and small twigs should be containerized in standard 32-gallon trash cans or heavy-duty biodegradable lawn bags. If you are trimming branches, the wood must be cut to lengths not exceeding four feet. These branches must be securely tied into bundles, with a strict maximum weight limit of 50 pounds per bundle to protect the sanitation workers from lifting injuries.
Scheduling Pickups for Oversized Junk
When upgrading home furnishings or replacing large appliances, standard residential carts simply will not suffice. The City of Temple Terrace accommodates these situations by offering specialized bulk waste collection. However, this is not an automatic service. Homeowners must proactively contact the Public Works office to arrange a customized pickup date for items such as mattresses, sofas, or broken washing machines. Be advised that appliances containing freon require specialized chemical handling, and hazardous materials like wet paint or roofing shingles are strictly prohibited from this curbside program.
Proper Cart Geometry and Clearances
The city’s modern garbage trucks rely on automated lifting arms to hoist and dump the heavy residential bins. For this technology to function safely without damaging private property, homeowners must provide ample physical clearance. A minimum radius of three feet is required around every cart. Bins should never be placed directly behind parked vehicles, flush against mailboxes, or directly underneath low-hanging tree branches. The lid's hinges must point toward your home so it opens correctly into the truck. Once emptied, municipal ordinances require the carts to be pulled back to your property by the end of the day.
Holiday Suspensions and Tropical Weather
Routine sanitation routes occasionally shift to accommodate federal holidays and severe weather events. Temple Terrace Public Works typically pauses operations on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. When a recognized closure lands on a weekday, the regular collection calendar will shift forward by 24 hours for the remainder of that week. Additionally, if the Tampa Bay region is threatened by an approaching hurricane, the city will preemptively ground the sanitation fleet to keep high-profile vehicles off dangerous roads, urging all residents to safely secure their empty carts indoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is trash collected in Temple Terrace?
A: The city provides twice-weekly garbage pickup, alongside weekly recycling and yard waste collection.
Q: How does the holiday schedule affect garbage pickup?
A: Service shifts by one day for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
Q: Which bins should I use for trash and recycling?
A: Green or Black for garbage, Blue for recycling.
Q: How can I schedule a bulk waste pickup?
A: Bulk items and white goods are collected on the regular garbage day, but residents must call in advance to schedule.
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