After distributing more than 335,000 sandbags in preparation for Hurricane Irma, Pinellas County encourages residents to properly recycle or dispose of their sandbags.
While the storm caused some localized flooding, widespread flooding was not an issue for most county residents. Sandbags that did not come into contact with floodwaters can be safely reused or stored.
For sandbags that did not come into contact with floodwaters:
- Spread sand on lawns or landscape beds and recycle the bag or place it in your garbage.
- Keep and store clean sandbags for preparation for future events.
For sandbags that have come into contact with floodwaters:
- Bring used sandbags, separated from other waste to the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Facility, 3095 114th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Free of charge.
Sandbags that have come in contact with flood water can become contaminated with bacteria, produce odors and are considered dirty. The sand brought to Solid Waste will be stockpiled, tested and analyzed. All non-contaminated sand will be recovered and reused for future county projects and/or sandbag issuance.
Please do not dispose of any sand or full sandbags in your regular trash. The sand does not burn and will not convert to energy in the county’s waste-to-energy facility. Furthermore, do not mix sandbags with yard debris. The sand is abrasive and damages equipment used to grind yard debris into mulch.
For more information, please call the Department of Solid Waste at (727) 464-7500.