Recycle_Guide.pdf

RECYCLE

GUIDE

EVERYTHING CLEAN AND DRY

• no caps • no lids • no straws • no food

• no shredded paper • no plastic bags

PAPER &

BOTTLES & JARS

CARDBOARD

PLASTIC

CARTONSMETAL

FOOD &

BEVERAGE CANS

PAPER &

BOTTLES & JUGS

GLASS

2 Tampa Bay Times/NIE

1. Trucks deposit recyclables at a Materials Recovery Facility.

2. Sorters remove items that can injure people or damage equipment down the line. These are items that cannot or should not be recycled at the curb, such as scrap metal or plastic wrap.

3. CARDBOARD travels over rotating screens. Smaller materials fall below.

4. NEWSPAPER is sorted out by smaller disc screens and optical scanners.

5. PAPER is sorted. Cans and bottles move on.

9. Eddy currents push non-ferrous metals (ALUMINUM) o� the belt.

10. Sorted materials are stored and baled for shipment.

11. Forklift moves bales to storage area and they are checked for quality.

12.

Bales are shipped by truck or ship to be used to make new products.

6. Magnets remove ferrous METALS (tin & steel cans).

Important: Plastic bags and plastic �lm can wrap around sorting equipment and jam the machines. They are particularly harmful to the recycling process and should not be recycled in curbside or drop-o� center locations. Please return plastic bags to participating stores for recycling.

It is important to Recycle Right, as sorting happens at 3 feet per second!

7. GLASS bottles & jars are crushed and sent to storage area.

8. Optical scanners separate the di�erent types of PLASTICS and CARTONS.

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Learn how your recyclables are sorted at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)

IMPORTANT: Plastic bags and plastic film can wrap around sorting equipment and jam the machines. They are particularly harmful to the recycling process. Locate the closest drop-offs for plastic bags by using the Where Does it Go? Search Tool shown on page 5.

Tampa Bay Times/NIE 3

What does NOT belong in my recycle bin?

When in doubt, leave it out.

PLASTIC BAGS

OR BAGGED

RECYCLING

TISSUES, PAPER

TOWELS OR NAPKINS

CLOTHING YARD

WASTE

FOOD WASTE OR

FOOD RESIDUE

FOAM

PACKAGING

PRODUCTS

G O I N G B E Y O N D T H E T E X T

According to TampaBayRecycles.org, “Items such as plastic bags, cords, wires, tarps and hoses jam and damage sorting equipment used for recycling processing. Not only can this damage the equipment, but workers must manually remove them, a difficult, dirty, and potentially dangerous task” (pictured to the left).

Look at the different items shown in the advertisements of the Tampa Bay Times. Using the information on the pages of this publication as a guide, classify the items you find in the newspapers as recyclable or not recyclable. Create a poster showing what can and cannot be recycled. Next, create a full-page advertisement advising people what to recycle and what not to recycle. Share what you have learned with your family and class.

Florida Standards: ELA.312.R.2.11; ELA.312.R.2.2; ELA.312.R.2.3; ELA.312.R.3.2; ELA.312.R.3.3; ELA.312.C.1.1; ELA.312.C.2.1;

ELA.312.C.3.1; ELA.312.C.4.1; ELA.312.V.1.1; ELA.312.V.1.3; LAFS.312.SL.1.1; LAFS.312.SL.1.2; LAFS.312.SL.1.3; LAFS.312.

SL.2.4; LAFS.312.SL.2.5; LAFS.312. SL.2.6; LAFS.312.W.1.1; LAFS.312.W.1.2; LAFS.312.W.1.3; LAFS.312.W.2.4; LAFS.312.W.2.5;

LAFS.312.W.2.7; LAFS.312.W.3.9; SC.38.N.1.1; SC.38.N.1.4; SC.38.N.1.5

Trash the Tanglers

WIRES, CORDS

OR HOSES

4 Tampa Bay Times/NIE

City/Town Bin Request Belleair ∙ 727-588-3769 ext. 406 ∙ townofbelleair.com City ∙ 727-588-3769 ext. 401 Belleair Beach ∙ 727-595-4646 ext. 120 ∙ cityofbelleairbeach.com Hauler ∙ 727-572-8779 Belleair Bluffs ∙ 727-584-2151 ∙ belleairbluffs.org Hauler ∙ 727-572-8779 Belleair Shore ∙ 727-593-9296 ∙ belleairshore.com Hauler ∙ 727-572-6800 Clearwater ∙ 727-562-4920 ∙ myclearwater.com/recycling City ∙ 727-562-4920 Dunedin ∙ 727-298-3215 ext. 1324 ∙ dunedingov.com City ∙ 727-298-3215 Gulfport ∙ 727-893-1089 ∙ mygulfport.us* City ∙ 727-893-1089 Indian Rocks Beach ∙ 727-595-6889 ∙ indian-rocks-beach.com City ∙ 727-595-6889 Indian Shores ∙ 727-595-4020 ∙ myindianshores.com Hauler ∙ 727-572-6800 Kenneth City ∙ 727-498-8948 ∙ kennethcityfl.org Hauler ∙ 727-572-6800 Largo ∙ 727-587-6760 ∙ largorecycles.com City ∙ 727-587-6760 Madeira Beach ∙ 727-543-8154 ∙ madeirabeachfl.gov City ∙ 727-543-8154 North Redington Beach ∙ 727-391-4848 ∙ townofnrb.com** Hauler ∙ 727-452-5278 Oldsmar ∙ 813-749-1135 ∙ myoldsmar.com Hauler ∙ 727-561-0360 Pinellas Park ∙ 727-369-0690 ∙ pinellas-park.com City ∙ 727-369-0690 Redington Beach ∙ 727-391-3875 ∙ townofredingtonbeach.com Hauler ∙ 727-572-6800 Redington Shores ∙ 727-397-5538 ∙ townofredingtonshores.com Hauler ∙ 727-572-6800 Safety Harbor ∙ 727-724-1550 ext. 2002 ∙ cityofsafetyharbor.com City ∙ 727-724-1550 ext. 2002 Seminole ∙ 727-397-6383 ext. 3 ∙ myseminole.com Hauler ∙ 727-452-5278 South Pasadena ∙ 727-384-0701 ∙ mysouthpasadena.com Hauler ∙ 727-572-6800 St. Petersburg ∙ 727-893-7838 ∙ stpete.org/recycle City ∙ 727-893-7838 St. Pete Beach ∙ 727-363-9243 ∙ stpetebeach.org Hauler ∙ 727-572-6800 Tarpon Springs ∙ 727-943-4837 ∙ ctsfl.us City ∙ 727-943-4837 Treasure Island ∙ 727-547-4575 ext. 250 ∙ mytreasureisland.org City ∙ 727-547-4575 ext. 250

Don’t live in one of the cities/towns above?

Residents who live in unincorporated areas can contract directly with a hauler listed below to request curbside recycling service. To find out if you live in an unincorporated area, visit pinellascounty.org/resident/unincorporated_areas.htm.

County Sanitation 727-522-5794 countysanitationservice.com

D & D Hauling 727-586-6416 dndhauling.com

Orion Waste Solutions d/b/a Russo & Sons LLC 727-561-0360 orionwaste.com

Solar Sanitation 727-535-0447 solarsanitationinc.com

Superior Trash Service 727-254-0664 superiortrashservice.com

Tote Enterprises Inc.

P.O. Box 10033 Largo, FL 33773

(727) 422-0736

Waste Connections 727-572-6800 local.progressivewaste.com/Pinellas

Waste Management 727-572-8779 wm.com

Waste Pro 727-452-5278 wasteprousa.com/ office/clearwater

* Recyclables are collected in two separate bins. Glass is not accepted curbside. ** Call for information about “back door” recycling collection assistance.

Curbside RecyclingCurbside Recycling

Tampa Bay Times/NIE 5

Where Does it Go? Search Tool

Scan this QR code or visit pinellascounty.org/wheredoesitgo

Select “For Homes” or “For Businesses”

Type the item in the search field

Review search results

G O I N G B E Y O N D T H E T E X T

One important way to protect our community is by not littering. Littering may seem like a quick way to get rid of something, but garbage that is thrown on the ground, into the waterways or into the waste stream doesn’t really go away. It becomes unsightly and creates big problems for animals and people. Litter cleanup is costly and time consuming, and it can do widespread damage to the environment.

Research this information on the Keep Pinellas Beautiful website, kpbcares.

org. Write a paragraph describing what your school grounds would look like if all the drivers passing by littered at the school. On a separate sheet of paper, list at least 10 items you think they might throw away. Based on the paragraph that you wrote, create an advertisement persuading people not to pollute or litter. Cut out words, headlines and pictures from the Tampa Bay Times for your ad. Make a full-page ad for the Times.

Florida Standards: ELA.312.R.2.11;

ELA.312.R.2.2; ELA.312.R.2.3;

ELA.312.R.3.2; ELA.312.R.3.3;

ELA.312.C.1.1; ELA.312.C.2.1;

ELA.312.C.3.1; ELA.312.C.4.1;

ELA.312.V.1.1; ELA.312.V.1.3; LAFS.312.L.1.1;

LAFS.312.L.1.2; LAFS.312.L.2.3;

LAFS.312.L.3.4; LAFS.312. RI.1.1;

LAFS.312.RI.1.2; LAFS.312.RI.1.3;

LAFS.312.RI.2.6; LAFS.312.RI.3.7;

LAFS.312.RST.1.3; LAFS.312.RST.3.7;

LAFS.312.RST.3.9; LAFS.312.SL.1.1;

LAFS.312.SL.1.2; LAFS.312.SL.1.3;

LAFS.312.SL.2.4; LAFS.312.SL.2.5;

LAFS.312. SL.2.6; LAFS.312.W.1.1;

LAFS.312.W.1.2; LAFS.312.W.1.3;

LAFS.312.W.2.4; LAFS.312.W.2.5;

LAFS.312.W.2.7; LAFS.312.W.3.9;

SC.38.N.1.1; SC.38.N.1.4; SC.38.N.1.5;

SC.912.L.17.14; SC.912.L.17.18;

SC.912.L.17.19

Protecting Pinellas

Not sure what to do with it?

Take the guesswork out with Pinellas County's Where Does it Go? Search Tool, which offers guidance and local resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal. Where Does it Go? is a searchable database that connects you to the right donation centers, recycling facilities, online takeback programs, and more.

6 Tampa Bay Times/NIE

BELLEAIR

16 John J. Osborne Public Works Building • 1075 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

DUNEDIN

8 Highlander Park Recycling Site • Ed Eckert Dr., across from Highlander Pool

9 Lake Haven Recycling Center • 817 Lake Haven Road

CLEARWATER

14 Clearwater Solid Waste Facility • 1701 N Hercules Ave.

12 Pinellas County Government Center • 29582 U.S. 19 N, west side, south of Curlew Road

15 Sand Key Park • 1060 Gulf Blvd.

13 Walmart • 23106 U.S. 19 N, southeast corner of parking lot

GULFPORT

41 49th Street Neighborhood Center • 1617 49th St. S

LARGO

25 Bank of America • 10900 Seminole Blvd.

21 Hamlin Boulevard 4-H • 14644 113th Ave. N

22 Pinellas County Extension • 12520 Ulmerton Road, north of Ulmerton Road, entrance on 125th St. N Frontage Road

23 Starkey Road Recycling Center • 1551 Starkey Road, north of Ulmerton Road, south of East Bay Dr.

24 Tri-City Plaza • U.S. 19 N and East Bay Dr., behind Ross store

PALM HARBOR

7 Curlew Retention Pond • 1740 Curlew Road, between Belcher Road and CR 1

6 John Chesnut Sr. Park • 2200 East Lake Road

5 William E. Dunn Water Reclamation Facility • 4111 Dunn Dr., Off Alt U.S. 19 N

REDINGTON SHORES

27 Redington Shores Town Hall • 17425 Gulf Blvd.

SAFETY HARBOR

10 Safety Harbor Fire Station 53 • 3095 McMullen-Booth Road

11 Safety Harbor Public Works • 1200 Railroad Ave.

SEMINOLE

28 Lake Seminole Park • 10015 Park Blvd., east of Seminole Blvd.

RECYCLING DROP-OFF CENTERSRECYCLING DROP-OFF CENTERS

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH

17 Brown Park • Bay Blvd. and Second St.

19 Indian Rocks Beach Nature Preserve • 903 Gulf Blvd.

20 Indian Rocks Historical Museum • 203 Fourth Ave.

18 Kolb Park • 1507 Bay Palm Blvd.

INDIAN SHORES

26 Indian Shores Town Hall • 19305 Gulf Blvd.

G O I N G B E Y O N D T H E T E X T

Improve your recycling knowledge

As Recycle Across America notes, “Every day, the public throws millions of tons of garbage (food waste, diapers, plastic bags, wrappers, Styrofoam™, coffee cups, plastic straws, garden hoses, etc.) into recycling bins. That ‘garbage’ contaminates the good recyclables, hence the term ‘contamination.’” Think about the following questions:

• What is recycling?

• What is the science behind recycling?

• What items can be recycled in Pinellas County?

• What items cannot be recycled and why?

• Why do people put nonrecyclable items into recycle bins?

• What are the problems of contaminating recycle bins with inappropriate items?

Working in small groups, brainstorm the questions. Create a chart listing what you know, what you need to know and what you hope to learn. Write down all your ideas before you begin the research. Research this topic on the Keep Pinellas Beautiful website, kpbcares.org and the Tampa Bay Times. Using the information you researched and discussed with your group, create a plan to improve people’s knowledge about recycling and the way they recycle in Pinellas County.

Write out your plan as an outline and create a graphic organizer, cartoon, infographic or 3-D representation to share with your class and family. In your plan, include how you will not only increase clean recycling, but also decrease contamination in recycling bins. Create an advertising campaign to go along with your plan. Look in the Tampa Bay Times for effective advertisements, images and slogans. Use the ideas and images from this publication and the Pinellas County Recycling website for ideas. Brand your campaign for Pinellas County residents.

Florida Standards: ELA.312.R.2.11; ELA.312.R.2.2; ELA.312.R.2.3; ELA.312.R.3.2;

ELA.312.R.3.3; ELA.312.C.1.1; ELA.312.C.2.1; ELA.312.C.3.1; ELA.312.C.4.1;

ELA.312.V.1.1; ELA.312.V.1.3; LAFS.312.L.1.1; LAFS.312.L.1.2; LAFS.312.L.2.3;

LAFS.312.L.3.4; LAFS.312. RI.1.1; LAFS.312.RI.1.2; LAFS.312.RI.1.3; LAFS.312.

RI.2.6; LAFS.312.RI.3.7; LAFS.312.RST.1.3; LAFS.312.RST.3.7; LAFS.312.RST.3.9;

LAFS.312.SL.1.1; LAFS.312.SL.1.2; LAFS.312.SL.1.3; LAFS.312.SL.2.4; LAFS.312.

SL.2.5; LAFS.312. SL.2.6; LAFS.312.W.1.1; LAFS.312.W.1.2; LAFS.312.W.1.3;

LAFS.312.W.2.4; LAFS.312.W.2.5; LAFS.312.W.2.7; LAFS.312.W.3.9; SC.38.N.1.1;

SC.38.N.1.4; SC.38.N.1.5; SC.912.L.17.14; SC.912.L.17.18; SC.912.L.17.19

Tampa Bay Times/NIE 7

Scan this QR code for an interactive online map of the Recycling Drop-Off Centers.

PINELLAS BAYWAY

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PINELLAS BAYWAY

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38 3941

18 19

ST. PETERSBURG

City of St. Petersburg Recycling/Brush Sites

• 1000 62nd Ave. NE

• 7750 26th Ave. N

• 2453 20th Ave. N

• 2500 26th Ave. S

• 4015 Dr. MLK Jr. St. S

34 Clearview United Methodist Church • 4515 38th Ave. N

31 Crescent Lake Park • 1320 Fifth St. N

37 Enoch Davis Recreation Center • 1111 18th Ave. S

40 Lakewood Youth Association • 4801 31st St. S

35 Northwest Park • 2331 60th Ave. N

29 Pinellas County Solid Waste • 2855 109th Ave. N, next to HEC3

32 St. Petersburg Municipal Marina • 300 Second Ave. SE

TARPON SPRINGS

3 A.L. Anderson Park • 39699 U.S. 19 N, between Klosterman Road and Tarpon Ave.

4 Brooker Creek Education Center • 3940 Keystone Road

1 Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue Station 70 • 1023 Gulf Road

2 Tarpon Springs Yard Waste Facility • 898 S Levis Ave.

TIERRA VERDE

42 Fort De Soto Park boat ramp overflow parking area - 3600 Pinellas Bayway S

43 Fort De Soto Park campground - 3500 Pinellas Bayway S

RECYCLING DROP-OFF CENTERSRECYCLING DROP-OFF CENTERS

Locations are approximate on this map

Emily LeMay Cross-Out

Emily LeMay Cross-Out

Emily LeMay Cross-Out

Emily LeMay Cross-Out

Emily LeMay Cross-Out

Emily LeMay Cross-Out

8 Tampa Bay Times/NIE

FREE MULCH PICK-UP LOCATIONS

Instead of buying mulch, get it for free! Free mulch is available to Pinellas County residents at the sites below — just bring a pitchfork or shovel and take as much as you need.

For pickup truck or trailer loads, be sure to come prepared with a tarp or vehicle cover to keep your mulch load secured, as required by law.

A.L. Anderson Park 39699 U.S. 19 N, Tarpon Springs 727-464-7500

Bicentennial Park East of 565 Tom Stuart Causeway Madeira Beach 727-543-8154

John Chesnut Sr. Park 2200 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor 727-464-7500

St. Petersburg Recycling/Brush Sites

• 1000 62nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg

• 7500 26th Ave. N, St. Petersburg

• 2453 20th Ave. N, St. Petersburg

• 2500 26th Ave. S, St. Petersburg

• 4015 Dr. MLK Jr. St. S, St. Petersburg 727-893-7398

Clearwater Solid Waste Facility 1701 N Hercules Ave., Clearwater 727-562-4920

Cypress Forest Recreation Center 200 feet north of 650 Pine Ave. N, Oldsmar 813-749-1135

Gulfport Neighborhood Center 1617 49th St. S, Gulfport 727-893-1089

Lake Haven Recycling Center 810 Lake Haven Road, Dunedin 727-298-3215

Pinellas County Department of Solid Waste 3095 114th Ave. N, St. Petersburg 727-464-7500

Pinellas County Household Electronics and Chemical Collection Center (HEC3) 2855 109th Ave. N, St. Petersburg 727-464-7500

Starkey Road Drop-Off Recycling Center 1551 Starkey Road, Largo 727-587-6760

Walsingham Park 12615 102nd Ave. N, Largo 727-464-7500

Waste Management Brush Site 12950 40th St. N, Pinellas Park 727-369-0690

G O I N G B E Y O N D T H E T E X T

According to the World Health Organization, a carbon footprint is a measure of the impact your activities have on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced through the burning of fossil fuels and is expressed as a weight of CO2 emissions produced in tons. In other words, a carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide and methane, that are generated by our actions. You can calculate your carbon footprint using the United States Environmental Protection website, epa.gov/ carbon-footprint-calculator. You can compare your footprint to your classmates’. Look for articles about

Measuring your carbon footprint

We’ve got you covered!

Mulch helps retain soil moisture, protects plants, and inhibits weed growth. It gives your landscape a neat, uniform appearance and is a great Florida-Friendly choice for hard-to-mow areas and shady spots.

To learn more about the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program through the UF/IFAS Extension: https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/ the environment and carbon footprint in the archives of the Tampa Bay Times. Write a blog post using the information. Include tips about how Pinellas County residents can reduce their total footprint.

Florida Standards: ELA.312.R.2.11; ELA.312.R.2.2; ELA.312.R.2.3; ELA.312.R.3.2; ELA.312.R.3.3;

ELA.312.C.1.1; ELA.312.C.2.1; ELA.312.C.3.1; ELA.312.C.4.1; ELA.312.V.1.1; ELA.312.V.1.3; LAFS.312.L.1.1;

LAFS.312.L.1.2; LAFS.312.L.2.3; LAFS.312.L.3.4; LAFS.312. RI.1.1; LAFS.312.RI.1.2; LAFS.312.RI.1.3;

LAFS.312.RI.2.6; LAFS.312.RI.3.7; LAFS.312.RST.1.3; LAFS.312.RST.3.7; LAFS.312.RST.3.9; LAFS.312.SL.1.1;

LAFS.312.SL.1.2; LAFS.312.SL.1.3; LAFS.312.SL.2.4; LAFS.312.SL.2.5; LAFS.312. SL.2.6; LAFS.312.W.1.1;

LAFS.312.W.1.2; LAFS.312.W.1.3; LAFS.312.W.2.4; LAFS.312.W.2.5; LAFS.312.W.2.7; LAFS.312.W.3.9;

SC.38.N.1.1; SC.38.N.1.4; SC.38.N.1.5; SC.912.L.17.14; SC.912.L.17.18; SC.912.L.17.19

Tampa Bay Times/NIE 9

HOUSEHOLD ELECTRONICS AND

CHEMICAL COLLECTION CENTER (HEC3)

Monday – Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

2855 109th Ave. N., St. Petersburg pinellascounty.org/hec3

MOBILE COLLECTION EVENTS

Select Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

pinellascounty.org/solidwaste/mobileoptions or scan this QR code for the Mobile Collection Events calendar.

HOUSEHOLD ELECTRONICS AND CHEMICALS

Pinellas County offers free options for residents to dispose of unwanted household electronics and chemicals:�������������

Automotive Products

• Oils and Antifreeze (Limit: 5 gallons)

• Gasoline and Diesel containers. No tanks)

Rechargeable batteries

• Including lithium-ion, mercury, nickel cadmium, and lithium

Electronics

• Cell phones • Computers • Monitors

• Items with rechargeable batteries that cannot be removed

• TVs (must be whole) (Limit: 6 TVs, 5 computers)

Household Chemicals

• Adhesives/epoxies

• Aerosols • Cleaners

Lawn & Garden Chemicals

• Pesticides/herbicides

• Fertilizers • Sprayers

Mercury-containing Devices

• Thermometers • Thermostats

• Fluorescent bulbs (Limit: 12)

Paint Products

• Paints/stains • stnevloS

-gallon)

Pool & Spa Products

• Chlorine • Muriatic acid

Signal Flares

• Marine • Road

What NOT to bring

Appliances

Vehicle (lead-acid) Batteries

Fire Extinguishers

Electronics such as stereos, DVD players and printers

Medicine & Sharps

Propane Tanks (over 1 lb.)

or other compressed gases

10 Tampa Bay Times/NIE

The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery of products, packaging and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water or air that threaten the environment or human health.

Zero Waste:

- Zero Waste International Alliance

A method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.

Sustainability:

- Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Use a reusable water bottle instead of single-use plastic bottles.

Travel with a “zero waste kit” with reusable cutlery, napkins and containers.

Replace cotton balls and makeup wipes with washable cotton pads.

Use reusable shopping bags instead of single-use plastic bags.

When buying produce, bring your own reusable mesh bags.

Take the Reduce Your Use (RYU) Tampa Bay pledge at reduceyourusetampabay.org or by scanning this QR code.

6 tips to reduce waste and live sustainably:

G O I N G B E Y O N D T H E T E X T

Protecting our environment takes teamwork. By understanding how the actions of humans affect and influence the environment, we can make better choices for our communities. Look for articles in the Tampa Bay Times that show examples of people, groups or organizations that are working to protect the fragile environment in Pinellas County. Make a list of those involved and the actions they are taking. Select one of the environmental groups or issues you have read about and do some research about it.

Then think about what actions you can take to protect the environment.

Share your ideas with others by writing a short essay that incorporates the information you have learned.

Florida Standards: ELA.312.R.2.11; ELA.312.R.2.2; ELA.312.R.2.3;

ELA.312.R.3.2; ELA.312.R.3.3; ELA.312.C.1.1; ELA.312.C.2.1; ELA.312.C.3.1;

ELA.312.C.4.1; ELA.312.V.1.1; ELA.312.V.1.3; LAFS.312.L.1.1; LAFS.312.L.1.2;

LAFS.312.L.2.3; LAFS.312.L.3.4; LAFS.312. RI.1.1; LAFS.312.RI.1.2; LAFS.312.

RI.1.3; LAFS.312.RI.2.6; LAFS.312.RI.3.7; LAFS.312.RST.1.3; LAFS.312.

RST.3.7; LAFS.312.RST.3.9; LAFS.312.SL.1.1; LAFS.312.SL.1.2; LAFS.312.

SL.1.3; LAFS.312.SL.2.4; LAFS.312.SL.2.5; LAFS.312. SL.2.6; LAFS.312.W.1.1;

LAFS.312.W.1.2; LAFS.312.W.1.3; LAFS.312.W.2.4; LAFS.312.W.2.5;

LAFS.312.W.2.7; LAFS.312.W.3.9; SC.38.N.1.1; SC.38.N.1.4; SC.38.N.1.5;

SC.912.L.17.14; SC.912.L.17.18; SC.912.L.17.19

Teamwork

Sustainable Materials Management Pinellas County operates an integrated solid waste management system that promotes waste reduction and environmentally preferable waste management practices. The county follows the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Sustainable Materials Waste Management Hierarchy (pictured to the right).

M ost Preferred

Least Preferred

Source Reduction & Reuse

Recycling/Composting

Energy Recovery

Treatment & Disposal

Zero Waste to Landfill February 2020

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL

S lid Waste Master Plan

Zero Waste to Landfill February 2020

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL

S lid Waste Master Plan

Tampa Bay Times/NIE 11

1 Garbage in Pinellas County is taken to the Solid Waste Disposal Complex, where 80 to 90 percent of it is burned as fuel in the

County’s Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility. The WTE facility produces enough electricity to power 45,000 homes each day. The gas produced is cleaned by state-of-the-art pollution control systems.

2 Magnets are used to recover ferrous metals, such as iron and steel, from the ash. Electrical currents called eddy currents are used to recover nonferrous metals such as aluminum and copper. These metals are then sold for recycling.

3 The leftover ash, which takes up 90 percent less space than the original garbage, is landfilled for disposal.

In Pinellas County, garbage is used to make electricity!

Zero Waste to Landfill February 2020

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL

S lid Waste Master Plan

Zero Waste to Landfill February 2020

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL

S lid Waste Master Plan

Zero Waste to Landfill February 2020

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL

S lid Waste Master Plan

Pinellas County is home to nearly one million permanent residents and sees over 14 million visitors annually.

As the population increases, so does waste and it doesn’t just go ‘away.’

All garbage is taken to the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex, where it is managed using a state-of-the-art Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility and the Bridgeway Acres Landfill. The resulting ash from WTE is landfilled. Ash takes up 90% less space in the landfill than the garbage would have. Our WTE facility is fast approaching its operating capacity, meaning that more garbage will have to be landfilled without the added benefit of volume reduction. Currently, the landfill is expected to last another 80 years. If we were to stop recycling, the landfill would only have 60 years left.

The Department of Solid Waste has a 30-year Solid Waste Master Plan with a goal of zero waste to landfill by 2050. In the planning process, it was identified that about one third of the garbage received at the Solid Waste Disposal Complex could have been recycled! By recycling right and reducing waste, we will conserve natural resources and energy while extending the life of the one and only landfill in Pinellas County.

Recycling is key to reach our goal of zero waste to landfill by 2050.

The Solid Waste Master Plan can be found online at pinellascounty.org/ solidwaste/masterplan or by scanning this QR code.

12 Tampa Bay Times/NIE

RECYCLE

GUIDE

EVERYTHING CLEAN AND DRY

• no caps • no lids • no straws • no food

• no shredded paper • no plastic bags

BOTTLES & JARS

CARDBOARD

PLASTIC

CARTONSMETAL

FOOD &

BEVERAGE CANS

PAPER &

BOTTLES & JUGS

GLASS 2022

NIE staff Jodi Pushkin, manager, jpushkin@tampabay.com Sue Bedry, development specialist, sbedry@tampabay.com

Credits Project manager: Sue Bedry, Times staff Written by: Sue Bedry, Times staff and Pinellas County Department of Solid Waste staff Curriculum activities by: Jodi Pushkin, Times staff Designed by: Stacy Rector, Fluid Graphic Design

©Tampa Bay Times 2022

A text-only version of this guide can be found at pinellascounty.org/solidwaste/recycle-guide

About NIE The Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education program (NIE) is a cooperative effort between schools and the Times Publishing Co.

to encourage the use of newspapers in print and electronic form as educational resources — a “living textbook.” Our educational resources fall into the category of informational text, a type of nonfiction text. The primary purpose of informational text is to convey information about the natural or social world.

NIE serves educators, students and families by providing schools with class sets of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Tampa Bay Times plus award-winning original educational publications, teacher guides, lesson plans, educator workshops and many more resources — all at no cost to schools, teachers or families.

Each year, NIE provides more than 1 million print copies and 10 million digital editions of the Times to area classrooms free of charge thanks to our generous subscribers and individual, corporate and foundation sponsors. NIE teaching materials cover a variety of subjects and are aligned to the Florida Standards.

For more information about NIE, visit tampabay.com/nie, call 727-893-8138 or email ordernie@tampabay.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/TBTimesNIE. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/TBTNIE.

Florida Standards This publication and its activities incorporate the following Florida Standards for elementary, middle and high school students. B.E.S.T: ELA.312.F.1.3; ELA.312.R.2.11; ELA.312.R.2.2;

ELA.312.R.2.3; ELA.312.R.3.2; ELA.312.R.3.3; ELA.312.C.1.1;

ELA.312.C.2.1; ELA.312.C.3.1; ELA.312.C.4.1; ELA.312.V.1.1 ;

ELA.312.V.1.3 Language Arts: LAFS.312.L.1.1; LAFS.312.L.1.2;

LAFS.312.L.2.3; LAFS.312.L.3.4; LAFS.312. RI.1.1; LAFS.312.RI.1.2;

LAFS.312.RI.1.3; LAFS.312.RI.2.6; LAFS.312.RI.3.7; LAFS.312.

RST.1.3; LAFS.312.RST.3.7; LAFS.312.RST.3.9; LAFS.312.SL.1.1;

LAFS.312.SL.1.2; LAFS.312.SL.1.3; LAFS.312.SL.2.4; LAFS.312.SL.2.5;

LAFS.312. SL.2.6; LAFS.312.W.1.1; LAFS.312.W.1.2; LAFS.312.W.1.3;

LAFS.312.W.2.4; LAFS.312.W.2.5; LAFS.312.W.2.7; LAFS.312.W.3.9

Science: SC.6.N.1.1; SC.6.N.1.4; SC.6.N.1.5; SC.7.N.1.1; SC.8.N.1.1;

SC.35.N.1.1; SC.35.N.1.2; SC.35.N.1.3; SC.912.L.17.14; SC.912.L.17.18;

SC.912.L.17.19; SC.912.N.1.4; SC.912.N.4.1; SC.912.N.4.2 S

EDUCATORS Share 100 words about how you used this resource in your classroom for a chance to win a $15 gift card! Visit tampabay.com/nie for details and to enter.

Want to learn more? Take a tour of the Solid Waste Disposal Complex!

Visit pinellascounty.org/solidwaste/tours for more information.

Questions or comments?

recycle@pinellascounty.org 727-464-7500

For more recycling, reuse, and disposal options, visit the Where does it Go? Search Tool online at pinellascounty.org/wheredoesitgo or by scanning this QR code