Tampa Solid Waste Department starts trash, recycling bin cleaning service

Tampa launches solid waste cart cleaning service

The Tampa Department of Solid Waste said it can help residents with a fresh, clean start to the year. It’s offering a new cleaning service for residents and businesses. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports. 

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Department of Solid Waste said it can help residents with a fresh, clean start to the year. It’s offering a new cleaning service for residents and businesses. 

Crews are now professionally clean their garbage and recycling bins. The Cart Cleaning Service is available for City of Tampa issued 95 gallon and 65 gallon carts.

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It’s $40 per service and includes up to two bins, and the money goes back into the Department of Solid Waste.

Dig deeper:

The Cart Cleaning Service is part of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s T3 Initiative: Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow. It focuses on strengthening resident services and building a more resilient, sustainable city.

Larry Washington, the director of the Solid Waste Department, said this service is being offered because people requested it. He said it shows a commitment to cleanliness, convenience and community care.

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"On the regular, they call in asking for their 95 gallon carts to be cleaned," he said. "We already clean our commercial containers, so those are those large bins, but not the residential 95 gallon and 65 gallon containers, so since the demand was there, we aim to provide the service."

Right now, the Department has one Cart Cleaning Service truck that costs $150,000. Washington said they may add one to two more depending on the service’s success. 

He said they didn’t have to increase personnel for the service.

By the numbers:

If your bin is relatively clean, the service takes about five minutes. If they have to run it through twice, it will take 10-12 minutes.  

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It’s available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they’re going to try to schedule it on one of your normal collection days. 

You can request a cleaning by calling Solid Waste’s customer service at 813-274-8811. You’ll get a confirmation call the morning of the scheduled cleaning.