After distributing more than 445,400 sandbags in preparation for Hurricane Irma, Pinellas County is asking residents to dispose of sandbags that have come in contact with floodwaters at the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Facility, free of charge, by 6 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2018. Sandbags must be separated from other waste. After Jan. 6, the standard disposal rate of $37.50 per ton will apply.

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.

For sandbags that have not come in contact with floodwaters, residents are encouraged to keep the sandbags and store them for reuse. The sand can be spread on lawns or used in landscape beds. If residents choose to dispose of sandbags, they are asked to place empty bags in their garbage for disposal and not in the recycling bin.

Residents are asked to not dispose of full sandbags or sand with their regular curbside trash or yard debris. Sand does not burn and will not convert to energy in the county’s Waste-to-Energy Facility. Sand is also abrasive and will damage equipment used to grind yard debris into mulch.

The Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Facility is located at 3095 114th Ave. N., in St. Petersburg. For more information, please call Pinellas County Solid Waste at (727) 464-7500.