You’re confronted with removing your own junk, perhaps even someone else’s stuff and you decide to make it quick and easy. Down to the curb and back you go, go, go, dragging, rolling, carrying, and negotiating more obstacles. After what seems like an eternity, you’re finally done. Trash pickup day comes and goes, and remarkably, all that “big” stuff is still there. Furniture, an old television, some countertop kitchen appliances, and lawn equipment, all right there where you put them. You think to yourself, maybe the city only carts-away big items on another collection day. That day also comes and goes, but not that junk you put out there.

Know Before You Go to the County Landfill

Slowly, you begin to realize that it’s not going to be picked-up and you’re stuck with it. No problem, you think the solution is a simple one–haul it over to the landfill and drop it off there. Sure, you know you’ll pay a fee, but it’s worth it to get rid of all that old, unsightly, unusable junk.

Both the general public and businesses without accounts pay for their loads at the scalehouse. Flat rates for some pickup trucks, vans and passenger vehicles may be available. If a flat fee does not apply, vehicles are charged $37.50 per ton. A deposit is taken going in, and the total is settled after unloading. — Pinellas County Utilities

You borrow a truck from a friend or family member, maybe even rent one from the nearest home improvement store. You then take the time and backbreaking effort to load all that stuff onto the back of the truck and head off to the county landfill to get rid of it once and for all.

Removing Your Own Junk? Take this Quiz First

What you probably don’t know is that there are many items prohibited by the county landfill. Take this quiz to see if you should remove your own junk:

1. Furniture is accepted, true or false? Answer: both.
   While most furniture is accepted by the county landfill, if it was used for an industrial purpose, like a workbench that’s absorbed hazardous materials such as paint stripper, it’s not.
2. Appliances are accepted, true or false? Answer: false.
   The county landfill will not accept household appliances, you must take those to the Household Electronics and Chemical Collection Center, or HEC3 center.
3. Lawn equipment is accepted, true or false? Answer: both.
   Don’t bother carting lawn equipment down, that is, if it still has fuel in it. Some local cities do have a free pick-up program, but again, no fuel is allowed.
4. Household items are accepted, true or false? Answer: true.
   Most household items are accepted, with a few exceptions.