Carrollwood residents are invited to talk trash with Hillsborough County.

That’s not a joke!

The county is looking at its solid waste collection options in advance of current contracts for garbage collection expiring next year. Right now, the county is exploring four separate options – all of which save money – and it wants resident input so badly it has set up a series of public meetings and even created a “Trash Talk” webpage.

Here are the four collection options the county is exploring, according to its website:

• Option 1: This is the same as current service - household garbage to be collected twice a week in customer-provided containers; customers to sort recyclables into County-provided green and blue bins for collection once a week; and yard waste to be collected once a week in customer-provided containers and/or bundles. This may be referred to as 2-1-1 Manual Collection Service.
• Option 2: household garbage to be collected twice a week in hauler-provided roll carts; recyclables to be collected once per week in hauler-provided roll carts; and yard waste to be collected once a week in customer-provided containers and/or bundles. This may be referred to as 2-1-1 Automated Collection Service.
• Option 3: household garbage to be collected once a week in hauler-provided roll carts; recyclables to be collected once a week in hauler-provided roll carts; and yard waste to be collected once a week in customer-provided containers and/or bundles. This may be referred to as 1-1-1 Automated Collection Service.
• Option 4: household garbage to be collected once a week in hauler-provided roll carts; recyclables to be collected every other week in hauler-provided roll carts, and yard waste to be collected once a week in customer-provided containers and/or bundles. This may be referred to as 1-½ -1 Automated Collected Service.

Each option saves residents a little bit of money annually. The biggest savings, an estimated $41.79 a year comes from option four. (See the attached PDF for a breakdown of cost savings.)

The county’s trash collection plan will ultimately affect those in unincorporated areas. It also pertains to residents in New Tampa.

If you’re ready to talk trash with the county by voicing your opinion on which option to pursue, just visit the Trash Talk webpage. You can also attend one of these upcoming public meetings:

• Saturday, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. SouthShore Regional Service Center, 410 30th St. SE in Ruskin
• Monday, Dec. 3 from 6:30 p.m. Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd. in Tampa
• Tuesday, Dec. 4 from 6:30 p.m. Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave. in Tampa
• Thursday, Dec. 6 from 6:30 p.m. Strawberry Crest High School, 4691 Gallagher Road in Dover

Other Ways to Talk Trash

Opinions can also be:

• Texted or called into 813-704-0181. 
• Emailed to talktrash@HillsboroughCounty.org

A town hall-style telephone meeting is also planned for Thursday, Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Just call 888-886-6603, Ext. 20553, to take part.

Feedback from the upcoming meetings, website and text messages will be presented to County Commissioners during a Jan. 10 workshop. The current contracts for solid waste collection expire Sept. 30, 2013.

Do you think the county should change the way it handles trash collection? Which option do you like best? Share your thoughts in the comments section.