Omar Khalid
The City of St. Petersburg, Florida, commonly known as St. Pete, has implemented several initiatives to reduce plastic waste and encourage sustainability. The city has set a goal to become zero-waste by 2050, aiming to minimize the amount of trash and increase recycling efforts. St. Pete's plastic recycling program allows residents to dispose of plastic waste in an environmentally friendly manner, reducing the amount of plastic ending up in landfills. While the city accepts a wide range of plastics for recycling, there are still some types of plastic that are not recyclable in St. Pete.
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What You'll Learn
St. Petersburg's plastic recycling program
St. Petersburg is dedicated to protecting the environment and encouraging its residents to recycle. The city has implemented a plastic recycling program that allows residents to dispose of their plastic waste in an environmentally friendly way. The program is designed to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and to promote the use of more sustainable materials.
The city has set a goal to be zero-waste by 2050, which means reducing the amount of waste produced and decreasing the burden on the planet. To achieve this goal, St. Petersburg encourages individuals and businesses to reduce waste from single-use plastics and provides a list of recyclable materials that include paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and aluminum.
The following plastic items are not recyclable in St. Petersburg: plastic trash bags, grocery bags, retail store plastic bags, plastic dry cleaning or newspaper bags, plastic wrappers from water bottles, toilet paper, paper towels, thin plastic packaging, and Styrofoam. These items should be thrown away in the trash, while recyclable materials can be taken to one of the city's five brush sites or the Pinellas County recycling site.
St. Petersburg's recycling program accepts most plastics numbered 1-7. However, it is important to separate and deposit materials into labeled bins, and some residents have expressed uncertainty about which plastics are actually recycled by the city. To clarify which items are recyclable, residents can use the Waste Wizard through the St. Pete Collects mobile app or website.
In addition to its plastic recycling program, St. Petersburg has implemented a straw ordinance to reduce waste, litter, and plastic pollution in creeks and the ocean. The city also encourages residents to avoid single-use plastic items and replace them with reusable alternatives whenever possible.
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Accepted plastics: numbered 1-7
The City of St. Pete is committed to reducing the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills. The city has implemented a plastic recycling program that makes it easy for residents to dispose of their plastic waste in an environmentally friendly way. St. Pete's recycling program accepts plastics numbered 1-7 for recycling.
Plastics numbered 1-7 include plastic bottles and containers with food residue and liquids. It's important to keep these plastic bottles and containers clean by removing any food residue and liquids before recycling. However, plastic bags, hoses, PVC, straps, and large plastic items such as kid pools and patio furniture are not recyclable and should be avoided.
St. Pete's recycling program does not accept all types of plastic. For example, plastic trash bags, grocery bags, and retail store plastic bags are not recyclable and should be returned to store drop-off locations or replaced with recyclable shopping bags. Plastic dry cleaning bags, newspaper bags, plastic wrappers from water bottles, and thin plastic packaging are also not accepted in the recycling program and should be disposed of in the trash.
To encourage residents to reduce their plastic waste, the City of St. Petersburg has partnered with "Reduce Your Use Tampa Bay." This partnership aims to reduce waste from single-use plastics, and individuals and businesses can take a pledge to help reduce pollution. Additionally, St. Pete's Composting Program encourages residents to compost organic materials like kitchen and yard waste, reducing the need for plastic packaging and waste.
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Plastic bags: return to grocery stores
The City of St. Petersburg in Florida has a goal to be a zero-waste city by 2050. The City encourages its residents, visitors, and businesses to help reduce the amount of waste produced. One way to do this is to avoid single-use plastics, such as plastic bags.
Plastic bags are not recyclable in St. Petersburg. Plastic trash bags, grocery bags, retail store bags, dry cleaning bags, and newspaper bags are not accepted at the City's brush sites and should be thrown away in the trash. If plastic bags are filled with recyclable materials, the bags and their contents will be thrown out as part of the sorting process.
However, the City recommends that plastic bags be returned to store drop-off locations for recycling. Many grocery and retail stores have collection bins at their entrances for this purpose. These returned plastic bags are then sold to independent companies, which turn them into plastic pellets. These pellets can then be used to create new products, such as synthetic lumber for decking or park benches, or they may be recycled into new bags.
In addition to returning plastic bags to stores, residents can also purchase and use recyclable shopping bags. St. Petersburg accepts most plastics numbered 1-7 for recycling, so switching to reusable bags made from these plastics can help reduce waste.
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Plastic waste reduction goals
The City of St. Pete has implemented a plastic recycling program to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and encourage the use of more sustainable materials. The city has shown commitment to sustainability initiatives and protecting the environment by preserving natural resources.
St. Petersburg's recycling program accepts most plastics numbered 1-7 for recycling. However, there are some exceptions to the types of plastics that can be recycled. Plastic bags, including grocery, retail, trash, produce, and snack bags, plastic wrappers from water bottles, plastic dry cleaning bags, newspaper bags, thin plastic packaging, and Styrofoam are not accepted in the recycling bins and should be thrown away in the trash. To properly dispose of these plastic items, residents can return them to store drop-off locations for recycling or purchase and use recyclable shopping bags.
The city has also introduced a straw ordinance to reduce waste, litter, and plastic pollution in creeks and the ocean. The ordinance discourages the use of single-use plastic items, such as plastic straws, lids, beverage containers, and coffee cups, encouraging residents to use reusable alternatives whenever possible.
St. Pete has set a goal to become a zero-waste city by 2050, aiming to reduce the cost of disposing of solid waste and the need for service rate increases. The city encourages individuals and businesses to reduce waste from single-use plastics and participate in its composting program to further minimize plastic pollution.
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Plastic straw ordinance
The City of St. Petersburg, Florida, has implemented a plastic straw ordinance to reduce waste, litter, and plastic pollution in its creeks and ocean. The ordinance, known as the "Strawless City" initiative, aims to ban single-use plastic straws and is part of the city's goal to become a zero-waste city by 2050.
The plastic straw ordinance was passed by the St. Pete City Council in December 2018, with a 5-2 vote in favour of the ban. The ordinance was rolled out in two phases. During the first year, from January 1 to December 31, 2019, St. Petersburg adopted a straw-by-request-only policy, where restaurants and other businesses could only provide plastic straws to customers who asked for them. After this initial grace period, the city moved to the second phase of the ordinance, in which businesses were prohibited from offering plastic straws altogether.
The plastic straw ordinance in St. Pete also includes a ban on expanded polystyrene (EPS), commonly known as Styrofoam. This ban applies to businesses operating on public property, in city facilities, or on city streets and rights-of-way, such as sidewalk cafes, food trucks, pushcarts, and vendors. The city's regulations do not allow polylactic acid (PLA) straws as an alternative, as they are still considered a type of plastic, despite being biodegradable in certain environments.
The plastic straw ordinance in St. Pete is a significant step towards sustainability, especially for a city that relies heavily on its waterfront. Straws are one of the biggest polluters of coastlines globally, and by reducing their use, the city can minimise waste and pollution. The ordinance encourages individuals and businesses to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics and choose reusable alternatives whenever possible.
In conclusion, the plastic straw ordinance in St. Pete, Florida, is a progressive approach to regulating single-use plastic straws and reducing their environmental impact. Through this ordinance, the city aims to minimise plastic pollution, encourage sustainable practices, and work towards its goal of becoming a zero-waste city.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastics numbered 1-7 can be recycled in St. Pete. However, it is recommended to only recycle plastics 1, 2, and 5. Plastic bags, plastic wrappers, Styrofoam, and thin plastic packaging are not accepted.
Plastics can be recycled at one of the City's five brush sites or at the Pinellas County recycling site. Residents can also purchase a City-approved 64-gallon recycling cart for $75.
Other recyclable materials include cardboard, paper, glass, and cans.
St. Pete has implemented a straw ordinance to reduce plastic pollution and is encouraging residents to reduce their use of single-use plastics. The City has also partnered with "Reduce Your Use Tampa Bay" to further encourage waste reduction from single-use plastics.
