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Lee County trash talk: Single day pick-ups expanded; household chemical waste collection event

The City of Bonita Springs and Town of Fort Myers Beach are moving to single-day collections with garbage, recycling and yard waste to be collected on the same day.
Lee County
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The City of Bonita Springs and Town of Fort Myers Beach are moving to single-day collections with garbage, recycling and yard waste to be collected on the same day.

Beginning Monday, April 29, residents of the City of Bonita Springs and the Town of Fort Myers Beach only have to put their trash, recycling and yard waste to the curb once a week.

Waste Management, Lee County’s contracted hauler for the area, is announcing the service enhancement through postcards mailed to each of the 27,715 affected addresses. For questions, contact Waste Management customer service at 239-334-1224.

Residents also can use the search feature on the Lee County Solid Waste website to determine which day of the week is their new collection day. Visit www.leegov.com/solidwaste. Or residents can use the Resident Information Tool at www.leegov.com/tools.

“We continually look for ways to improve residents’ experiences,” said Doug Whitehead, Lee County Solid Waste director. “Same-day service minimizes the time residents have material sitting curbside and reduces collection-vehicle traffic in neighborhoods to one day per week.”

Household chemical waste event:

Village of Estero residents may safely and responsibly dispose of household chemical waste (HCW) such as leftover paints, cleaners, herbicides, pesticides, automotive fluids and pool chemicals on Wednesday, April 17. The collection event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Estero Community Park, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd.

Drop off is an easy, drive-through process available to all residents at no charge.

In addition to Lee County’s long-standing partnership with Village of Estero to collect HCW, the County will also be partnering with Habitat for Humanity to collect gently used bulk items for reuse and repurposing.

Residents are encouraged to bring items that can be donated for reuse. No white goods, such as refrigerators or dishwashers, will be accepted.

These semi-annual events give residents another way to dispose of large gently used bulk items and a safe, responsible way to dispose of HCW.

Businesses that need chemical waste disposal can call MXI Environmental Services at 276-477-0947 to schedule an appointment for the monthly business collection held at the county’s permanent Household Chemical Waste drop-off location, 6441 Topaz Court, off Metro Parkway in south Fort Myers.

Lee County Solid Waste reminds residents to be aware of proper battery disposal.

An increasing number of products contain lithium-ion batteries, which can be hazardous when disposed improperly. Lithium-ion batteries are found in these common products along with others:

  • Electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and Bluetooth devices
  • Power tools
  • Game controllers
  • Digital cameras
  • Portable power packs
  • Greeting cards
  • Electric toothbrushes
  • Toys
  • E-bikes, e-scooters and hover boards

Visit LeeGov.com/SolidWaste/Dispose for more information.

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