County: Reuse or properly dispose of storm sandbags
Lee County Government reported that residents who picked up sand and sandbags from their local fire department in anticipation of Hurricane Milton are asked to save the sandbags for reuse, use them around their home, or properly dispose of them.
SANDBAG DO’S
– Sand from bags that were not soiled by stormwater can be emptied in your yard, flowerbeds and planters as a soil supplement.
– Consider keeping sandbags for reuse. Hurricane season does not end until Nov. 30. Store them filled if you have space. Or empty the clean sand and store the bags in a dry location away from direct sunlight.
– Place empty bags (but not sand) in your trash can if you do not plan to reuse them.
– Sand or sandbags that cannot be reused can be taken to any of the four Lee County self-haul public debris drop-off sites at: 5031 Pine Island Road, Bokeelia; 50 South Road, Fort Myers; 18078 Cypress Point Road, San Carlos Park; and 13801 Orange River Blvd., Buckingham.
SANDBAG DON’TS
– Do not take sandbags back to the fire station — either reuse clean sandbags or discard soiled sandbags properly.
– Do not place empty sandbags in the recycle bin.
– Do not dump sand from bags onto the beach. The sand is different than beach sand. This can cause issues for wildlife.
– Do not dump sand from bags on outdoor sand volleyball pits in county parks.
– Do not dispose of any sand or full sandbags in regular trash or yard waste collection. The sand will not burn in trash incinerators and can damage equipment.
– Do not burn sandbags in outdoor fire pits.
– Do not dump your sandbags on private property or any unauthorized location. This is considered illegal dumping. Anyone found illegally dumping may be fined.
For more post-Hurricane Milton information, visit www.leegov.com/storm.