These illegal eyesores have been turned into fuel replacement
Ever noticed those pesky plastic or paper signs promoting everything from window washing to tax assistance? Known by Hillsborough County staff as "snipe" signs, these advertisements are found on utility poles, medians, parkways, and other locations within the right of way. Businesses, organizations, and individuals are not permitted to install these signs as they are both an eyesore and a driving hazard. Article VII, Section 7 of the Hillsborough County code prohibits snipe signs.
With the goal of collecting as many signs as possible in one day, Hillsborough County Code Enforcement teamed up with the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City for Sign Off Day 2024. The trucks rolled into the Hillsborough Heights Solid Waste Facility on Nov. 22 loaded with hundreds of signs that had been placed illegally in public rights of way. The signs were then taken to a local private facility where they will have a second life as a fossil fuel replacement.
Signs turned into fossil fuel alternative
The signs collected during Sign Off Day are loaded into a dumpster and taken to NuCycle Energy, where the signs undergo a process that transforms them into Enviro Fuelcubes® (EFCs®). These cubes are designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as "Legitimate Fuel" that can replace fossil fuels like coal as the primary fuel in energy-intensive industrial processes such as the production of cement and electricity.
The metal stakes are detached from the signs and recycled in the County's scrap metal recycling program.
It takes a village
Code Enforcement officers routinely locate and remove these signs, but we need your help! You can report snipe signs online on Hillsborough County's At Your Service portal. You can also volunteer to remove snipe signs through Code Enforcement's Volunteers in Public Service (VIPS) program - learn more and submit an application. With your help, we can continue to keep Hillsborough County beautiful.
