Jacksonville, Florida, resumes recycling program

The city of Jacksonville, Florida, has resumed curbside recycling services after shutting the program down six months ago.   

According to the city, curbside recycling will occur once every two weeks while regular trash and yard waste will be collected every week. The dates for those three services can fall on different days of the week depending on the neighborhood in the city. Bulk collection will vary by service area.  

The city halted its recycling program last year so that short-staffed trash haulers that operate in the city can focus on picking up household trash and yard waste. Officials say the shortage in drivers led to multiple missed pickups, reports the Florida-Times Union.  

Instead of curbside collection, the city opened 14 drop-off sites for residents who still wanted to recycle. The city also allowed recycling bins to be used as trashcans while the service was closed.  

City officials told the Florida-Times Union that waste haulers have been able to fill open positions during the six months recycling collections were on pause. Companies operating in the area have begun offering sign-on bonuses as an extra incentive to prospective new hires.  

Since recycling collection will resume, the city is shutting down the additional recycling drop-off sites. In addition, the city is working on an education program where inspectors will go through recycling bins to show residents what is not recyclable. The city also is developing an app to help show what can and cannot be recycled on the spot, reports First Coast News.  

Recycling bins can no longer be used as trashcans. For now, residents will be able to recycle the same items they did before the service closed, including glass. However, that could change later this year after Jacksonville City Council members come up with new recommendations, reports News4Jax.