Thousands of residents in Northeast Florida are finding it more difficult to go green with curbside recycling due to trash service issues. Jacksonville is planning to hire a new firm to handle garbage and recycling in some areas of the city. Republic Services is now picking up recycling bins throughout Northwest Jacksonville, as well as sections of the Northside and Arlington. Meridian, a new firm, will take over by the end of the month.
Residents in Northwest Jacksonville claim recycling bins have yet to be picked up by the city, despite overflowing trash bins and heaps of yard debris. Clifton Sanders, who lives in Northwest Jacksonville, claims that garbage pickup on his block has been delayed for weeks. “Recycling has been a touch behind schedule. They’ve been collecting up recycling every two weeks for the last two weeks, but they haven’t picked up garbage in almost a month,” Sanders added.
According to the city, finding and maintaining staff has been a challenge. The number of complaints regarding recycling pickup it has received in the last six months across the city — approximately 1,700 in April, 3,400 in May, 1,000 each in June and July, with a peak of over 4,600 complaints in August. And, with only half of September gone, there have already been over 3,500 complaints regarding recycling pickup in Jacksonville.