JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A city ban on donation collection bins is on hold after being challenged in court.
The city of Jacksonville's Blight Committee suggested a ban on the bins in business parking lots where people can donate clothes, shoes and other items. City Council passed a law against the collection bins in July and it went into effect Aug. 1.
Go Green Charity Recyclers, which says it has 113 of the bins around city, filed a lawsuit, claiming the ban is unconstitutional. On Wednesday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, blocking enforcement of the law.
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A man who regularly passes a bin near the intersection of Bayameadows Road and Southside Boulevard, thinks it's a shame that no one collects the items in and around the bin.
"All those clothes could've gone to better use it," said the man, who goes by the name Oty. "It's just laying there, rotting away."
According to stores in the area who didn't want to go on camera, the bin has been overflowing for some time. News4Jax left a message for the group responsible for this bin, but the call was not returned.
Go Green filed the lawsuit challenging the law, saying the city is infringing on the group's constitutional rights.
COURT DOCUMENTS:
Go Green's request for injunction | City's response | Go Green's request for restraining order
A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against the new city law and gave all parties 60 days to submit a written response. In the meantime, the city said it will not enforce the law and these boxes will remain.
Neither Go Green Charity Recyclers nor the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, which also has several of these boxes, agreed to talk about their collections or their plans.
It appears the groups sell the clothes donated to fund their charity work.
Several City Council members also declined to talk about the ban, citing the pending legal action.