JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been almost a month since Jacksonville temporarily halted curbside pickup for recycling.
It was suspended so that the city can concentrate on its efforts on picking up yard waste, which has been sitting in some yards for months.
On Friday, we went to find out if that is actually happening.
For Tammy Ivie, who lives in a Crystal Springs neighborhood on the Westside, the plan is not working. She said it’s been about three months since her yard waste has been collected.
“I’m just wondering where all my tax dollars are going?” Ivie said.
Another neighbor placed a sign on her waste, counting the weeks it has been since it has been picked up. It went for about two months before the sign washed away, but the debris is still there.
Not far from the Crystal Springs area, News4Jax found a city crew picking up yard waste. People living near Normandy Park on the Westside said it has been several months since they’ve seen those crews. Several homeowners told News4Jax that they were very happy today to see the waste finally being picked up.
News4Jax talked with Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry about the recycled suspension on Monday and asked him if he sees an end to the curbside recycling collection suspension.
“We have made progress and we are close to being caught up. We are evaluating the data every day. It’s my goal to get recycling back as soon as we can,” Curry said.
He said that it’s not going to happen right now and that it is being evaluated on a daily basis.
Where the city has made progress is at the 15 recycling drop-off sites. They were a mess when first opened. Now the dumpsters are emptied twice a day, except Sundays.