Is Jacksonville ready for curbside recycling again?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been six months since a recycling truck has been collecting curbside in Jacksonville, but next week, they return. The suspension of curbside recycling was done to allow the city to catch up on other trash problems, like huge piles of yard waste. But News4JAX found out that’s not necessarily happening in some areas.

On Friday, News4JAX reporter Jim Piggott went to 118th Street on the Westside, where there is still a lack of yard waste pickups. He saw garbage bags with yard waste piled up on curbs and yard waste all along the road. One homeowner had huge piles of yard waste in front of her home and told Jim it’s been out there for more than a month.

“It’s been pure hell,” the homeowner said. “It makes my home look like an eyesore.”

The homeowner did not want to be identified but says she can’t believe Waste Management, which handles trash pickup for the Westside, is going to begin curbside recycling again because she says they’ve had a huge problem collecting yard waste.

“I want them to come and like get this yesterday,” she told Jim.

RELATED: I-TEAM gets results for Jacksonville area where yard waste piled up | Jacksonville pauses recycling collection until yard trash is picked up

She’s not alone in her complaint. Jim went to other areas on the Westside served by Waste Management and spoke with the area General Manager of Waste Management, Marcel Dalby.

When asked about staffing needs, Dalby said, “There’s a high demand for CDL jobs right now. We’ve done a lot to try and recruit new drivers and we are making progress on that. We have a number of drivers training that are going to get released over the next couple of weeks.”

LINKS: Find your recycling pickup day | Items you can and can’t recycle | Work for Waste Management

Dalby says they’re still recruiting and are now short about six drivers. Dalby says they have increased pay, twice since the shutdown began. They were paying $18 an hour. Early this year, it was kicked up to $20 an hour. And as of April 10, it will be $24 an hour.

On Monday, Waste Management and two private haulers in Jacksonville, along with the city department of solid waste, will resume curbside recycling.

“So nothing has changed as far as acceptable materials, so really the big thing is to make sure you have it out on the right day so that we don’t miss you because it is an every other week schedule so it will be two weeks before we are back in front of each house,” Dalby said.

If you are interested in a CDL Waste Management job, they are now hiring with a sign-on bonus of $5,000.

Waste Management is highlighting the following:

  • Excellent benefits with low out of pocket expense
  • Fully paid college or trade school tuition for all employees, spouses and dependents
  • Recession resistant work that allows employees a steady schedule and home every night

If you go to this link and enter your address on the map, it will tell you when your scheduled recycling day is, as well as your scheduled trash and yard waste pickup.


About the Author:

Jim Piggott is the reporter to count on when it comes to city government and how it will affect the community.