Duval County residents who want to recycle will have to take matters into their own hands starting next week. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry on Monday said staffing shortages are forcing the city to put recycling services on hold temporarily so collectors can focus on the trash that has been piling up in neighborhoods across the city. “We’re prioritizing garbage and yard waste because they pose a high risk to the sanitation, health and safety of our neighborhoods,” Curry said.
Curbside recycling collections will stop on Oct. 4. Also starting next Monday, 14 recycling drop-off sites will open throughout the city where residents can bring their items for collection. The sites will be open Monday through Sunday from sunrise to sunset. There is no cost.
Curry said the move comes after his administration has received hundreds of phone calls and emails about delays in waste collection. “Our citizens are understandably upset. They’re upset because this is a basic service that is paid for by their taxes, and it’s not outrageous to expect a service that you pay for. I understand that frustration,” Curry said. “This is an issue fueled by labor shortages, and it’s something that is happening across the country, not just here in Jacksonville.”