‘All hands on deck’ for company taking over trash, recycling in some parts of Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thousands of radical proceed to kick astir trash and recycling prime up passim Northeast Florida arsenic a caller institution prepares to instrumentality implicit pickup services successful immoderate parts of Jacksonville.

Starting adjacent month, Meridian Waste volition beryllium taking implicit pickups successful the Republic Services territory -- with a large task ahead.

Karen Stevens said her recycling hasn’t been picked up for astir 2 months, and she, similar thousands of others, has complained to the metropolis astir the delays.

“Almost everybody inactive has their recycling cans out. And it’s gotten to the constituent wherever astir of them, the lids are partially unfastened due to the fact that they enactment arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin successful there,” Stevens said.

The metropolis says hiring and keeping employees has been a problem. The metropolis gave News4Jax the fig of recycling pickup complaints it has received successful the past six months crossed the metropolis — astir 1,700 successful April, past 3,400 successful May, astir 1,000 each successful June and July, with a spike successful August of much than 4,600 complaints. And halfway done the period of September, determination are already much than 3,500 complaints astir recycling pickup crossed Jacksonville.

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Right now, Republic Services picks up the recycling bins successful Northwest Jacksonville and crossed parts of the Northside and Arlington. But, by the extremity of the month, Meridian Waste volition instrumentality over.

A Meridian spokesperson shared the pursuing connection with News4Jax astir the transition:

Thank you for reaching retired to Meridian Waste successful regards to the declaration modulation with the City of Jacksonville. Meridian Waste is gearing up and volition beryllium acceptable to work the City’s Area II franchise country arsenic of Friday, October 1. The impermanent rental trucks are each secured, the imperishable postulation vehicles ordered and are successful the manufacturing phase, CDL drivers and helpers person been hired and are undergoing information and way training, and for residential customers who volition acquisition a work time alteration successful their postulation days (approximately 5% of those who we volition beryllium servicing), Meridian Waste has mailed notification postcards listing the caller work days which should beryllium hitting mailboxes this week.

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Meridian Waste is excited [about] our concern with the City and volition enactment intimately with the City’s coagulated discarded unit to code immoderate circumstantial areas of interest and immoderate amassed volumes that whitethorn person accumulated successful the work country anterior to Meridian Waste’s declaration start. It’s each hands connected platform arsenic we hole for this accidental to work the citizens of Jacksonville, and our committedness to a cleanable and steadfast assemblage is resolute!

Stevens said she’s acceptable to springiness the caller institution a changeable to spot if they tin “get the occupation done.”

News4Jax got this connection from Republic Services:

“Republic Services of Jacksonville is experiencing immoderate impermanent delays with gait and bulk discarded collections successful our work country wrong Duval County. We admit our customers’ knowing and patience during this time.

“Many industries are facing staffing challenges astatine this time, and the biology services manufacture is nary different. We are cautiously monitoring the needs of our customers and communities with the proviso and availability of our endowment and adjusting our efforts to attract, prosecute and clasp endowment accordingly.

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“We are ever recruiting and hiring large radical to articulation our team, and connection a competitory salary, generous benefits, paid vacation, information bonuses, and galore vocation advancement opportunities. For much information, delight sojourn https://republicservices.jobs.”

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