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Curbside Recycling Do's and Don'ts
It’s important to put materials in your recycling cart that belong there, and to reduce the contamination of clean recycling materials by separating those with organic material on them.
Sign up for collection reminders and never miss a collection day! Not sure what goes where? Look-up how to recycle or dispose of different types of household waste. Click here to access the Waste Wizard online.
RECYCLE RIGHT
KNOW WHAT TO RECYCLE
Jacksonville residents can now recycle more items than ever, and there’s no need to pre-sort or remove labels from bottles and cans. Recycle clean bottles, cans, paper and cardboard. The schedule and standards for recycling depend on your service area. Set out recycling no later than 6 a.m. on collection day and no earlier than 5 p.m. the day prior. (Ord. Sec. 382.415).
EMPTY. CLEAN.DRY.
Keep food and liquid out of your recycling. FYI: Recyclables don’t have to be dishwasher clean. Empty it out, give it a rinse, shake off the water so other items won’t get wet, and throw it in your bin!
PLEASE DON’T BAG IT.
No loose plastic bags and no bagged recyclables.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!
If you’re not sure if an item is recyclable, it’s better to just throw it in your household garbage can. Including non-recyclable or dirty items in your recycling cart can result in damage to the recycling equipment or contamination thereby causing thousands of pounds of materials to be landfilled rather than recycled.
DO:
- Separate household garbage from recycling and from yard waste
- Set items out no later than 6 a.m. on collection day and no earlier than 5 p.m. the day prior
- Remove empty receptacles by 6 a.m. the day after collection
- Make sure what you set out meets the standards
- Be sure there is no hazardous waste in your household garbage
- Recycle as much as possible
- These are the links to schedule tires or appliances collections
- Confirm your schedule online here or please call 630-CITY (2489).
- If your garbage, recycling or yard trash has not been picked up by 6 p.m. on the scheduled collection day, please report the missed pick up by visiting myjax.custhelp.com, or call 630-CITY (2489) the following day.
Help fight blight and report illegal dumping - 630-CITY (2489)
DON’T:
Please be aware that it is unlawful to place hazardous waste of any kind in the residential collection waste streams. Municipal Code Section 380.209.
- Stack items for collection in front of or immediately next to mailboxes, fire hydrants, utility poles, meters or utility boxes, or overhead utility lines or low hanging tree limbs
- Block sidewalks, driveways, vehicle travel lanes or parking spots
- Discard hazardous waste with household garbage
- Forget to follow the collection standards
- Contribute to blight by littering or dumping waste illegally
- Place recyclables in plastic bags
Recycling Tips
Please only recycle items listed in the City of Jacksonville's list above. The guidelines on this page are specific to our community's recycling program and may differ from those found on external websites.
YES PLEASE: Place these items in your recycling cart.
Single-family residents can recycle all of these items curbside in their yellow-lid recycle cart:
PAPER
- Mail, office and school paper
- Newspapers, magazines, catalogs and phone books
- Paperback books
- Brown paper bags
- Fiberboard boxes (cracker/cereal)
- Corrugated cardboard (must be flat and cut 2’ by 3’ or smaller)
METAL
- Steel food containers
- Aluminum cans
- Aluminum baking pans
PLASTICS
- Plastics numbered 1-3, 5 or 7
- Detergent bottles
- Cleaning solution bottles
- Plastic food and beverage containers
CARTONS
- Milk and creamer containers
- Juice boxes
- Soup and broth containers
GLASS
- Green, brown or clear bottles and jars (discard lids with garbage)
Remember, just because an item might contain a recyclable material does not mean it can be recycled! When in doubt, throw it out.
- All containers should be rinsed and cleaned and dry before tossing in your yellow-lid recycle cart.
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Paper and cardboard must be clean and dry.
- Food waste from inside a container may leak out and contaminate clean paper.
- Any recyclable product contaminated with food cannot be recycled.
Recycling is automated and collected every other week in all service areas.
- Place items in city-issued recycling carts – the cart with a yellow lid.
- Place carts at least two (2) feet apart and three (3) feet away from obstructions.
- Lids must be fully closed.
- Carts must face with wheels away from the road.
- Save excess waste for the next recycle collection.
To request collection service or report a problem with collection, please call (904) 630-CITY (2489) or visit the MyJax online customer service website at myjax.custhelp.com.
NO THANKS: Keep these items out!
These items are NOT accepted for recycling.
- Any #4 Plastics (LDPE) - Includes items such as cling (Saran) wrap, sandwich bags, plastic garbage or grocery bags
- Any #6 Plastics (Polystyrene) - Includes items such as all types of Styrofoam, packing peanuts, plastic cutlery, hangers, and medicine bottles
- Aerosol cans
- Shredded paper
- Weapons
- Batteries
- Fireworks or flares
- Needles
- Cables or wires
- Rubber
- Food or yard waste
Please be aware that is unlawful to place hazardous waste of any kind in the residential collection waste streams. Municipal Code Section 380.209.
Battery Recycling and Disposal
Confused about all the types and sizes of batteries? Check out the Homeowner's Guide to Battery Recycling and Disposal to learn more about how to properly dispose of various batteries commonly used around the home.
WHY WASTE GETS LEFT BEHIND
- Garbage mixed with recycling or yard waste mixed with garbage
- Excessive size and/or weight
- Improper placement of receptacles
- Set out after 6 a.m. on collection day
- Contractor-generated material (Ord. Sec. 380.206)
- Is or contains household hazardous waste
- Usually, items left on the curb don’t meet one or more of the service standards.
- Anything left behind should be tagged with an explanation of why it was left.
PLEASE NOTE:
Automated Collections Program:
- For those residents in the Waste Pro service area automation includes garbage and recycling services
- For those residents in the Advanced Disposal Services & Meridian Waste & City service areas automation is for recycling services only
To request collection service or report a problem with collection, please call (904) 630-CITY (2489) or visit the MyJax online customer service website at myjax.custhelp.com.