Residents not happy with Clay County stopping curbside recycling

CLAY COUNTY, Fla — Clay County neighbors will no longer have curbside recycling after October 1st.

County commissioners voted this month to change the current garbage and curbside recycling services.

“I’m sorry to see it going,” said Ann Smith.

Smith lives in Clay County, she says she isn’t happy that after October 1st she will no longer be able to recycle from her curbside.

“I like the fact that I felt like I wasn’t filling up the landfill and now I’m going to be filling up the landfill,” said Smith.

According to officials, FCC Environmental Services provided the best proposal to the county to provide curbside service in Clay County.

Officials say with the decision, curbside recycling will no longer be available. Smith says that currently there are only certain things you can recycle.

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“Anything that’s paper, it has to be clean cardboard. The paper said corrugated, but I’m sorry, I’m putting it out. I think right now they are taking most things because they know that people are getting upset,” Smith.

Clay County officials say this decision was made because of cost increases.

In September 2023, the county’s recycling processor raised the county’s processing fee from a credit of $6/ton to a charge of $85/ton, totaling in a swing of $91/ton.

Smith told Action News Jax that since this service is taken away, her taxes should be lowered.

“They are taking the service away from us, we pay for this service are they going to reduce my taxes? I’m saying they won’t,” said Smith.

Action News reached out to Clay County Assistant County Manager Charlie Latham. He says many areas in Florida are doing away with recycling and this decision will save money.

“By eliminating the recycling we’re able to bring the pricing down even a little bit more. And still almost 10 percent more than what they were paying before and there is no recycling. So that is kind of where we are,” said Latham.

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In in 2023 alone the county collected over 3,700 tons of curbside recycling.

The county also collected over 79,000 tons of garbage.

Smith says because she knows this change will come soon says she already stopped recycling.

“I always washed out all of my tin cans, cat food cans, soup cans, and all of that before I put them in recycle which you were supposed to do, but now it’s going in the trash,” said Smith

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