JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville is expanding its new automated trash collection program, which means more than 70,000 homeowners in Mandarin and the Southside will be rolling out new garbage and recycling cans.
Waste Pro will be providing the trash collection in the area.
Many people woke up Monday to a new set of bins in their front yard, and they had similar reactions.
"They're big," one resident said.
To give some perspective, the old garbage cans ranged from about 32 to 50 gallons. The new bins are 96 gallons each.
One is green for trash. The other has a yellow lid for recyclables.
"They're new, they're clean, and they're on rollers," said Chris Thompson, a new bin owner.
"I know some people see it as big and bulky, but you get used to it," said Ray Rivera. "The first time I saw it, I questioned it, but the more I look and the more I see the advantage of having it, nothing to lose."
Some neighbors talked trash about the idea, saying it will be more difficult to pull the larger bins to the curbside, or workse, all the way to the end of the street.
"They're big and one of our neighbors is not even 5 feet, and she is going to ask for smaller cans if she can get it," Steve Goldstein said.
Goldstein sees it from both perspectives, but says the larger trash can will beat having to lug several smaller ones to the driveway.
"I like it if I can get by with just one, not several, which is what I have now," he said.
The new trash cans come with new rules.
Residents are not allowed to write on them. They have serial numbers that the city will use to keep track of them.
They must be placed wheels facing the home, within three feet of the curb and away from mailboxes and cars.
And the bins will stay with the home, so residents can't take them with them if they move.
The city's public waste department says the trash must be inside the cans with the lids closed for them to pick it up.
Another rule that comes with the new trash cans is that residents can't store them out in front of home. They either have to have them on the side of the home, in the backyard, or in the garage. They do NOT have to be covered.
A lot of people say it's going to be difficult to make room for the two 96-gallon cans.
"We won't get them in the garage, but they'll probably have to go behind the fence, but that's OK," Goldstein said.
"Just put it on the side of the house and maybe just put some bushes or something you can hide it," Rivera said.
City leaders hope the new system will give the city a standardized clean look and reduce the chance of dogs and rodents getting into the trash.
The automated trash pickup service starts Sept. 30. Collections will be once a week and recyclables will be picked up once every two weeks.
For more information on the program, call 904-630-CITY (2489) or visit COJ.net/departments/public-works/solid-waste