JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The recycling inspectors are coming to a neighborhood near you -- or even to yours.
The city of Jacksonville and Recycling Partnership are launching a campaign called “Feet on the Street” to improve recycling throughout the city and show people how to properly recycle.
On Friday, they gave a demonstration in the Colony Cove neighborhood of how the program will work.
The recycling campaign, which is being funded by a more than $500,000 grant, could penalize you for recycling incorrectly.
There will be designated people inspecting recycling bins as a part of the program to make sure the correct items are being put in the bins.
The workers, from an organization called “Leadpoint,” will do the inspections four times a year (once a quarter). They’ll be wearing neon vests and will have their group’s name on the back.
The first wave of inspections began Friday and will last for two weeks.
If they find items that should not be in a bin, they will leave an orange-colored flyer that would be a warning and details what materials should not be in there.
They could also leave a red flyer that is a rejection of pickup for that week until the mistakes are corrected.
There will be four warnings issued, and if the problem is not fixed, the person will have their bin taken away.
The goal of this, proponents say, is to educate people on how to recycle properly, not shame them.
City Councilman Ron Salem played an integral role in getting the initiative started -- and his bing was the first to be inspected on Friday.
According to the city of Jacksonville, 20% of materials put in recycling bins end up in the landfill -- and that costs the city money. The city is fined when it passes a certain threshold of recycling items ending up in the landfill.
Mayor Lenny Curry also weighed in on the initiative.
“Even the most ambitious and well-meaning recycler can unintentionally put something that shouldn’t be placed in the cart, Curry said. “Unfortunately, this costs taxpayer money, can damage our recycling facilities, and requires additional sorting and dumping of materials that cannot be recycled.”
Here are some things you should not put in a recycling bin:
- Plastic bags
- Anything with food residue
- Batteries or cables
- Small electronic devices