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City program finds Jacksonville residents doing a good job of recycling the right items

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The group that some have called the “Plastic Police” and the “Cardboard Cops” have finished their job inspecting recycling bins in Jacksonville and their final report is now in.

It shows people in Jacksonville have stepped up and have improved their game when it comes to recycling garbage.

It has been over a year since the city started inspecting recycling bins to see if people were recycling properly.

The results, according to city officials, show people are actually recycling the right materials and not the stuff that can’t be recycled like plastic trash bags and plastic grocery bags, which was a problem in the past.

Results of inspections of many recycling bins in Jacksonville show a 23% improvement in the way people recycle.

It’s an issue that Jacksonville City Council President Ron Salem has been passionate about.

“I hope what it does is we can grow the program,” he said. “I’d like to see us grow the number of participants across the county, we have a truck going down my street, picking up, let’s say 10 recycling bins, how much more time would it take to pick up 20? Very little time.”

The city said it inspected tens of thousands of bins. It left cards letting people know what they did wrong.

The study cost about $1 million with half coming from the city and federal government and the other half coming from the Florida Beverage Association and its members.

Although the program is over, Salem and others said they hope new grants can be obtained to help educate more residents on the proper ways to recycle. They believe, despite what critics say, that there is a market for recycled plastics, paper and cardboard.

Here are some things you should not put in a recycling bin:

  • Plastic bags
  • Anything with food residue
  • Batteries or cables
  • Small electronic devices

To learn more, visit the city’s website.


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