In the beginning of October, Jacksonville citizens were hit with shocking news— the city suspended the collection of recyclables. The reason for stopping curbside recycling was the same that many other businesses are facing— a labor shortage. Because of this, recycling in Jacksonville decreased over 80%.

Dedicated citizens have had to bring their recyclables to one of the fourteen designated drop-off sites around the city in order to get rid of their recyclables. Many people in Jacksonville have found this recycling process to be a lot of extra work.

In light of the people’s opinions, on Feb. 15, Mayor Lenny Curry announced that curbside recycling will make its return on Apr. 4. The city’s trash collection team has caught up and is ready to start the collection of recyclables. He stated that they have seen “notable progress, and therefore, we are prepared to resume services.”

In a recent Twitter post, Curry expressed his gratitude for the people of Jacksonville who have had to transition into a new way of doing things.

“I am grateful to our citizens for their patience during these challenging and unprecedented times as we face issues happening in cities throughout the nation,” Curry said.

However, it is still in question if the drop-off sites will remain after the return of curbside recycling. While the city is still figuring it out, citizens of Jacksonville can be assured that their recycling process will be the same as before the pause.

Ron Salem, a city council member, is very happy that recycling is coming back. He has proposed that in the next couple weeks, the city should do an education campaign where people are educated on what items are recyclable as well as any changes that have happened within the recycling calendar. This way, citizens are properly taught and will have full knowledge of recycling and what comes with it.

With this change, citizens of Jacksonville can get back in the practice of regular recycling and doing their part to help the environment.