County’s Only Plastics Recycling Bin Removed
By AMELIA A. HART
FERNANDINA BEACH — Locals who don’t want to throw their plastic bottles and jugs out with the garbage will have to find someplace to store them for now.
The only plastics recycling bin in Nassau County has been removed from its location near Publix in the Island Walk Shopping Center on Sadler Road in Fernandina Beach.
Keep Nassau Beautiful Executive Director Todd Duncan said he’s talking with Stateline Disposal, the city’s current waste provider, and Nassau County officials in hopes of relocating the bin to near one of the county’s recycling drop-off sites.
Upkeep of the bin fell by the wayside during a recent reshuffle of waste haulers in Fernandina Beach and Nassau County, Duncan said.
Duncan said the bin originally was installed by Fernandina Beach, which used to do its own waste management. The plastics bin was in addition to curbside glass and paper recycling provided by the city, he said.
Fernandina Beach privatized its garbage collection in 2003. Waste Management, which took over operations, added plastics to the curbside recycling service, Duncan said.
However, to assist county residents who didn’t have curbside recycling, Duncan said, he lobbied for Nassau County to enter into a separate agreement with Waste Management to haul away plastics dropped off in the bin.
After a company reorganization, Waste Management opted not to do business in Nassau County anymore, but donated the plastics recycling bin to Keep Nassau Beautiful.
However, as various officials negotiated with Stateline Disposal, which picked up Waste Management’s old contracts in Nassau County, including with Fernandina Beach, nobody told Stateline about the plastics bin, Duncan said. Stateline continues to offer the same curbside glass, paper and plastics recycling that Waste Management did, he said.
“It [the bin] kind of fell in the cracks,” Duncan said.
In the meantime, people kept bringing plastics to the drop-off bin, which overfilled, Duncan said. Stateline was brought up to speed and took the bin away to empty it, but people still left plastics even though there was no bin. That led to others dumping other items and the site becoming an eyesore, he said. Eventually, the shopping center’s owner asked that the bin be permanently removed, he said.
“I can’t criticize that,” Duncan said. “It was nice of him all these years to have it out there.”
Since the bin’s removal, Duncan said, Keep Nassau Beautiful has been deluged with calls from people wanting to know where to take their plastic recyclables. He said he hopes to have an answer in a few weeks.
“Plastics recycling is obviously in great demand. We are working diligently with the county and Stateline to rectify this situation and move forward in enhancing service to the community,” Duncan said.amelia.hart@jacksonville.com, (904) 261-7606 extension 107.WHERE TO GO
Where to recycle aluminum cans, glass and newspapers:
Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach: Bailey Road by Ybor Alvarez Park; Burney Park parking lot off Florida A1A near Osprey Village.
Bryceville: In front of the Bryceville Community Center at U.S. 301 and County Road 119.
Callahan: Between the Health Department and the County Building on Mickler Street; at the county landfill on U.S. 1, three miles north of Florida A1A.
Hilliard: Across from the library on Pecan Street.
O’Neil: the Nassauville Volunteer Fire Department (newspapers only).
Yulee: Lofton Creek landfill between Nassau County Animal Care and Control and the Department of Motor Vehicles; Goodbread Road between Yulee Ballpark and the fire station.
Source: www.recyclenassau.org.