BRADENTON, Fla. — This week, people living in the City of Bradenton who want to recycle items will have to do it on their own at drop-off recycling centers within the community.
Curbside recycling pick-up ended on June 3 and the city has opened 10 locations where people can drop off their recycled items at their own convenience.
The recycling convenience centers will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Each center will have places to unload clean cans and plastic, but plastic bags or glass will not be accepted to recycle. There are also slots for cardboard to be recycled, but glass, styrofoam, and greasy pizza boxes are not allowed.
"On the side of the structures, there is a sliding door, so people may show up and the door may be closed. But they can just slide the door open. We put a limit on it so that there's a limited amount of space here partly because we don't want people coming here with large garbage bags," said Jim McClellan, director of public works and utilities for the City of Bradenton.
All recycling materials need to be clean and dry, the City of Bradenton stated on its website.
"About 60% of the recycling we pick up curbside is contaminated," their website stated. "If your recycling is 100% clean and dry and enough of your fellow residents are not as careful, the entire load can become contaminated with greasy pizza boxes, unclean cans, or plastic bags."
The City of Bradenton provided a full list of convenience centers where you can drop off your recycling material:
- East end of San Ortebello Drive adjacent to the elevated water tower
- 100 22nd St. NE in the parking area adjacent to the city lift station
- 1000 24th St. E. adjacent to the Dream Center
- Cordova Lakes Dead End at 38th Ave. W./61st St. W. (will replace yard waste container there)
- 17th Ave. W. Park at Wares Creek, adjacent to lift station
- Lewis Park parking lot, 3120 1st Ave. W.
- Meadowcroft Community Center, 58th St. West & 15th Ave. West
- Palma Sola Causeway, 9800 SR 64 W, adjacent to solid waste dumpster
- 28th St. W. Park @ 2718 13th Ave. W., at the opening in the split rail fence
- Red Cross Building Loop Road 2905 59th St. W.
Recycling convenience centers are in place after the City of Bradenton announced city crews will no longer collect recycling products from the blue bins on the curbs of peoples' homes due to a staffing shortage.
The blue bins can now be converted to store yard waste which city crews will pick up on trash collection day. Residents whose households do not produce yard waste or live in communities with landscaping services may call to have the bin retrieved.
"We believe that citizens who choose to continue recycling at the convenience centers are more likely to contribute clean recyclable goods," the City of Bradenton posted on their website.
To learn more, click here.