POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Local leaders are making changes to resolve the issue of irregular and delayed trash pickups in parts of Polk County.
Polk County has reached an agreement with its contracted waste hauler, FCC Environmental Services, to operate under an emergency plan. That plan will exist under the local state of emergency previously declared by the Board of County Commissioners.
The central premise of the plan is to suspend recycling services in the area of Polk County serviced by FCC (west of U.S. Highway 17) through April 1. Recycling will resume on April 4.
Polk County Commissioner George Lindsey tells 10 Tampa Bay, "Starting next week, they will be picking up garbage and recycling at the same time in the same truck. That means it's not going to get recycled; it's going to the landfill."
When recycling resumes in April, it will be picked up every other week, rather than weekly.
The idea is to optimize the waste management company, FCC Environmental Services, resources like drivers and trucks, and get the company caught up.
Commissioner Lindsey says many possible solutions were discussed, but this course of action "appeared to be the most expeditious route to pursue."
Not everyone is thrilled about the decision. Rosario Gonzalez, who lives in a neighborhood impacted by this emergency plan, says, "With everything going on with the world, this does not seem like the best option. The last thing we need is putting things that we could recycle or reuse into landfills."
Commissioner Lindsey says this initial plan is meant to be a first step, and while he hopes it's the solution to FCC's problems, says the county will continue to monitor the situation until there is a solution.
"If it works, that's fine, but if we begin to see it's not working we will bring in supplemental services… and the cost is coming out of [FCC's] hide."
FCC's contract with Polk County is up in two years. Commissioner Lindsey says this trash saga will weigh heavily on their decision of whether to resign with it.
In a statement about the Emergency Plan released on Monday afternoon, County Manager Bill Beasley said, “This emergency plan should greatly improve the public health and safety of our residents in many neighborhoods in western Polk County caused by the uncollected solid waste."
People who live in unincorporated areas west of U.S. Highway 17, who are serviced by FCC, will see temporary collection changes. Folks living east of U.S. Highway 17, who are serviced by ADS, won't notice any changes.
People living in the area west of U.S. Highway 17 should make sure their trash and recycling are on the curbs by 6 a.m. on their regular collection days.
According to the county, the following changes will also be in effect under the state of emergency:
- Bulk waste should be put at the curb on your household garbage collection day. The county will temporarily suspend the 72-hour collection process and focus on collecting bulk waste as part of regular garbage routes until further notice. Residents setting out bulk waste should expect collection on their scheduled garbage collection day. The two bulk items per week policy remains in effect.
- Yard waste collection service remains the same; routine lawn and landscape maintenance items should be curbside on your regularly scheduled yard waste collection day.
- Recycling collection by FCC will resume on Monday, April 4 on an every-other-week schedule until further notice. Details of that schedule will be communicated to customers prior to April 4, 2022.