RECYCLING PROGRAM

Jacksonville Ordinance Code tit. X, ch. 380, pt. 5

in effect

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.501 Findings.

Sec. 380.501. - Findings. The Council finds: (a) The City is experiencing continuous problems with unauthorized persons removing recyclable materials set out by citizens of the City of Jacksonville for collection by the contractor. (b) The City is also obligated by law and necessity to implement a mandatory recycling program and to reduce by at least 30 percent the solid waste that would otherwise require landfill disposal. (c) An effective recycling program promotes and protects the health, safety and general welfare of the public. The City has successfully implemented a voluntary residential curbside program at single family residences. It is the intent of the Council to expand the voluntary program and to make it mandatory for all residents of Duval County (excluding Urban Service Districts Two through Five) to properly separate their recyclable materials from their solid waste prior to disposal at the curbside. (Ord. 89-1092-541, § 1; Ord. 91-321-129, § 1)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.502 Definitions.

Sec. 380.502. - Definitions. (a) Authorized recycling contractor means a person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity authorized under and by virtue of a contract with the City to collect curbside residential recyclable material in the City. (b) Designated recycling collection location means the place or area along or upon City right-of-way for the deposit for pickup of recyclable materials or as otherwise designated in the contract between the City and the authorized recycling contractor. (c) Recyclable material means those materials that the City of Jacksonville has designated to be diverted or removed from the solid waste stream. They include but are not limited to newspapers, magazines, catalogs, paper bags, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, glass, aluminum cans, certain plastics, metal and bi-metal cans, white goods and other materials that can beneficially be recycled. (d) Recycling means any process by which solid waste or materials which would otherwise become solid waste are collected, separated or processed and reused or returned to use in the form of raw materials or products. (e) Recovered materials means metal, paper, glass, plastic, textile, or rubber materials that have known recycling potential, can be feasibly recycled, and have been diverted and source separated or have been removed from the solid waste stream for sale, use, or reuse as raw materials, whether or not the materials require subsequent processing or separation from each other, but does not include materials destined for any use that constitutes disposal. Recovered materials as described above are not solid waste. (f) Resident means a person residing in a residential unit. (g) Residential unit means a residential building or structure or a portion thereof, or a combination of residential buildings or structures, or portions thereof, which are capable of occupancy or are occupied by one or more persons as a dwelling unit. A single-family dwelling is one residential unit. A duplex is two residential units. A triplex is three residential units. A quadriplex is four residential units. (h) Solid waste means sludge unregulated under the federal Clean Water Act or Clean Air Act, sludge from a waste treatment works, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility, or garbage, rubbish, refuse, special waste, or other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from domestic, industrial, commercial, mining, agricultural, or governmental operations. Recovered materials as defined in subsection (e) of this Section are not solid waste. (i) Person has the meaning given to it in Section 2.101(g), Ordinance Code of the City of Jacksonville and in addition includes any officer, employee, agent, department or instrumentality of the Federal Government, any state, municipality, or political subdivision of the State, or of any foreign government. (Ord. 89-1092-541, § 1; Ord. 91-321-129, § 2; Ord. 94-144-121, § 12)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.503 Resident's responsibilities.

Sec. 380.503. - Resident's responsibilities. It is the responsibility of all residents to separate recyclable material from all residential solid waste. Recyclables for collection shall be placed at the designated recycling collection location in bins or other solid container provided by the City or the authorized recycling contractor serving the residential unit generating the recyclables. However, nothing in this Section shall preclude a resident from properly disposing of residential recyclable materials at appropriate municipal and/or commercial recycling facilities, or from participating in resource recovery/recycling activities outside of those operated by or for the City. (Ord. 91-321-129, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.504 Combining recyclables with solid waste prohibited.

Sec. 380.504. - Combining recyclables with solid waste prohibited. It shall be unlawful and a violation or this ordinance for any person to place at the curb for collection any bin(s) or container(s) other than one(s) containing recyclables alone or solid waste and nonrecyclable solid waste alone. It is unlawful and a violation of this ordinance for any person to contaminate recyclable materials set out at the curb for collection by the City or by the City's contract collector. (Ord. 91-321-129, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.505 Contamination of recyclables.

Sec. 380.505. - Contamination of recyclables. All residential customers of the City or an authorized recycling contractor shall prepare for collection or disposal by such service, all recyclable material in such a manner as to keep such recyclables free from contamination. A recyclable material shall be deemed contaminated if it contains nonrecyclable solid waste to an extent which significantly inhibits recycling recyclable materials. It is unlawful and a violation of this ordinance for any person to contaminate recyclable materials. (Ord. 91-321-129, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.506 Ownership of recyclable material.

Sec. 380.506. - Ownership of recyclable material. Upon the placement of recyclable material at a designated recycling collection location for collection by an authorized recycling contractor, the recyclable material shall become the property of the City. (Ord. 89-1092-541, § 1; Ord. 91-321-129, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.507 Unauthorized collection prohibited.

Sec. 380.507. - Unauthorized collection prohibited. No person, other than an authorized recycling contractor shall remove recyclable material which has been placed at a designated recycling collection location. Any and each such collection in violation hereof from one or more designated recycling collection locations shall constitute a separate and distinct offense punishable as provided in this Code. (Ord. 89-1092-541, § 1; Ord. 91-321-129, § 3; Ord. 92-744-470, § 1)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.508 Right of individual to dispose of recyclable material.

Sec. 380.508. - Right of individual to dispose of recyclable material. Nothing in this Part shall limit the right of an individual person, organization or other entity to donate, sell or otherwise dispose of recyclable material, provided that any such disposal is in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter. (Ord. 89-1092-541, § 1; Ord. 91-321-129, § 3)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.509 Enforcement authority.

Sec. 380.509. - Enforcement authority. (a) The Manager of the Office of Administrative Services shall have the authority to enforce the provisions of this Part. This authority shall be in addition to the authority granted to police officers pursuant to this Code. (b) The Manager of the Office of Administrative Services may designate code enforcement officers to enforce the provisions of this Part under Chapter 91, Ordinance Code. Monies derived from the fines imposed and levied by the Municipal Code Enforcement Board for violations of this Part which are in excess of the amount necessary to fund the overhead, staff support and other necessary expenses attributable to enforcement of this Part, shall be deposited in the operating account of the Solid Waste Division. (Ord. 89-1092-541, § 1; Ord. 91-321-129, § 4; Ord. 2006-422-E, § 128; Ord. 2025-30-E, § 15)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.510 Civil action by the City and authorized recycling contractor.

Sec. 380.510. - Civil action by the City and authorized recycling contractor. Nothing in this Part shall be deemed to limit the right of the City or an authorized recycling contractor to bring a civil action against any person who violates Section 380.504, Section 380.507 or any provision of this Part, nor shall a conviction for such violation exempt any person from a civil action brought by an authorized recycling contractor or by the City. (Ord. 89-1092-541, § 1; Ord. 91-321-129, § 5)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.511 Penalty.

Sec. 380.511. - Penalty. It shall be unlawful and a class C offense to fail to comply with the provision of this Part. (Ord. 89-1092-541, § 1; Ord. 91-321-129, § 6)

Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 380.512 Annual report.

Sec. 380.512. - Annual report. The Director shall prepare an annual report to the Council concerning the City's recycling program. The report shall be filed on or before March 1st of each calendar year and shall summarize activities related to the recycling program during the previous fiscal year. The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee shall review the annual report and may take legislative action to address recycling conditions contained within the annual report, as appropriate. The information contained in the annual report shall include, but not be limited to, the following items: (1) All efforts undertaken by the City during the prior fiscal year to establish recycling of all materials that are financially attainable in the City; (2) The number of written complaints pertaining to the recycling program submitted to the City during the prior fiscal year; (3) The statistics as to the number of materials recycled broken out by different types (i.e., plastic, glass, cardboard, etc.); (4) The collaborative efforts undertaken by the City with third parties, such as the Duval County School Board, to maintain recycling in the City; (5) The public education efforts undertaken by the City to encourage the recycling of materials which are financially feasible within the City; (6) The total expenditure of the City's recycling program, including revenues received from the sale of recycling materials, costs incurred to dispose of materials that were put in the recycling stream but were not recyclable, estimated savings that the recycling program provides to the City by reducing materials that are landfilled, overall costs of the collection of recyclables, and any other significant costs or savings attributable the recycling program; (7) The performance standards utilized by the City to measure compliance with this Part and with standards for recycling in City contracts; (8) Recommendations for improvement to the recycling program; (9) Certification that the City is using the best practices in its recycling program; and (10) Any other information requested by Council, or considered significant by the Director. (Ord. 2020-700-E, § 1)

Source: City of Jacksonville, Ordinance Code and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/jacksonville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITXENAF_CH380SOWAMA_PT5REPRFetched: 10/27/2026