CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — In Jefferson Square on Jefferson Avenue in Orange Park, piles of uncollected trash, including furniture, mattresses, and even chairs, are becoming a common sight.
Residents said the trash has been building up for weeks, and it’s become an eyesore that’s hard to ignore.
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“The trash is here for weeks at a time,” said resident Deanna Hanger. “I mean, all you have to do is drive down the road and you can see all the garbage constantly there.”
The issue, according to many in the area, began after Clay County switched its waste management provider last October. The county moved from Waste Management to FCC Environmental Services, a change that has left residents and property owners struggling to keep up with the volume of waste.
Under the new system, residents are required to store their trash in bins — but many said the bins are simply not large enough to contain all their waste. As a result, trash is overflowing, and the piles are spreading along the curbs and into yards.
“But we don’t know what to do with it because the last company picked everything up,” said Hanger, adding to the growing concern that the new system isn’t working.
Property owners, like Brian Hopkins, whose family owns several rental properties in the area, are also feeling the impact. The unsightly piles of trash have led to vacant units and are turning away potential tenants.
“It was a change made, and it doesn’t appear to be working,” said Hopkins.
When asked how much money his family had lost in the last 30 days due to the trash problem, Hopkins didn’t hesitate: “Tens of thousands.”
The Clay County Board of County Commissioners is aware of the growing issue. In a statement, the county outlined that residents can schedule bulk pickups for large items like furniture once a month at no additional cost. However, many residents feel this is only a temporary solution that doesn’t address the underlying problem of trash overflow.
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The county’s website specifies that curbside items will not be picked up if they include untagged overflow, tires, or construction debris. It also lists strict guidelines, including that carts must be placed at least 3 feet away from other carts, mailboxes, trees, and vehicles for pickup to occur.
“You have such strict rules,” Hanger said. “If you’re not a certain distance from the road, they won’t pick it up. If you’re not a certain distance from the other trashcan, they won’t pick it up.”
Residents are now calling for a permanent solution to the trash crisis, with some suggesting an additional pickup day to address the growing piles and curbside overflow.
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Here is the full statement from Clay County’s BOCC:
“Our Environmental Services Department is aware of the ongoing garbage overflow problem at these properties. There has not been a lapse in garbage collection, and FCC Environmental has been fulfilling its obligations of weekly collection of the county-provided garbage cans. However, it is imperative that for large bulk items, like furniture, residents or the property owner schedule a bulk pick-up with FCC. Each resident is able to schedule this once a month at no additional cost. Our Environmental Services Department worked closely with the can manufacturer to ensure every unit on these properties received a can, and FCC has delivered several replacement cans since. Every unit should have its can. If it does not, residents in that unit should immediately contact FCC to request one. If they believe it’s been stolen, they should report it to CCSO.
“Ultimately, however, it is the property owner’s responsibility to alert FCC if units are missing garbage cans, and if residents are in need of bulk pick-ups. Last summer, we launched a multi-pronged awareness campaign before the rollout of this new contract in October, which included:
- Discussions at multiple Board of County Commissioners Meetings
- Website alerts
- Flyers in the mail
- Newsletter emails
- Social media posts across multiple platforms
- News media mentions - radio, TV, and newspapers
“Our Community Services division also spearheaded a clean-up of the Tanglewood neighborhood on November 16th, where staff and volunteers distributed informational flyers (like the one attached - “Your Guide to Clay County Curbside Collection”) to local residents, and collected almost 4,000 pounds of trash that had not been disposed of properly - this is the equivalent of about 12 pick-up truck loads. Our staff is currently in the process of setting up a meeting with Mr. Hopkins to provide him with information, address his concerns, and help him resolve these issues moving forward.”
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