Recycling Collections Resume April 4, April 11 For Polk County

POLK COUNTY, FL — Polk County residents will have access to the county's recycling collection program once again starting April 4 after it temporarily paused for about a month, Polk County Waste and Recycling said in a news release.

Collections will on a bi-weekly basis serviced by FCC Environmental Services.

During the past month, FCC focused on residential household waste collection after a major delay for many residents not having their trash collected by the trash haulers, a Polk County news release said.

"The company had been unable to keep pace with its contracted collections schedule due to labor shortages and challenges magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic," a county staff member said.

Polk County's Waste and Recycling customers who are serviced by FCC will receive letters this week notifying them of whether their recycling collection will occur on Week A or Week B. Households assigned to Week A will have recycling collected beginning April 4 and Week B’s collection will begin April 11. The collection will occur on their regularly scheduled day.

“This is the next step in working through our emergency plan to get waste collection back on track for our customers,” County Manager Bill Beasley said. “We expect that by alternating recycling collection weeks, FCC will be able to maintain their household waste collection service.

Beginning Thursday, Polk's FCC customers can go to the county's website and enter their street address to use an interactive map for the most accurate information regarding trash collection: https://gis.polk-county.net/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=b30528a7dda640c6849fa568e349c3e3.

Bulk waste for FCC collection should be set at the curb on your garbage collection day until further notice. The county's two-item per week policy remains in effect. Yard waste collection remains unchanged.

Customers are encouraged to continue to report missed collections through the county's Wastewise app, the county website, or call customer service at (863) 284-4319.