News

Bartow, Fla. (March 30, 2022) — Polk County's recycling collection program is ramping back up on an every-other-week basis, beginning Monday, April 4 for customers serviced by FCC Environmental Services. FCC is one of the county’s two contracted waste haulers servicing western Polk.

The resumption of recycling collection follows a one-month hiatus to allow FCC time to focus on residential household waste collection. The company had been unable to keep pace with its contracted collection schedule due to labor shortages and challenges magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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. 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.