Jacksonville Trash and Recycling in 7 Steps: Using the Free Jax Waste Wizard, Yellow-Lid Cart Rules and the 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Set-Out Window

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville residents can look up their trash and recycling days, sort household items and set reminders with a free city tool called the Jax Waste Wizard. The City of Jacksonville promoted the tool in October during National Customer Service Week, and its mobile app has been downloaded more than 5,000 times, according to Action News Jax. This guide walks through how it works and the curbside recycling rules the city publishes for single-family homes.

Step 1: Find your collection days

Residents enter their home address in the Waste Wizard to see their collection days, according to Action News Jax. The tool is available online at Jacksonville.gov/wastewizard and in the Jacksonville Waste and Recycle app, which is offered through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Schedules can be exported to iCal, Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook.

Curbside service is handled by three private haulers under city contracts, according to the Solid Waste Division. The city also offers a hauler lookup through its MyJax portal at myjax.custhelp.com/app/hauler. Knowing which hauler serves your address matters when you need to report a missed pickup.

Step 2: Turn on reminders

The app and website can send automated reminders by email, text or phone call, according to Action News Jax. The same system sends alerts when schedule changes or severe weather disrupt collection. Recent updates improved the app's design, fixed calendar sync problems and made searching faster, the station reported.

Step 3: Check an item before you toss it

The Waste Wizard section helps residents decide whether an item belongs in the trash, the recycling cart or compost, according to the city. City officials say correct sorting keeps contaminated recycling loads from being rejected, which lowers processing costs. They also say it reduces overflowing carts, repeat pickup trips and calls to the customer service line.

Step 4: Know what goes in the yellow-lid cart

Single-family homes use a yellow-lid recycling cart, and the city's service standards list what is accepted and what is not. Residents who are unsure about an item can look it up in the Jax Waste Wizard. The service standards page is the city's own reference for the rules.

Also not accepted are rubber, needles, batteries, fireworks or flares, weapons, and food or yard waste. Items should be emptied, rinsed and dried, although the city says they do not need to be dishwasher clean. Recyclables should never be placed in plastic bags, and bagged recyclables should not go in the cart.

Step 5: Follow the set-out window

Recycling is collected every other week in all service areas, according to the city. Carts can go out no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before collection and must be at the curb by 6 a.m. on collection day. Empty carts should be removed by 6 a.m. the day after.

Carts should sit at least 2 feet apart and 3 feet from obstructions, with lids fully closed and wheels facing away from the road. They should not block sidewalks, driveways or travel lanes. Extra recycling that does not fit waits for the next collection.

Step 6: Avoid the common reasons a cart is skipped

The city lists several reasons recycling gets left behind. They include garbage mixed in with recycling, a cart that is too large or heavy, improper cart placement, setting the cart out after 6 a.m., and household hazardous waste. Food residue is also a problem, because food can leak onto clean paper and any recyclable contaminated with food cannot be recycled.

When in doubt, the city's advice is to put an unsure item in the garbage instead. Non-recyclable or dirty items can damage equipment or contaminate loads, sending material to the landfill. Keeping the cart limited to the accepted list is the simplest way to avoid both problems.

Step 7: Know who to call

To request service or report a problem, residents can call MyJax at 904-630-CITY (2489) or visit myjax.custhelp.com. Action News Jax also lists 904-630-2489 for one-on-one help or urgent issues. The Solid Waste Division can be reached at 904-255-7500.

The Waste Wizard includes a direct link to MyJax for reporting missed collections or submitting service requests, according to the station. The tool also supports 904Lean, the city's continuous improvement program aimed at cutting unnecessary steps and rework in municipal services. Mayor Donna Deegan said in the announcement that great customer service means meeting people where they are, and for many residents that is on their phone.

Quick reference

• Where: Jacksonville.gov/wastewizard or the Jacksonville Waste and Recycle app
• Cost: Free
• Recycling cart: Yellow lid, collected every other week
• Set-out window: 5 p.m. the day before to 6 a.m. on collection day
• Phone: 904-630-CITY (2489)