Jefferson Parish tweaks DIY recycling for East Bank
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Glass Half Full workers and employees unloaded recycling Saturday at the David Drive dump in Metairie. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios
Jefferson Parish is moving the weekly East Bank recycling drop-off location to the Yenni Building in hopes of making the process faster for residents, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Why it matters: Many people waited in line at least 30 minutes during the parish's first drop-off day at the David Drive location.
The big picture: The weekly drop-off is a compromise with council leaders and temporarily replaces curbside recycling.
- The parish has been without curbside recycling since the contract ended in December 2023.
My experience: I waited in the drive-thru line Saturday for about 40 minutes.
- An employee checked my ID and then Glass Half Full staff and volunteers unloaded my recycling.
- I stayed in my car the entire time.
- People arrived with recyclables already sorted in green bins and paper bags.
Between the lines: Future drop-offs should be faster since the first one tackled the backlog of everyone who had been saving items for months, officials say.
- The turnout was "better than anticipated" with hundreds of people showing up, Katherine Costanza, the parish's environmental affairs director, tells Axios New Orleans.
How it works: The Marrero drop-off site remains at 6440 Lapalco Boulevard.
- In Metairie, residents now will enter the Yenni Building parking lot on Citrus Boulevard and exit on the Elmwood side, Costanza said.
- Both will open from 10am to 2pm every Saturday.
The fine print: You need a driver's license or utility bill to prove you live in Jefferson Parish.
Zoom in: These items are accepted at the drop-off points.
- Glass bottles and jars.
- Cardboard.
- Aluminum, tin and steel cans.
- Plastics #1 and #2.
- Mixed paper, including paper bags.
What's next: Curbside recycling may return in Jefferson Parish, but leaders say they are ironing out details, such as whether residents will have to opt-in individually.
💠Carlie's thought bubble: I'm glad Jefferson Parish has recycling options again, and I'm glad they are working the kinks out.
- I'm also relieved I had an audiobook to make the time pass.