Pamela Walker pulled up Tuesday afternoon to the back of the Osborn Center parking lot and was relieved to see the volunteers ready to unload the recyclables from her car.
“I kept saying, ‘Lord, let them be there,’” said Walker, who said she is on vacation this week and suffered “paper-itis.”
Walker and other county residents wanting to rid themselves of recyclable paper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bags, shoes, mobile phones, teacher supplies and miscellaneous items were invited to haul the goods to the second annual “America Recycles Day.”
From 11 a.m.-6 p.m., residents were bringing in goods to recycle as well as to shred. Southland Recycling Services provided shredding services for sensitive documents, such as credit card and bank statements, invoices and tax records.
“It’s been wonderful,” said Vivian Harrell, executive coordinator for Keep Jacksonville Beautiful, the local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.
“People have been very gracious and appreciative,” she said.
In 2010, the partnering agencies collected more than 23,000 pounds of recyclable materials. The amount collected Tuesday is being calculated.
The event was sponsored by the City, Keep Jacksonville Beautiful and Southland Recycling Services.
Also, the Florida Department of Environment Protection collected plastic grocery bags.
The event collected cell phones, iPods and chargers for donation to the Hubbard House domestic shelter.
Shoes were collected for Soles4Souls to be distributed to people in need. The Teacher Supply Depot collected items for Duval County Public Schools, teachers and students.
Harrell said there was a line of vehicles waiting when the collections began at 11 a.m.
She said the agencies will determine how many people came through by determining the number of free pencils handed out at the entrance.
The most unusual useful donation was a woman’s wig, which Teacher Supply Depot Project Manager Chris Buckley said would likely become part of a school’s drama department.
356-2466