Rural Collection Centers

Storm Notice

10/8/24 Update

Due to the potential for high winds from Hurricane Milton, all Alachua County Solid Waste & Resource Recovery facilities and operations will not be open to the public on Wednesday, October 9, or Thursday, October 10. This includes the Leveda Brown Environmental Park and Transfer Station, the Rural Collection Centers, the Hazardous Waste Collection Center, and the administrative offices.

Residential waste collection services including garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulky items will not be conducted on Wednesday, October 9, or Thursday, October 10. These services are expected to resume on Friday, October 11 as shown below:

• Wednesday’s routes will be collected on Friday

• Thursday’s routes will be collection on Saturday

Regular collection schedules should resume the following week.

The County’s disaster debris collection contractors will continue collecting debris from Hurricane Helene until it is no longer safe to do so. They will resume collections as soon after Hurricane Milton passes as possible.

Please bring any waste containers or items which you have placed curbside away from the street and secure them so they will not be scattered by the wind or otherwise become a hazard. For the large portion of the community who have not yet had their yard debris from Hurricane Helene collected, that material can be brought to the Leveda Brown Environmental Park or the five Rural Collection centers free of charge in advance of Hurricane Milton.

With the cleanup from Hurricane Helene just beginning and the potential for Hurricane Milton to impact Alachua County this week, Alachua County is offering residents the opportunity to dispose of yard trash at the Leveda Brown Environmental Park free of charge and lifting the volume limit on yard trash accepted at the five Rural Collection Centers. The disaster debris collection contractors and GFL will continue to go through the unincorporated portion of the County collecting debris from Hurricane Helene until it is no longer safe to do so. These opportunities are only for the time leading up to the impact of Hurricane Milton and will not extend beyond it’s arrival.

The Leveda Brown Environmental Park is open Monday-Friday from 7:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday from 7:00am to noon. It is located at:

• 5115 NE 63rd Ave in Gainesville.

The five Rural Collection Centers are open Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday 7:30am to 5:30pm and are located at:

• 19401 SW Archer Rd.

• 16929 NW US Hwy 441

• 9920 NE Waldo Rd.

• 10714 NE State Rd. 121

• 11700 SE Hawthorne Rd.

The disaster debris collection contractors are currently collecting debris from Hurricane Helene which is located on rights-of-way and in publicly accessible residential areas of unincorporated Alachua County. They began collecting debris in the most heavily affected areas on Thursday, October 3. All areas of the County are expected to be reached at least once within the first 30 days of operation. The collection vehicles are operating from 7:00am to 6:30pm Monday-Sunday and will complete multiple passes through all areas. This service is provided to all residents located in the unincorporated portion Alachua County.

Residents in the mandatory collection area can expect to see two separate collection vehicles come through for yard trash. The regular yard trash collection vehicles operated by GFL will continue to operate on their regular schedule but will only be collecting yard trash in reusable containers. Yard trash in paper lawn bags or in piles will be collected by the debris collection contractors. Yard trash in plastic bags will not be collected. To help speed up the collection efforts of the contractors, please consolidate your yard trash into a single large pile.

Please follow the below rules when placing yard trash curbside:

• Regular yard trash size and weight restrictions are waived

• Do not place yard trash in plastic bags

• Place all debris on the curb or roadside, not in the street. Do not block traffic or street access

• Do not place debris on or near utility boxes, utility lines, cable lines, telephone lines, or other obstructions. Be aware of infrastructure below the ground as well as above.

If you live in a gated community, the County is still waiting for FEMA to approve collection from your areas. While we wait for that authorization, please have your Home Owner’s Association reach out to the County at 352-338-3233 to complete a right-of-entry agreement. This document is required by FEMA and must be completed if your community wants the County’s contractors to collect debris from Hurricane Helene.