Trash collector to lay off 72, close Pasco office

A solid waste management company responsible for collecting trash and recycling in Pasco County will be shuttering its Hudson operations and laying off staff, according to state filings. 

Republic Services of Florida LLC disclosed its plans to lay off the 72 employees working out of its Hudson hauling facility in an Oct. 15 letter sent to both the Florida Department of Commerce and Pasco County Commission Chair Kathryn Starkey,. Companies are required to alert local and state authorities of mass layoffs under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. 

The affected employees work out of Republic Services facility at 8608 Arcola Ave. in Hudson and include 55 drivers along with driving instructors, administrators, operations managers, logistics analysts and 8 “residential helpers,” the letter says. 

Layoffs are scheduled to begin Dec. 31 and could continue for a 14-day period, after which the company will permanently cease operations in Hudson. The affected employees are not represented by a union and do not have bumping rights, the letter says. 

Republic Services of Florida is one of eight licensed trash haulers operating in Pasco County, according to the county’s website. The county does not provide direct trash pickup services for residents. Instead, residents must hire their own private, licensed garbage hauler for curbside service. A list of providers can be found on PascoCountyFL.gov.