Repurposing Bamboo Toothbrushes

If you have switched to compostable bamboo toothbrushes, what do you do with them at the end of their life?

Since here in Brevard County we don't have a
composting program, you may repurpose your bamboo toothbrush into a plant label instead of throwing it away!

Just write directly on the handle with a permanent marker after you've snapped off the bristles and there you have it; a plant label ready for your yard.

Pretty cool idea, right?

Bubble Wrap?

Did you know that Publix accepts "bubble wrap and air pillows"  in with plastic bags?

Yes, they do!

If you do not have use for extra shipping material and no local UPS stores that would like to have them for reuse, you may recycle your bubble wrap at Publix.

They accept that and everything else listed by WRAP Recycling Action Program (WRAP) on their website.

WRAP is a national public awareness and outreach initiative designed to make plastic film – including wraps, bags, and flexible packaging – a commonly recycled material with a strong and ever-growing recycling rate.

So, don't throw it away! Reuse or recycle your bubble wrap to help divert more from our landfills.

What bin liner should I use if I bring reusable bags to the groceries?

When you start to #REDUCE, one of the simple steps is to bring your own reusable bags for grocery shopping which leaves you with barely any bags to use for garbage. In that case, what would be recommended in place of plastic bags?

Well, it depends on the household dynamics and what you’d be willing to do. 

Most use no bags at all in their bins and compost food waste. Trash is emptied directly into the big tote for collection and washed afterwards. 

At Recycle Brevard we receive a lot of donations in plastic bags, so we tend to reuse those and recycle the excess of bags at the grocery stores. If you receive bags from others, you could do that,  too. 

Other things you may want to try: 

•  If you have a pet, you may flush pet waste straight into the toilet (Non-plastic Alternatives to Pet Waste Bags) and save pet food bags (and other packaging) for when you need to dispose of messier things. 
• If you have a home office, paper goes in the recycle bin and office waste straight in the trash. You may have a bin for reusable items or items you may want to donate, and those should not need a liner.
• In the kitchen, having separate bins help - neither your compost or recycle bin needs a liner and you may choose to also skip the liner for other trash or use non-plastic liners (paper or other bags that are part of packaging you receive) if you have them.
• In the bathroom, flush toilet paper and place other product packaging directly in the appropriate bin. Reduce the disposables you use, like razors and hygiene products (e.g Saalt)  whenever you can and that will take care of the need for a trash can and liner.
• If you still want a trash bag, you may choose alternative bags (like biodegradable, plant-based or recycled bags) instead of traditional plastic bags to make less of an impact. You may also choose to use reusable bags in your bins around the house (like Planet Wise's bags) or in your 64-gallon tote. You just wash the bags and reuse them!
• If you collect for TerraCycle, you may have a box for all programs you participate in. When the box is full, just drop it off at our facility and we will take care of it for you.

We hope this helps!

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, Brevard! 

Some more Info:
Greenpeace video: Four Alternatives to Plastic Bin Liners

Collecting Garbage Without Plastic Trash Bags?

Ideas for Garbage Disposal Without Plastic Bags

Where to Recycle when Visiting Brevard

First of all: Welcome to Brevard County! We are glad you are here - and looking to recycle.

This is a common issue faced by tourists and snowbirds visiting Brevard for a long period of time: where can they recycle their waste? It is also also a challenge to local residents who do not have recycling services available to them (e.g. some apartment complexes).

Recycling availability varies with the area and, depending on where you are, you may find different alternatives, but here are some ideas on what to do when visiting or simply looking for ways to recycle in Brevard:


1. Look for bins at Grocery stores
They normally have bins for recycling plastic bags (where grocery bags, brad bags, newspaper 
sleeves, plastic wrapper (e.g. from toilet paper rolls and kitchen towels), ziplocs, etc. all clean and dry can be recycled), styrofoam (egg cartons and vegetable trays) and paper bags. Sometimes even other items can be recycled there. At Target stores, for example, the recycling stations located at the front of each store allow guests to recycle aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers, plastic bags, MP3 players, cell phones and ink cartridges. (Target: the challenges and rewards of company-wide recycling)


2. Check the local Home Depot/Lowe's stores
Those stores have some recycling available, too. Rechargeable batteries, CFL light bulbs and plastic bags can be dropped off there. They might offer other recycling opportunities as well.

3. Drop off electronics at Best Buy
If you happen to have any electronics, Best Buy offers free recycling.

4. Recycle at Parks
If you are staying at local parks, they normally have recycling dumpsters/bins especially at their camping sites. That would be a good option to unload your bottles, cans, paper, etc.

5. Recycle at University Campus
In St. Petesburg, for example, USF has recycle bins all around campus for anyone to use. That may be an option for other locations as well.


6. Check with Local Libraries
Libraries normally accept newspapers, magazines, and such.

7. Drop off TerraCycle items at Recycle Brevard
If you are in the area, you could drop off hard-to-recycle materials at our facility. We participate in
TerraCycle programs and collect things like empty toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, dental floss containers, deodorant containers, make up, cereal box plastic liners, granola/energy/protein bar wrappers, and a few more things. The updated list can be found on the  TerraCycle page on RecycleBrevard.org


8. Recycling Dumpsters for Residents
Before talking about where to recycle, make sure you know what can be recycled in single-stream dumpsters available in Brevard. Please, review the tables of what CAN be recycled and what CANNOT be recycled through single-stream recycling and ONLY place in the dumpsters what is currently accepted.


For Brevard residents who don't have recycling services available at their location, you may take your recyclables to one of the public recycling dumpsters. Some of the available ones are in Satellite Beach (at the David R. Schechter - DRS - Community Center, 1089 South Patrick Drive - 321-773-6458), Viera (Government Center - 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way Viera, FL 32940 - 321-633-2000), and Cocoa (Central Disposal Facility - 2250 Adamson Road - Cocoa, FL - 321-633-1888). Call those locations to confirm their availability and what they currently accept.

Other single-stream recycling containers are listed on the county's Recyclopedia. The list below might change, so confirm the current available locations by visiting their site:

Central Disposal Facility
2250 Adamson Road, Cocoa (Monday–Saturday 7:30-5:30)

Merritt Island Courthouse
2527 North Courtenay Parkway

Viera, Government Center
2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way

Mockingbird Way
3600 South Street, Titusville (Monday–Saturday 7:30-5:30)

DeGroodt Library
6475 Minton Rd. S.W., Palm Bay, FL 32908

Waste Management
7382 Talona Dr. West Melbourne (Monday-Friday 8-6)

South Mainland Library
7921 Ron Beatty Blvd. Micco, FL 32976

Titusville Public Library
2121 S. Hopkins Ave. Titusville, FL 32780

Port St. John Community Center
6650 Corto Road, Port St. John

City of Satellite Beach Schechter Community Center
1089 South Patrick Drive

City of Titusville Solid Waste Department
101 North Singleton Avenue, Titusville

If you live in a different area, call the Solid Waste Department in your area to check on the availability of recycling dumpsters close to you.


9. Take metals to a metal recycler
If you have metal of any kind - aluminum, steel, copper, etc - you may take those to a metal recycler. From steel cans to broken appliances and leftover from a remodeling project, if it is metal, they will most likely accept it. And you get paid for your scrap! Places like TMR Recycling can help you with that.


Those are some ways you can recycle and divert waste from our landfills, but, as a rule of thumb, REDUCE whatever you can whenever you can.

If you reduce, you will not have to worry about recycling at all - because you won't have anything to throw away! Bring your own containers (coffee cup, water bottle, plates, silverware, bags, etc.) to reduce disposables and packaging; reuse what you couldn't avoid receiving.

We hope this gives you some ideas and helps you find the right options for you during your stay.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, Brevard!