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!
