With America Recycles Day approaching November 15, Monroe County is highlighting several recycling opportunities and encouraging residents to make small changes to reduce waste during the holiday season.
Melody Tuschel, Monroe County’s recycling coordinator and outreach representative, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about recycling.
The county is continuing its election sign recycling program in partnership with the City of Key West. Residents and candidates can bring election signs and posts to Monroe County transfer stations and designated locations in Key West through December 15.
Last year, the program collected just over 1,000 pounds of signs and posts. This year, the goal is to double that amount.
Thanksgiving also presents an opportunity to reduce waste, particularly when it comes to food.
Tuschel encouraged residents to plan meals carefully, account for the number of guests they expect and avoid preparing more food than will be used.
“Don’t just create food that’s going to end up in our landfills,” she said.
Residents interested in composting can learn more at a free community compost workshop Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Key Largo Library. Tuschel will also be at the Grimal Grove Fall Festival in Big Pine Key that afternoon to showcase the county’s compost village.
For people who cannot compost at home, Monroe County offers five volunteer-run food-scrap drop-off locations throughout the Keys. The sites diverted more than 23,000 pounds of food waste from landfills last year.
The Key West Tropical Botanical Gardens location alone diverted and composted 7,805 pounds of food in 2025. The composting site at Grimal Grove, which opened May 8, has collected more than 1,500 pounds of food scraps.
Information about participating in the drop-off program is available at MakeSoil.org.
Tuschel also encouraged residents to think differently about holiday gifts, suggesting experiences and time spent with loved ones instead of material items that could eventually become waste.
“Your presence is the best present,” she said, adding that giving someone undivided attention and making memories can be more meaningful than buying another gift.
The county is also continuing its Christmas light recycling program. Residents can drop off broken or unwanted holiday lights at Home Depot locations in Marathon and Key West, along with participating Ace Hardware stores. Collection bins are scheduled to be available beginning November 15, with the program running through January 15.
Last year, the program collected 909 pounds of holiday lights. Tuschel said the county hopes to double that amount with additional collection sites.
She also reminded residents to flatten cardboard boxes and place them completely inside their recycling totes. New recycling trucks are designed to allow drivers to remain inside the vehicles for safety, so crews will not collect cardboard or other materials left beside the bins.
Residents with more recyclable materials than will fit in their totes can take them to a county transfer station free of charge.
Plastic shopping bags and food should never be placed in recycling bins, Tuschel said. Plastic bags can be returned to collection locations at Publix, Winn-Dixie and Home Depot.
Home Depot also accepts light bulbs and rechargeable batteries. Batteries should never be placed in household trash or recycling bins because they can cause fires in collection trucks and at transfer stations. They can be taken to county transfer stations or hazardous waste collection events at no charge.
As America Recycles Day approaches, Tuschel said residents do not have to make sweeping changes to have an impact.
“Maybe just choose one thing and make that small change in your household. But those little changes make a big difference,” she said.
More information about recycling programs, collection sites and upcoming events is available on the Monroe County website at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/417/recycling.