It is so important that we recycle the right things. "Wish-cycling" is when we hope something can be recycled so we place it in the recycling bin. This leads to contamination of the recycling stream and does much more harm than good. If there is too much contamination, it can ruin a load of otherwise good recyclables.

Here are the most common Recycling Troublemakers:

If you are unsure about an item, you can download the Recycle Coach App, look on the lid of your recycling cart, or go to our website at www.recyclestjohns.com. You can also contact us directly at 904.827.6980 or solidwaste@sjcfl.us and one of our Customer Service Representatives will be happy to assist you.

As summer ends and we prepare for the new school year, here are some tips to start things off sustainably!

1. Instead of buying all new clothes, find some second-hand.
2. Reuse school supplies such as pens, pencils, and backpacks.
3. Make plans to walk, bike, carpool, or ride the bus instead of driving.
4. Pack lunches with a reusable lunch box, bottle, utensils, and containers. 
5. Start a recycling program at your school! 

With the first day of school right around the corner, don't forget that we have plenty of resources for parents and teachers.

For more activities and videos, click the button below:

Consumers can purchase qualifying back-to-school supplies exempt from tax during the 2023-2024 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. The sales tax holiday begins Monday, July 24, and extends through Sunday, Aug. 6. A second exemption period will begin Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, and extend through Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. Some qualifying items include:

• Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles selling for $30 or less
• Most school supplies selling for $50 or less
• Clothing, footwear, and accessories selling for $100 or less
• Computers and related accessories selling for $1,500 or less (when purchased for non-commercial and personal use)

The American Flag Rescue Program provides residents with the opportunity to properly retire flags with honor and respect. American Flag Drop Boxes are available to the public in multiple locations throughout St. Johns County.

Based on their condition, some of these are donated and reused, some are repurposed, and some are officially retired.

We are averaging 13 flags every day, putting us on pace to surpass 4,000 total flags for the calendar year 2023!

We have also added two new drop-off locations:

• Alpha Omega Thrift Store
• The Cascades Club House at the World Golf Village

To learn more about the program or find the closest drop box, click the button below:

Last month, Solid Waste Outreach Coordinator Matt Denny gave a presentation at the Kids Safe Zone. He spoke about the Sustainable R's:

REFUSE: say no to single-use plastics

REDUCE: use less and create less waste

ROT: compost our organic waste

REUSE: use items over and over

REPURPOSE: upcycle materials by finding different uses

RECYCLE RIGHT: make sure to only recycle the right things

They did some activities relating to litter and how it can entangle wildlife, and how quickly natural materials break down compared to plastics. They also played a recycling game to test their knowledge.

At the end, they all earned their certificates for being Recycling Superstars!

The Kids Safe Zone is a non-profit after school program based out of the American Legion in West Augustine. They also have a summer program and partner with a number of local organizations to provide free classes, presentations, mentorship, and field trips within the community. For more information, click the button below:

Last month, Solid Waste Outreach Coordinator Matt Denny put on a Recycling Seminar for the residents at Coquina Crossing. He covered all of the solid waste services that are provided in St. Johns County, from curbside garbage and yard waste collection, to transfer station operations, household hazardous waste, and emergency storm debris.

He then talked about all of the community programs from the Adopt-A-Road program and Turtletown Beach Cleanup to all of the outreach efforts, events, presentations, videos, and the monthly newsletter.

Lastly, they did a deep dive on recycling, what's accepted, how it works, where it goes, and the economics of the industry. They also learned about the Recycle Coach App and how recycling the appropriate materials has a huge impact on the sustainability and viability of the program.

To learn more about our outreach program, click the button below:

Last month, Solid Waste staff took a tour of the Education Center at the Guana, Tolomato, Matanzas-National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM NERR).

The GTM NERR is a collaboration between Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Reserve covers over 76,000 acres of conservation lands in northeast Florida from Ponte Vedra Beach to Palm Coast. The GTM NERR is one of 30 National Estuarine Research Reserves around the country that focuses on research, education, and stewardship.

The 21,000-square-foot Visitor Center includes interpretive exhibits, aquariums, classrooms, teaching and working laboratories, an auditorium, and an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Guana River Aquatic Preserve. Active research and monitoring is conducted at the Visitor Center by staff scientists and visiting investigators from around the world. Education staff offer programming for all ages on the importance of the estuary. Their collaboration program offers training for professionals on issues of concern in our local community including watershed, invasive plants, and much more.

The St. Johns County Solid Waste Division has applied for a Federal Grant through the EPA Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program. They are hoping to use funds from this grant to help with the construction of a Recycling Outreach and Education Center. This facility would be a wonderful resource for residents and students to learn about the importance of recycling and sustainability. A critical step in the process is touring other facilities and education centers to glean ideas and learn from them about what works.

To learn more about the GTM NERR, click the button below:

Last month, the Solid Waste Division worked with the Parks and Recreation Department and gave presentations to their grade K-2 and grade 3-5 Summer Campers.

They played some games and activities and learned how to recycle correctly and live more sustainably.

The SJC Parks and Recreation Summer Camps emphasize outdoor activities and are staffed by experienced, motivated leaders from within our community. Campers get to participate in a variety of activities including field trips, arts & crafts, and swimming.

To learn more, click the button below:

Last Month, the Solid Waste Division participated in the Mega Beach Cleanup put on by A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway.

They had volunteers at Mickler's Landing, Vilano Beach, and Crescent Beach and cleaned up hundreds of pounds of debris.

They found old chairs, blankets, cigarette butts, and spent fireworks from July Fourth.

For more information and to learn about future cleanups, click the button below:

Don't forget to stock up on supplies during the 2023 Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday as you get ready for hurricane season. Any qualifying items related to disaster preparedness will be exempt from sales tax Aug. 26 - Sept. 8, 2023.  

Some examples of tax-free items include flashlights and lanterns costing $40 or less; reusable ice costing $20 or less; radios costing $50 or less; tarps and ground anchors or tie-down kits costing $100 or less; coolers and portable power banks costing $60 or less; batteries and fuel tanks costing $50 or less; smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and carbon monoxide detectors costing $70 or less; and generators costing $3,000 or less.

The holiday also includes a number of items related to the safe evacuation of household pets. Common household consumable items that may help with disaster cleanup are also included. For example, laundry detergent, toilet paper and paper towels, soap, sunscreen, and various household cleaning products, with a sales price of $30 or less.

See the Florida Department of Revenue website below for more information and a list of qualifying items.

St. Johns County encourages gated communities to prepare for hurricane season!

Property managers and residential homeowners association (HOA) presidents can take steps to protect their community in the event of a hurricane or other declared major disaster. Gated communities must have a current Right of Entry Form on file before any disaster recovery crews can access your community to collect storm-related debris.

St. Johns County has an easy, online process for submitting the necessary paperwork. CLICK HERE to complete the form. Completed forms can be emailed to solidwaste@sjcfl.us.

St. Johns County has upgraded to Recycle Coach Pro!

Download the app or go to www.recyclestjohns.com to get your curbside collection schedule, sign up for alerts, and quickly learn how to properly dispose of different waste materials.

The New Pro Package includes more educational content such as Recycling Fundamentals, Misunderstood Materials, and the all-new Recycle Right Game!

You can also find an extensive list of local depots, giving you convenient donation and recycling options for items not accepted in your curbside recycling.

Download the Recycle Coach App and become a better recycler today!

One of the great parts about the Recycle Coach App is that it allows us to see the most frequently searched items. This helps us to understand what might be confusing residents and makes it easier for us to target our outreach efforts.

The Recycle Coach App is getting even better! We are in the process of working on an exhaustive Depot List comprised of all of the non-profits, thrift stores, scrappers, and recyclers in the County. Each location will be linked to the specific type of material they accept along with their address and contact information so residents can coordinate drop-off or pickup services.

We hope to provide as many options as possible when residents look up different materials. Our goal is to divert as much waste as we can from the landfill by providing alternative disposal methods for anything that is not accepted in our curbside recycling program. Via the Recycle Coach App, we not only promote the act of reusing and repurposing, but actually make it easier for residents to do so.

Recycle Coach will now help you find the closest location to recycle your old fishing line!

We have been working with Recycle Coach to add fishing line as a searchable material and entered all of the recycling bin location information.

All you have to do is enter "fishing line" into the "What Goes Where" search bar and you will find all of the docks, boat ramps, piers, and bait shops with a recycling bin for fishing line.

Reel. Remove. Recycle – Don’t Leave Your Line Behind

These bins are part of the Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program (MRRP), which is a statewide effort to educate the public on the consequences of monofilament line left in the environment, to encourage recycling through a network of line recycling bins and drop-off locations, and to promote volunteer cleanup events.

Fishing line is a huge hazard for wildlife entanglement and it is up to us to dispose of it properly (photo credit: U.S. National Park Service).

To learn more, click the button below:

With Recycle Coach Pro, residents now have access to the all-new Recycle RIGHT game!

Click on the "Game" icon at the bottom of the screen if you're using the app.

If you're using the Recycle Coach tool on our website, click the "Learn" tab and scroll down until you see it.

We are committed to educating students and residents of St. Johns County about the importance of sustainability and environmental stewardship. We offer school presentations, mascot appearances, and facility tours. We also participate in community events with the goal of increasing awareness about solid waste management and the importance of recycling. 

We are assembling a network of volunteers to form a Recycling Resource Team. These volunteers will serve as liaisons in their communities and provide the latest recycling news and information. The goal will be to improve recycling efficiency through awareness and education.

For more information about volunteer opportunities, click the button below or email us at solidwaste@sjcfl.us.