Alachua County Recycles

08/26/2026

Household batteries do not belong in your standard trash bin! Old cell phones, laptops, and loose lithium-ion batteries pose a massive fire hazard when crushed inside our garbage truck compactors. Protect our drivers and your neighborhood by taking these items to a designated local electronic recycling drop-off.

Learn more about our waste collection services: https://bit.ly/4sINKVZ

08/24/2026

Thank you Sun Country Sports Center for helping Keep Alachua County Beautiful!

08/03/2026

Love to see new Adopt-A-Road locations, helping Keep Alachua County Beautiful!

07/31/2026

That clear clamshell container from your salad, bakery treats, or takeout order may look recyclable, but it’s not the same as a plastic water bottle. Unlike bottles, these containers contain additives that prevent them from being recycled into new products. Every clamshell placed in the recycling cart has to be removed during sorting, adding unnecessary costs before ending up in the landfill. Knowing the difference helps protect our recycling system—and makes Recycling Right really count.

Learn more at alachuacountyrecycles.com/can-all-plastic-be-recycled/

07/30/2026

Not only does KACB provide plants, supplies, materials and volunteer support to help community gardens in Alachua county get started but we also assist with the signage that helps keep them organized and thriving for years to come.

We were delighted to partner with the Town of Micanopy and a local sign shop to provide signage that will support the garden's ongoing success.

Happy gardening Micanopy!

07/30/2026

Day 30: Sharing with others.

When it comes to Plastic Free July, sharing really is caring.

That could look like:

📢 Starting conversations with friends, family, or colleagues on a surprising learning from the month
📢 Getting people together to watch a documentary on the topic (complete with plastic free popcorn for the viewing party)
📢 Hosting a swap night, where everyone brings along reusables they’re happy to trade or give away
📢 Sharing items on a ‘Buy Nothing’ group, which can often be found on social media sites like Facebook, or local community centres
📢 Joining a local toy library or party kit network, so reusables are always readily available to borrow

We’d love to hear what you’ve learned this month – but don’t just let us know. Tag your friends, family members, schoolmates, and colleagues in the comments. It’s a great way to keep the challenge going beyond July, and amplify those fantastic learnings throughout the community.

Access the full Plastic Free July 2026 calendar: plasticfreejuly.org/resources/assets

07/29/2026

Day 29: Choosing to dine in.

Dining in doesn’t have to take a lot of time, but it significantly cuts down on the use of disposable cups, containers, cutlery, and packaging. Plus, many of our participants tell us that taking the time to just stop and enjoy their food or drink sitting down, rather than on the go, makes the experience all the more enjoyable and enriching.

Access the full Plastic Free July 2026 calendar: plasticfreejuly.org/resources/assets

07/28/2026

Are you a property manager preparing for end of July lease transitions?! The Repurpose Project can help you and your tenants keep usable items out of your dumpster! They are offering a donation pickup service and can place these collection boxes in your apartment lobby and pick them up when full. This is a pilot program and space is limited this year so please reach out soon to [email protected] if you are interested.

The Repurpose Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to innovating and expanding the local circular economy to help people and the planet. Donating used items helps eliminate the need for new item manufacturing and that reduces pollution and protects our natural resources! Expanding reuse helps people access lower cost material. The Repurpose Project's charitable giving program keeps expanding allowing them to offer free items to those in need including free deliveries of large pieces of furniture and appliances! Thank you for buying used and supporting an alternative retail system!! ❤️♻️🌍

07/28/2026

There are still a few spots available in this year's pilot program. Property managers interested in participating should contact [email protected].

Are you a property manager preparing for end of July lease transitions?! The Repurpose Project can help you and your tenants keep usable items out of your dumpster! We are offering a donation pickup service and can place these collection boxes in your apartment lobby and pick them up when full. This is a pilot program and space is limited this year so please reach out soon to [email protected] if you are interested.

The Repurpose Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to innovating and expanding the local circular economy to help people and the planet. Donating used items helps eliminate the need for new item manufacturing and that reduces pollution and protects our natural resources! Expanding reuse helps people access lower cost material. Our charitable giving program keeps expanding allowing us to offer free items to those in need including free deliveries of large pieces of furniture and appliances! Thank you for buying used and supporting an alternative retail system!! ❤️♻️🌍 transition

07/27/2026

🚨 TWO FIRES IN ONE DAY: A SERIOUS WARNING FOR ALACHUA COUNTY 🚨
Last Thursday, it happened again! Our crew had to extinguish two separate fires in one day—both started by hidden lithium batteries tossed into household garbage.

Our Transfer Station Manager, Allen Betz, emphasizes how easily this could have turned catastrophic: "This was in the trash on the tip floor. The loader operator noticed smoke while pushing up trash to be loaded and then found two separate fires from batteries."

Thanks entirely to our operator’s quick eyes, both fires were caught before damaging heavy machinery or putting lives at risk. Next time, we might not be so lucky.

⚠️ THE REAL DANGER: Lithium-ion batteries are mini chemical rockets. When you toss them—or the devices that contain them like vapes, smart devices, electric toothbrushes, rechargeable toys, and power tools—into regular trash or recycling bins, they get crushed. A single puncture can cause them to short-circuit, overheat, and instantly explode into high-intensity flames inside our trucks and facilities.

🛑 THE GOLDEN RULE: NEVER put lithium batteries, rechargeable items, or electronics into your household trash or blue recycling bins. If it recharges, it does not belong in your cart.

✅ HOW TO DISPOSE OF THEM SAFELY (AND FOR FREE): Protect our local workers and drop them off safely at these locations:
📍 Main Facility: Alachua County Household Hazardous Waste Center at 5125 NE 63rd Ave, Gainesville. Open Monday–Friday (7 AM–5 PM) and Saturday (8 AM–12 PM).
📍 Rural Collection Centers: Drop them off at any of our five staffed Alachua County Rural Collection Centers.

One wrong toss can spark a disaster. Please share this post to keep our neighborhood collection crews and our facility employees safe! ♻️🔋