Palm Bay, FL -- If your yard waste pile has been sitting at the curb longer than usual, you’re not imagining it. The city posted a notice on April 3 explaining what’s going on, and the numbers are significant.
The volume of yard waste collected this March was 61% higher than the same period last year. The cause is the recent freeze, which killed or damaged vegetation across Palm Bay on a scale that Republic Services hasn’t handled as a routine pickup event. The company is treating it like a hurricane debris response.
What Republic Services Added
To work through the backlog, Republic Services brought in additional resources. The company added two extra yard waste routes on Saturdays, brought in a grapple truck from outside the area, and increased the number of daily disposal trips and route adjustments to collect more debris as quickly as possible.
The city said crews are making progress and will continue assessing the situation week by week until the volume returns to normal. No firm completion date has been given. If your waste hasn’t been picked up yet, leave it at the curb.
A Trash Tip Most Residents Don’t Know
While Republic Services has your attention: the franchise agreement between the city and Republic Services includes four free tire pickups per residential unit per year. That applies to single-family homes and multi-family units alike.
The rules are straightforward. Tires must be off the rim. Put them at the curb before 4 AM on your scheduled collection day. Republic Services handles the rest. This is not a special program you have to register for. It’s a standard part of your trash service that’s been sitting in the contract the whole time.
More Than Four Tires?
If you’re sitting on more than four tires, Brevard County’s Tire Amnesty Days are coming up April 16-18. The event is free, allows up to 24 tires per household, and includes a drop-off site accessible to Palm Bay residents in the Valkaria area.
Tires that sit with water pooled inside are a mosquito breeding ground. Brevard County led Florida in dengue cases in 2025 with 35 confirmed infections. Getting old tires off your property is a public health issue, not just a cleanup.
Full details on Tire Amnesty, including drop-off locations and hours, are in our April 2 article.
Sources
City of Palm Bay: Yard Waste Collection Notice, April 3, 2026
Republic Services Franchise Agreement (tire collection provisions)
