Palm Bay, FL – If your yard waste pile has been sitting at the curb longer than usual, you are not imagining it. Pickup volume jumped 61% after the freeze, and Republic Services is still working through the backlog.
What Happened
The winter freeze generated an unusual volume of dead vegetation across Palm Bay. Damaged palms, shrubs, and tree limbs came down all at once. Republic Services, the city’s franchise hauler, saw yard waste tonnage spike 61% compared to a normal collection period.
That kind of surge cannot be absorbed by a standard route schedule.
What Republic Services Is Doing
The company added Saturday collection routes to extend the work week. It also brought in a grapple truck, which handles bulk vegetative debris faster than standard rear-load equipment.
The extra capacity is closing the gap, but neighborhoods that were already behind at the start of the push will take longer to clear. If your pile is still waiting, it is in the queue.
A Benefit You Probably Missed
Palm Bay’s franchise agreement with Republic Services includes a provision most residents do not know about: four free tire pickups per year, per household.
The tires must be off the rim. Put them at the curb by 4 AM on your regular collection day. Republic picks them up at no charge. No call required, no special appointment.
That is the standard, year-round benefit. Four tires, per household, per year. It resets annually.
Tire Amnesty Days: April 16-18
Brevard County is running a separate Tire Amnesty event April 16 through 18. The amnesty program allows up to 24 tires per household, well above the four-tire franchise benefit.
Drop-off locations and hours are available through Brevard County Solid Waste. If you have been stockpiling old tires, this is the window.
Why This Matters
Brevard County recorded 35 dengue fever cases in 2025. Tires collect standing water. Standing water is breeding habitat for the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector for dengue. That is not a hypothetical risk in this climate.
Getting tires off your property is a public health action, not just a cleanup task. The county is making it free for three days. Use it.