Celebrating RFT Members

Melody Tuschel of Monroe County

Recycling Coordinator and Outreach Liaison

 

Since 2023, Melody Tuschel has served as Monroe County’s Recycling Coordinator, leading the Keys’ transition toward more resilient, circular waste systems across one of Florida’s most environmentally sensitive regions. She works hand-in-hand with residents, schools, municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit partners to expand recycling, reduce food waste, build compost programs, and normalize sustainable materials management throughout the island chain.

Before the position existed, Tuschel began her county career in 2022 as a scale operator at the Cudjoe Transfer Station. There, she gained a ground-level understanding of how waste moves from curbside collection to storage, hauling, and processing on the mainland. That experience continues to shape her pragmatic, system-level approach today.

 

Monroe County faces distinctive barriers: it is a remote archipelago and a State of Critical Concern, and none of its waste is processed in the Keys. Every material must be transported to mainland facilities, which complicates logistics and limits vendor options. Despite these challenges, Tuschel remains optimistic and persistent.

 

“One of the first things people ask me is, ‘Does Monroe County really recycle?’” she says. “My answer is always yes—and we’re getting better every year.”

 

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Monroe County ranked 15th of 67 counties in 2022 with a 50% recycling rate, then rose to 9th in 2024 with a 61% rate. Tuschel is currently completing the 2025 report and expects continued momentum.

 

Operating as a “department of one,” she credits partnerships as the engine behind every success. Her territory stretches roughly 130 miles from Ocean Reef to Stock Island, yet she maintains strong relationships across all regions of the Keys.

 

Signature initiatives include:

Skip the Stuff – A collaborative campaign with the City of Key West, Village of Islamorada, the Surfrider Foundation, and over 20 local environmental groups. Forty-two restaurants committed to eliminating automatic single-use items (straws, plastic utensils, condiment packets, and bags) for three months. By the program’s end, most businesses reported the change had become a permanent practice.

 

Tire Amnesty Events – In partnership with FDEP, Tuschel coordinated free passenger-tire collections for residents using state grants. The Fall 2025 series recycled 106 tires, which were sent to American Tire Recycling in Miami and converted into crumb rubber for road construction and repair. Building on that success, a new series of countywide collections will begin on February 7, followed by additional events on March 7 and April 4, 2026, at Monroe County transfer stations. Residents may drop off passenger tires without rims at no cost, helping keep tires out of canals, mangroves, and landfills while supporting circular reuse in infrastructure projects.

 

Upper Keys Food Scrap Pilot – Working with Soil Mate Compost Farm and sponsored by Baptist Health, a community drop-off program operated from November through February at three sites in Key Largo and Tavernier. As of January 23, 2026, 82 households were registered, and 1,706 pounds of food waste had been diverted.

 

Holiday Light Recycling – In collaboration with Home Depot (Marathon and Key West) and the City of Key West, 909 pounds of broken holiday lights were collected and recycled between November and January 15th. The recycled strands are used to produce new electronic components.

 

On-Site Composting & Food Scrap Diversion – Tuschel’s most personal passion. In 2025, local sites converted 23,722.75 pounds of food waste into nutrient-rich “black gold.” Participating locations included Stanley Switlik Elementary, Sugarloaf Elementary, Tropical Botanical Gardens, KIRK of the Keys, Coral Isle Church of Tavernier, and A Beautiful Truth Apiary of Key Largo. Additional sites are composting without formal weight tracking but still generate significant community impact.

 

Sea the Change in the Florida Keys – Student Art Initiative

For Earth Day 2026, Tuschel is coordinating a countywide 3-D art project titled “Sea the Change in the Florida Keys.” Students of any grade may create artwork from single-use waste that communicates a message about its environmental impact. Works will be displayed at schools in March, showcased at Marathon City Hall in April, and featured at the I Care Trash Derby Celebration on May 3 at Founders Park.

 

“Art is a powerful way for students to see waste differently, and to help the whole community see it differently too,” she notes.

 

Looking forward

Tuschel continues advocating for the return of reusable cafeteria trays and utensils in Monroe County schools, expanded composting, and stronger food-recovery partnerships with local pantries.

 

Through collaboration, data, and community engagement, Melody Tuschel is helping steer Monroe County toward a cleaner, more resilient, and more sustainable future, one island, one classroom, and one compost pile at a time.