Starbucks eventually realized it was good for business to make their used coffee grounds easily accessible - saving the company money on waste disposal, and bringing new people into their stores, and improving their public image by doing something good for the environment.

Maybe your big-box chain will wake up too.

Good point. I should be the one to suggest that, but they will be recycling cardboard when they get open. Guess the compactor isn't in place yet, or we'd be doing it now, I'm sure. As for the lumber bits and pieces, I don't know. I'll see what goes on, then I'll make some suggestions as to how they could save disposal fees by allowing us to have the damaged goods at a very low price, say 75% off, and see what happens, but I'm sure they've already crunched the numbers on that, since they've been around so long, and found it not to be to their advantage.

In California, there is California Materials Exchange state agency in which businesses can sell or give away recyclables and excess. Maybe in Florida you have similar and they just are not aware?

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/calmax/

Also, there's always freecycle.org and craigslist.com. I suspect they don't formally give for free due to liability issues. But I see plenty of big businesses in my area put the cardboard and pallets "next to" the dumpters for folks to get for free or take to recycling plant for $$$.

You might want to find out if the waste management (trash company) the big box uses recycles at the plant (which is often the case).