Palm Beach County is Florida’s Top Recycler

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County processes 100,000 tons of recyclables a year. SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY / COURTESY PHOTOS

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County thanks its residents for helping to make it the state’s top recycler for the second year in a row.

In 2023, Palm Beach County achieved an overall recycling rate of 84 percent, as calculated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. It exceeds the state’s 75 percent recycling goal and is a four-point increase from 2022.

“Palm Beach County’s recycling success is possible because of all who recognize the value of recycling and are dedicated to recycling right every day,” says Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County Executive Director Dan Pellowitz. “Because of county residents recycling right, Palm Beach County is proud to have had a thriving dual-stream recycling program and a robust construction and demolition recycling effort since the late 1980s.”

Palm Beach County recycled approximately 3.5 million tons of the 4.2 million tons of municipal solid waste collected in 2023. This calculation includes traditional recycling, construction and demolition recycling, vegetation and waste-to-energy recycling credits.

Palm Beach County achieved an overall recycling rate of 84 percent in 2023.

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County is a Dependent Special District created by the Florida Legislature in 1975. Each year, it processes 100,000 tons of recyclables, combusts about 1.8 million tons of trash to generate electricity at renewable energy facilities, and produces enough electricity to power as many as 90,000 homes.

The Solid Waste Authority also safely recycles or disposes of more than 4.6 million pounds of home hazards like batteries, televisions, pool chemicals, pesticides and mercury thermometers.

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County invites the public to visit their recycling facility. To arrange a presentation or tour for a group, visit swa.org/education.

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County invites the public to tour their recycling facility.

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