Integrated System

Integrated Solid Waste Management System

Integrated Solid Waste Management System At the core of everything we do is our award-winning, globally respected integrated solid waste management system. This system is designed to maximize diversion and minimize the amount of waste sent to our landfill, while remaining both environmentally responsible and financially sound. Every component of the system is designed to divert materials from landfill disposal whenever possible. Diversion refers to any process that redirects waste away from landfill disposal through recycling, reuse, backyard composting, renewable energy recovery or beneficial reuse. We accomplish this through a combination of carefully designed education and outreach programs and state-of-the-art facilities. In Palm Beach County, household garbage, recyclables and vegetation are collected curbside and brought to one of the SWA’s six transfer stations. From there: Household garbage is transported to the SWA’s renewable energy facilities, where it's used to generate electricity. Blue and yellow bin recyclables are transported to the Recovered Materials Processing Facility, where they're sorted and processed for recycling markets. Vegetation is delivered to SWA-permitted private processors that recycle it into mulch and other beneficial products. Residents can also drop off household hazardous waste and accepted recyclables at any of the SWA’s seven Home Chemical & Recycling Centers located throughout the county. Construction & demolition (C&D) debris is handled through separate SWA-permitted private facilities and represents a large portion of the county’s recovered materials. This process allows C&D waste to be reused or recycled efficiently, reducing the volume sent to our landfill. The SWA operates a Biosolids Processing Facility, which processes wastewater treatment residuals and produces material suitable for beneficial use – further reducing what requires landfill disposal. The North County Landfill serves as the last resort within our system, used only for materials that cannot be reused, recycled or processed in any other way. The SWA also maintains the Greenway Trail System, providing public access to 300 acres of conservation land within our 1,300-acre main campus. Learn more about each component of our system using the menu. Core Elements of Our Integrated Solid Waste Management System Source Reduction & Education: Minimizing waste through education, outreach and incentive programs to prevent materials from entering the waste stream Recycling: Separating and recovering materials from waste and turning them into reusable commodities Renewable Energy/Combustion: Using municipal solid waste as a fuel source to generate electricity, while significantly reducing the volume of waste that must be landfilled Landfilling: The last-resort disposal option for materials that cannot be recycled, processed for energy recovery or otherwise diverted