Palm Beach County has earned the state’s number one ranking in recycling in each of the last two years. It’s been a collective effort to make it happen, and the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County thanks and urges residents to continue to recycle right. Together, we can keep our communities clean and green.
The SWA has been a leader in recycling for more than 35 years, with an emphasis on efficient recycling services. To make it simple, the SWA advises Palm Beach County residents to participate in the county’s dual-stream recycling program.
Items that go into the blue bin are:
- Plastic bottles and containers (lids on; 2 gallons or less)
- Food and beverage cans
- Glass bottles and jars (lids off)
- Milk and juice cartons (lids on)
- Drink boxes (no pouches, no straws)
Items that go into the yellow bin are:
- Cardboard (flattened, packaging removed)
- Newspaper and inserts (no plastic bags)
- Dry food and pizza boxes (no food stains)
- Office and school paper
- Cardboard paper rolls
- Mail and magazines
- Paper bags
Items that go into the blue and yellow bins are sorted when they end up at the Solid Waste Authority’s Recovered Materials Processing Facility (RMPF). Over 100,000 tons of curbside recyclables are processed through the RMPF each year and are then sold to the market and made into new products.
Palm Beach County residents have other options for recycling right. The SWA has seven Home Chemical & Recycling Centers that allow you to drop off oversized recyclable items, paper and cardboard materials, and other forms of hazardous waste such as used cooking oil and propane cylinders. These items need to be disposed of responsibly to better protect the environment, people, and infrastructure.
Home Chemical & Recycling Centers are also where you should drop off lithium batteries, among the most hazardous items in the waste stream. Lithium batteries power a variety of devices, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops and game controllers. Lithium batteries can be easily damaged in the waste stream, increasing the potential for a fire to start. These batteries must never be placed into your blue or yellow recycling bins.
Not everything is recyclable. Single-use plastic bags and shredded paper are among the items that should be left out of your bins and thrown into the trash. The SWA invites Palm Beach County residents to participate in the Plastic Bag Xchange2 Program. You can turn in two single-use plastic shopping bags and receive two reusable recycling bags in exchange. See swa.org/xchange2.
It’s important for every resident to understand the future of our communities depends on whether we can maintain healthy recycling practices. Keep Palm Beach County clean and green by recycling right every day!
Learn More: swa.org/recycleright
