While garbage, recycling and bulk waste remain on schedule, Palm Beach County residents are asked to delay major yard trimming until May. Doing so will allow waste haulers to focus on the reported 15 percent and growing increase in home garbage and bulk items.
Since the start of the safer at home order in response to this health crisis, curbside vegetation collection is reported to be up more than 20 percent in some areas. With the stay at home order issued through April, it is anticipated this percentage will go up.
Residents are also asked to securely tie all garbage in plastic garbage bags. This additional precautionary measure includes securing all personal hygiene products, used tissues, paper towel, sanitary wipes, face masks, gloves, and similar items in plastic garbage bags, as it is not known whether the waste was handled by someone who is sick, caring for a sick family member or healthy. Garbage bags should be tied securely for disposal so waste workers do not come in contact with any potentially virus-contaminated waste.
The county’s virus response has impacted SWA services and programs in the following ways:
- Closing of five Home Chemical and Recycling Centers.
- Two HCRCs will remain open for crucial customer needs only. They are in West Palm Beach and west Delray/Boynton Beach. As always, commercial quantities of hazardous waste require special disposal. Call 561-687-1100 for details on your business becoming registered as a small quantity generator.
- Closing of the Customer Convenience Drop-off Center at the North County Landfill.
- Residents and small haulers with demolition/renovation; trash/yard wastes; or other smaller waste loads are being diverted directly to the landfill.
- Closing of the SWA Greenway Trail per County Emergency Order 3.
- Cancelling all public opening of Bids for commodities and services.
- Changing construction bid openings to phone-in teleconference calls.
- Changing pre-bid and pre-proposal meetings to Adobe Connect.
- Changing the Run AWAY 5K on Sunday, April 5 to a virtual race.
- Registrants who opt for the virtual run in support of the non-profit Resource Depot will receive the race shirt, bib, medal and other goodies by mail.
- Cancelling the Small Business Advisory Committee Meeting on April 7.
- Cancelling the Transformational Tuesdays on April 28 and May 26.
- Cancelling the Business PowerNet on May 7.
- Cancelling the Transformational Tuesdays on May 26.
The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County has developed a COVID-19 website where all impacts to solid waste services and programs are outlined.
