Does Palm Beach County recycle? You bet it does. The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County (SWA) invites you to join your fellow residents in this eco-conscious effort by resolving to Recycle Right in 2023.
In the last fiscal year, county residents placed more than 95,000 tons of recyclables in their blue and yellow recycle bins. That’s almost 200 million pounds of recyclable waste that would have otherwise been trashed.
The top items by weight sent to mills and factories to be used again were:
- Mixed paper – more than 32,500 tons
- Cardboard – more than 16,500 tons
- Glass – more than 16,000 tons
- Plastics – more than 5,300 tons
- Aluminum – more than 950 tons
The SWA understands that it can be confusing to know what goes in your yellow recycling bin, what goes in your blue recycling bin, and what should be tossed in the trash – we’re here to help. Use the search tool found at SWA.org/IsItRecyclable to see if an item is recyclable. If it is, we’ll even tell you which bin to put it in.
Here are some recycling tips to help you get started.
General recycling:
- Definitely put aluminum cans in the blue bin.
- Surprisingly, they are the least recycled item in Palm Beach County. However, a recycled can may be back on the shelf in as little as 60 days.
- Never place a plastic bag in your blue or yellow recycling bin.
- Plastic bags are perfect to reuse as liners for smaller garbage cans, but they wreak havoc in the recycling facility. If you want to recycle them, take them back to your local grocer or other big box store, or one of seven SWA Home Chemical and Recycling Centers.
- Recycle all your cardboard boxes.
- Many families are ordering more products online, so people are left with lots of cardboard boxes at their homes. You can place that cardboard in the yellow bin. But be sure to break the boxes down and take out the packaging. If you have oversized cardboard boxes, there are hundreds of yellow community drop offs around Palm Beach County. Find your nearest one at SWA.org/WhereToRecycle.
- Plastic caps can stay on plastic bottles, but take metal lids off of glass bottles and jars.
- This will help when materials are separated by type at Palm Beach County’s recycling facility.
- When in doubt, throw it out.
- Trying to recycle things like holiday lights, garden hoses and children’s toys in your blue or yellow recycle bin can contaminate recyclables or even damage recycling processing equipment.
If you need new or replacement recycle bins, Palm Beach County residents can call the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County at 866-NEW-BINS (866-639-2467) or order them online at SWA.org/RecycleRight for free!
Household hazardous waste items to take to one of the SWA’s seven Home Chemical and Recycling Centers (HCRCs):
- Batteries
- Many people know that different types of batteries are hazardous, but they don't really know what to do with them. Rechargeable batteries, car or boat batteries, and nickel-cadmium and lithium-ion batteries can all go to an HCRC.
- Electronics
- Old electronics like cell phones, computers and TVs are actually considered household hazardous waste and can be taken to an HCRC for free residential disposal.
- Light Bulbs
- Fluorescent bulbs, even the little curly-cue compacts, have mercury in them. That is a hazardous waste. So, all fluorescent bulbs should be taken to an HCRC or other home improvement store.
- Chemicals
- If your garage is full of home chemicals, much of it can be taken to an HCRC. Old paint, solvents, oil, gasoline, electronics, fluorescent bulbs can all be dropped off at once!
- Paint
- Do you have old paint? Take it to an HCRC where old latex paint is sent away to be recycled into new and donated to Palm Beach County families in need.
If you’re looking for your nearest Home Chemical and Recycling Center, check out our seven locations (from north county to south county):
- Jupiter
North County Transfer Station
14185 Military Trail (SWA Road) in Jupiter
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- West Palm Beach
Home Chemical and Recycling Center
6161 N. Jog Road in West Palm Beach
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Belle Glade
Glades Regional Transfer Station
1701 State Road 15 in Belle Glade
Monday - Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Royal Palm Beach
West Central Transfer Station
9743 Weisman Way in Royal Palm Beach
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Lantana
Central County Transfer Station
1810 Lantana Road in Lantana
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Delray Beach – West
Southwest County Transfer Station
13400 South State Road 7 in Delray Beach
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Delray Beach – East
South County Transfer Station
1901 SW 4th Ave. in Delray Beach
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
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