General Info

About Solid Waste Authority The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County is the governmental agency responsible for providing an economical and environmentally conscious integrated solid waste management system for Palm Beach County, FL. With approximately 400 employees, the SWA provides solid waste disposal and recycling services and programs to the County's 1.4 million residents and businesses. The SWA also provides solid waste and recycling collection services to the residents and businesses in unincorporated Palm Beach County through private haulers under exclusive franchise agreements. The Solid Waste Authority is a Dependent Special District governed by the seven elected County Commissioners of Palm Beach County, Florida. The SWA's system is funded through a system of user fees. The primary funding mechanism is the non-ad valorem special assessment that is included on the annual property tax bill of all Palm Beach County property owners. Additional revenue sources include tipping fees, electric sales, recycling revenue, and interest income. System The SWA has built an award-winning integrated system of facilities that combines recycling, composting, converting waste to energy through incineration, and landfilling to effectively manage the county's waste. The SWA's system includes a waste-to-energy plant, a landfill, a vegetation processing facility, a compost facility, two materials recycling facilities, household hazardous waste collection facilities, and a network of five transfer stations. The bulk of the Authority's facilities were financed with $420 million in revenue bonds issued in 1984 and 1986 and subsequent fundings and refundings.