Environmental Sponsor - SWA of Palm Beach County
About the 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.
Form of Government
The Solid Waste Authority is a Dependent Special District governed by the seven elected County Commissioners of Palm Beach County, Florida.
Funding
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.
The 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.
Programs
The programs developed and implemented by the SWA are designed to integrate solid waste transportation, processing, recycling, resource recovery, and disposal technologies, protect the environment, achieve the SWA's 50% recycling and waste reduction goal, and inform the public about solid waste management issues.
Shared Vision, Values, and Commitments
The SWA is comprised of a team of dedicated individuals whose vision, values, and commitments help us meet the daily challenges in managing the County's solid waste. Through the professional efforts of the employees and the policy direction of the Board, these shared values and commitments contribute to the successful accomplishment of our mission.
Commitment to a Public Partnership
The SWA values the public's trust. Decisions made by the SWA are often unpopular. It is our responsibility to ensure that these decisions are made in consideration of the entire County's welfare. The public's understanding of why such decisions are made is important to us and we strive to be responsive to the concerns of our residents and customers.
Commitment to Environmental Quality
We are committed to providing Palm Beach County with safe disposal methods now and for future generations. This is accomplished through state of the art facilities, high standards of operation, and environmental management systems. We are committed to pollution prevention, seeking continuous improvement in environmental performance and meeting or exceeding all federal, state, and local regulations.
Commitment to Staff Excellence
We are committed to maintaining and developing a highly professional and technically exceptional staff to provide creative and innovative solutions to the diverse waste management issues facing Palm Beach County. The appropriate balance of experience, varying perspectives, creativity, and willingness to evaluate risks and assume responsibility is the key to our success.
Commitment to the Future
We are committed to provide systems and programs that will serve Palm Beach County into the future. Inherent in the future is uncertainty and risk. There are no easy answers or formulas for success. We are diligent in our efforts to keep abreast of new technologies and endeavor to make decisions that are in the best interest of the public both today and in the future.
Public Acknowledgement
We all appreciate our county for a variety of reasons; the beautiful climate, prosperity, economic growth, and recreational opportunities. While the reasons may differ, one fact remains the same: We all call this area our home and do not want to see our quality of life degraded. If we are to be successful in this endeavor we must understand and acknowledge that we are all part of the problem. We must change our attitudes about thoughtlessly discarding waste, while embracing resource conservation, and minimizing the amount of waste we produce. Through positive action on the part of the public, as well as the SWA, solid waste will be managed in a manner that benefits all of Palm Beach County's residents.
Contact www.swa.org for more information.