For release: Sept. 11, 2017
Contact: Willie Puz, Public Affairs and Recycling, 561-640-8914 (o); 561-379-2405 (c)

With the storm now passed, most Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County collection facilities will be open and accepting waste. Garbage collection will resume in unincorporated parts of the county as of 6 a.m. Tuesday (Sept 12).

However, recycling collection and vegetation collection WILL NOT resume as normal. The SWA's Recovered Materials Processing Facility is without power and cannot process any recyclables that come in. The SWA will advise the public and the haulers when we are able to receive recyclables. So that means garbage only collection until further notice.

The SWA's transfer stations, the landfill and the waste-to-energy facilities will be open regular business hours tomorrow, Sept. 12. Municipalities are advised to seek the advice of their debris management consultants prior to delivering vegetation/storm debris to the SWA's facilities, as doing so may complicate FEMA reimbursement.

The SWA is in the process of setting up Temporary Debris Management Sites for the receipt and processing of storm debris for municipalities and debris contractors. These sites are not available to the general public. The SWA will provide regular updates on the status of the opening of these sites.

All residents can help by placing their waste and debris in three separate piles at the curb:
1.    Put garbage and recyclables out by 6 a.m. on your regularly scheduled day. These will be picked up first.
2.    Put all vegetation only in a second pile.
3.    And, put all other construction storm debris in a third pile.

Be sure to keep these three piles separate and away from:
•         Fences
•         Mailboxes
•         Power line equipment, poles, transformers, downed electrical wiring
•         Water meters
•         Fire hydrants or
•         Storm drains

There is no rush for residents to get all their storm debris to the curb. Debris collection vehicles will begin collecting debris later this week and will make multiple passes until all debris is picked up. The SWA urges all residents to be patient. It may be weeks before the first collection of vegetation and construction storm debris reaches everyone. Visit SWA.org/Hurricane for more information.

NOTE: There will be no reimbursement provided to any individual resident or homeowner association who hires a private contractor to remove and dispose of their vegetation and construction storm-related debris.