By MIKE RYAN
PUBLISHED: April 25, 2024 at 10:10 a.m. | UPDATED: April 25, 2024 at 10:18 a.m.
We produce about 4 million tons of garbage a year in Broward County, all of which must be disposed of or processed. Our landfill, or “Mount Trashmore,” is reaching full capacity at great cost and impact to our residents and businesses. We are also relying far too heavily on the private incineration facility to burn our garbage. Because our efforts to divert garbage from those two facilities by reducing, reusing and recycling have fallen short, we have a crisis.
In 2008, Florida law mandated we increase recycling rates to 75% by 2020. In 2013, with a 60% recycling rate, Broward County was on pace to achieve that goal. But after the collapse of a countywide cooperation agreement and reduced competition in the disposal market, the 2022 recycling rate has dropped to below 40%. Now, for the first time in 50 years, we have the opportunity to create a truly collaborative system to maximize diversion from landfills and incineration, while implementing reduction, recycling and reuse programs to reverse prior failures.
This past year, Broward County and 28 of the 31 Broward municipalities created the Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials Processing Authority. This agency is creating a master plan with “detailed recommendations concerning operations and facilities … needed to create a regional solid waste and recycling system … that is environmentally sustainable, transparent, innovative and economically efficient in its approach to disposal, reduction, reuse, and recycling of the waste.”
To get there, we must understand that garbage represents individual streams of commodities, either in terms of its physical properties to be processed for reuse or how much we pay for disposal. Generally, we can simplify garbage streams as follows.
There is garbage from our kitchens, including food waste, which is particularly troublesome for our environment. There is recyclable garbage collected in single or multi-bin programs but is currently plagued by high contamination rates. There is construction and demolition debris, bulk garbage and vegetative debris. Finally, there is hazardous waste, such as batteries and electronics, which represents a smaller but challenging fraction of the overall waste stream.
Successful solid waste strategies use landfills as a last resort and only for residuals we cannot divert, recycle or incinerate. Though controversial to some, until we can do better, incineration technology plays a role in diverting garbage from landfills.
Recently, a potential consultant for the Authority agreed that any proposed garbage facility or strategy which is not economically, environmentally, socially or politically viable should be eliminated sooner rather than later so we do not waste resources and time analyzing an idea doomed to failure. Here is one idea we should take off the table.
Taxpayers own a 588-acre site permitted as a back-up landfill in southwest Broward County just off Sheridan Street and US 27. Some have suggested we should at least analyze building a waste-to-energy incineration facility on that site. From my perspective, however, it is inconceivable economically, environmentally, socially and politically that we would build a billion-dollar waste incineration facility on the edge of the Everglades and so close to communities. Let’s eliminate that idea now.
Instead, we should consider using that taxpayer asset for processing certain waste streams to achieve our goals. For example, industry publications and data prove that processing of that third type of waste — bulk garbage and construction, demolition and vegetative debris — achieves high rates of diversion from landfills and incineration and provides recycled reuse opportunities. In fact, Florida law requires “to the extent economically feasible, all construction and demolition debris must be processed prior to disposal, either at a permitted materials recovery facility or at a permitted disposal facility.”
Collier County met the 75% recycling goal without relying on incineration by, among other strategies, achieving high recycling rates of this type of waste. Palm Beach, Lee, Charlotte and Sumner counties are also achieving the 75% recycling goal with a dedicated processing of this waste stream.
At the same time, with proven composting strategies, we can divert food waste that, in landfills, causes substantial negative impacts to our environment and quality of life. Composting is no longer novel — data and successful programs prove its worth.
We must begin separating bad ideas from good ideas. Let’s implement waste reduction strategies and processing programs for targeted waste streams to maximize diversion from “Mount Trashmore” and incineration. Together, we can reduce landfilling and incineration while increasing recycling and reuse. We do not have time to waste to solve our waste crisis.
Mike Ryan is the mayor of Sunrise, an attorney and a member of the Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials Processing Authority’s Governing Board and Executive Committee.