Broward County currently produces roughly 20,000 pounds of waste every minute, totaling over five million tons annually. With existing landfills and waste-to-energy plants nearing their limit, the current system has struggled to meet state sustainability benchmarks. While Florida has set a target of 75% for recycling rates, Broward currently trails significantly at 41%.
Broward County Shifts Strategy to Tackle Growing Waste Crisis
With 26 municipalities and the county government signing off on a new facilities amendment, Broward County is officially launching a sweeping master plan to overhaul its waste management. The initiative aims to divert millions of tons of refuse from near-capacity facilities while curbing rising disposal costs.
Mike Ryan, chair of the Solid Waste Authority’s executive committee and mayor of Sunrise, frames the shift as a necessary pivot from a fragmented approach to a unified regional strategy. The authority plans to implement flow control, directing municipal waste to designated processing sites to ensure efficiency. Beyond infrastructure, the plan standardizes recycling rules across member cities and adds eight new drop-off centers to improve accessibility. By centralizing management, the county expects to stabilize long-term costs for residents and businesses, mirroring successful models seen in neighboring counties like Palm Beach and Lee.
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