When exploring South Florida’s beautiful natural environments, be watchful of what you leave in your wake. Items such as:
- flares,
- fire extinguishers,
- deep cycle batteries,
- mercury float switches,
- fuels and oils, and
- cleaning products
all need to be disposed of properly.
Fortunately, proper disposal of many harmful boating products is easy and free for Palm Beach County residents at the SWA’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers listed below.
The SWA’s locations include (from north county to south county):
Commercial interests should call 561-687-1100 for disposal options.
Before disposing of an entire boat, it must be inspected by SWA Hazardous Waste staff to ensure the boat is hazard-free. Inspections are done at the Home Chemical and Recycling Center at 6161 N. Jog Road in West Palm Beach Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. SWA Landfill Operations staff will perform inspections outside of these hours. Built-in fuel tanks must be accessible for inspection, but please note that the SWA will not pump fuel from tanks.
After all of the hazardous materials (fuel, batteries, flares, etc.) have been removed, the SWA will accept entire boats for disposal at the landfill, 6330 N. Jog Road in West Palm Beach, across the street from this Home Chemical and Recycling Center. This disposal is not free; disposal rates are based on weight. SWA staff are not permitted to assist the boat owner with removing their boat from their trailer or from their truck hitch.
In the last fiscal year, Palm Beach County residents recycled:
- 518,271 pounds of used oil
- 98,855 pounds of fuels
- 41,811 pounds of batteries
- 1,006 pounds of flares and munitions
- 24 pounds of mercury
at the SWA’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers. Each year, the SWA’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers either recycles or safely disposes of 4.2M pounds of household hazardous wastes.
Proper disposal of old or expired hazardous boating items can be a real lifesaver!
Remember, pollution prevention starts at home. A full list of household hazardous wastes can be found at SWA.org/HCRC or call 561-697-2700 or 866-SWA-INFO (toll-free) to learn more about the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers.
