When Palm Beach County residents Recycle Right, their municipality celebrates all year long in the form of recycling revenue share.
The recycling market was still hot coming into Fiscal Year 22, but started to cool by the end. Good news is that the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County was able to share recycling revenues with the cities it serves. In FY 2022 (Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022), almost $500,000 was shared with municipalities from Tequesta to Boca Raton. Since the SWA started the Municipal Revenue Share Program in 2010, partner municipalities have shared more than $10.2 million.
The Municipal Revenue Share Program rewards the SWA’s municipal partners for the role they play in making Palm Beach County’s dual stream recycling program successful. Each city’s recyclables are transported to the SWA, and once the SWA has sorted, baled and sold those commodities, the revenue is shared back with the cities, after processing costs.
In the last fiscal year, county residents placed more than 95,000 tons of recyclables in their blue and yellow recycle bins. That’s more than 1.9 million pounds of recyclable waste that would have otherwise been trashed.
Ultimately, more than 73,900 tons of recyclables were sold to mills and factories that could use them in making materials for new products. The top recycled items were:
- Mixed paper: more than 32,600 tons
- Cardboard: more than 16,500 tons
- Glass: more than 16,000 tons
- Plastic: more than 5,300 tons
- Steel/Ferrous: more than 1,100 tons
- Aluminum: more than 950 tons
- Cartons: more than 27 tons
The revenue received from marketing these recyclables varies due to market conditions and international policy. Each municipality is able to spend their portion of the Municipal Revenue Share as they feel appropriate.
The FY 2022 Municipal Revenue Share breakdown by municipality is as follows:
Atlantis
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 161.64
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $1,724.45
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 2,307.88
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $38,430.21
Belle Glade
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 48.14
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $715.92
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 1,705.20
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $30,478.27
Boca Raton
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 5,899.71
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $63,492.66
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 88,896.32
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $1,511,094.56
Boynton Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 3,242.27
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $34,639.20
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 44,359.65
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $728,839.76
Briny Breezes
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 70.28
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $749.68
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 951.43
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $15,589.88
Cloud Lake
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 7.02
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $74.84
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 95.14
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $1,558.80
Delray Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 4,293.94
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $45,806.98
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 58,277.06
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $953,071.07
Glen Ridge
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 14.05
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $149.93
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 190.29
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $3,118.06
Village of Golf
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 21.08
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $224.85
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 309.10
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $5,514.01
Greenacres
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 2,059.12
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $21,966.31
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 28,174.68
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $464,754.04
Gulf Stream
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 84.34
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $899.69
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 1,138.81
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $18,174.26
Haverhill
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 98.39
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $1,049.61
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 1,331.99
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $21,825.26
Highland Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 449.78
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $4,798.22
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 6,313.59
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $104,873.08
Hypoluxo
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 231.92
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $2,474.13
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 3,185.62
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $52,625.99
Juno Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 365.45
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $3,898.61
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 4,920.73
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $79,208.12
Jupiter
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 3,696.59
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $39,434.57
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 49,526.13
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $800,683.99
Jupiter Inlet Colony
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 35.13
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $374.78
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 475.73
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $7,795.80
Lake Clarke Shores
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 196.78
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $2,099.24
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 2,768.51
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $46,095.75
Lake Park
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 309.27
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $3,562.25
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 4,561.19
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $76,336.37
Lake Worth
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 1,785.27
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $19,672.74
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 7,477.58
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2019 (when they entered into the program): $29,825.52
Lantana
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 688.73
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $7,347.28
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 9,245.12
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $159,239.38
Loxahatchee Groves
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 175.69
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $1,874.22
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 2,444.90
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $40,403.04
Manalapan
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 32.18
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $342.20
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 593.62
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $9,601.44
Mangonia Park
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 84.34
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $899.69
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 1,214.89
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $20,171.34
North Palm Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 939.22
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $10,046.50
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 16,679.47
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $277,627.02
Ocean Ridge
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 182.73
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $1,949.31
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 2,585. 07
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $43,106.72
Pahokee
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 224.88
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $2,398.94
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 3,367.02
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $57,269.17
Palm Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 1,254.47
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $14,479.57
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 18,802.91
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $319,249.20
Palm Beach Gardens
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 3,794.98
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $40,484.19
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 49,579.54
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $803,261.92
Palm Beach Shores
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 147.59
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $1,574.52
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 2,071.03
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $34,201.18
Palm Springs
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 1,194.71
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $12,744.90
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 15,390.61
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $242,667.36
Riviera Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 2,157.51
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $23,015.93
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 30,161.26
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $505,047.75
Royal Palm Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 1,855.32
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $19,792.13
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 24,957.09
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $401,669.32
South Bay
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 133.52
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $1,424.41
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 1,810.82
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $30,169.04
South Palm Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 203.80
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $2,174.08.78
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 2,805.04
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $46,416.62
Tequesta
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 400.58
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $4,273.40
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 5,602.35
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $92,849.91
Wellington
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 3,197.61
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $34,111.46
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 44,438.71
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $713,197.82
West Palm Beach
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 6,767.71
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $72,196.71
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 91,196.73
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2010: $1,500,182.98
Westlake
- FY22 Tons Recycled: 91.36
- FY22 Municipal Revenue Share: $974.54
- Total Tons Recycled since 2010: 165.64
- Total Municipal Revenue Share received since 2020 (when they entered into the program): $1,122.89
The net Municipal Revenue Share for each municipality consists of the total recovered residential materials revenue received by the SWA for each quarter less the processing cost for that quarter. That amount is divided by the total tons received to determine an average price per ton and multiplied by the adopted annual Municipal Revenue Share percentage (50% in FY 22) to set the program price for the quarter. The revenue received from recovered materials varies depending on market prices and availability.
Self-haul municipalities receive their Municipal Revenue Share based on the actual weight of acceptable loads delivered to an approved SWA facility. The other municipalities, who share a common hauler, share the balance of those revenues in proportion with their total equivalent residential unit (ERU), which is calculated with single family and mobile homes as 1 ERU each and multifamily homes as 0.75 ERU per unit.
In addition to traditional recyclables, almost 4.9M pounds of home chemicals were collected to be safely disposed of or recycled. The most dropped off home chemicals were:
- Latex paint: more than 2,700,000 pounds
- Electronics: more than 900,000 pounds
- Used motor oil: more than 500,000 pounds
- Cylinders/propane tanks: more than 190,000 pounds
- Batteries (lead acid): more than 80,000 pounds
- Corrosives: more than 60,000 pounds
- Pesticides and poisons: more than 37,000 pounds
Though this effort is not a part of the traditional Municipal Revenue Share program, it demonstrates that our county’s residents do take an active role to dispose of items the right way.
Learn what goes in the blue and yellow recycling bins.
Learn what home chemicals require special disposal.
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