BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 South Florida, like much of the world, is grappling with a growing solid waste crisis.<\/p>\n
Some cities recycle. Some don\u2019t. And as landfills near capacity, officials say solutions need to be found quickly.<\/p>\n
Broward County believes it has one.<\/p>\n
The county\u2019s Solid Waste Authority has unveiled a master plan aimed at tackling Broward\u2019s growing trash problem, but its future depends on whether enough cities choose to embrace it.<\/p>\n
Broward County generates about 20,000 pounds of waste every minute, or roughly 5 million tons a year, and officials say the situation is reaching a critical point.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re at a critical juncture right now,\u201d said Mike Ryan, mayor of Sunrise and chairman of the Broward Solid Waste Authority.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re running out of landfill capacity and we\u2019re running out of the ability to burn our way out of this,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
The crisis prompted action in 2023 when Broward County and 28 cities joined forces to create the Solid Waste Authority, launching an effort to reduce waste, boost recycling and divert more trash from landfills.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we realized what a crisis we are facing, both economically and environmentally, the cities came back together to try to figure out can we fix this fragmented system and work better together than separately?\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
The result is a master plan that would guide Broward County\u2019s waste management strategy for the next four decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe master plan recognizes that we have to do better at diverting our trash from the landfill and waste energy. We have to do better at recycling and repurposing, and ultimately we have to do better at controlling our economic destiny,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
At the heart of the plan is a push to reduce waste and dramatically expand recycling efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe state goal is 75% to 70%. Right now, if we\u2019re getting credit for what we\u2019ve burned, we\u2019re at 39%. If you don\u2019t have the credit for what we\u2019ve burned, we\u2019re below 30%,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
Ryan warned that as landfill capacity shrinks and disposal options become more limited, the cost of handling Broward\u2019s waste could eventually become unsustainable for residents and businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe brilliance of this plan is that when we combine our tonnage, and we work together, we can get the best pricing,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cBut we can also extract the value that is in trash. And trash is a series of commodity streams.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Solid Waste Authority says the plan is already proving its value through partnerships with the Florida Panthers and City Furniture. Now it needs buy-in from Broward cities.<\/p>\n
So far, the response has been unanimous. All 15 municipalities that had voted approved the plan, as did Broward County.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo our work right now is to convince the rest of the cities not only is this a good plan to tackle recycling, but that it\u2019s necessary to protect our residents and our businesses from skyrocketing trash costs that are going to come,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
The authority is also taking its message into Broward classrooms, encouraging students to become ambassadors for the effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here to encourage my peers and also the students in Broward County to sort of stand up and also use their voice,\u201d said Fort Lauderdale High School student Mikyle Sukoo.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we do not start recycling, if we do not start advocating for ourselves, that we are going to grow in a deep, deep hole,\u201d Sukoo said.<\/p>\n
Students like Sukoo are attending city commission meetings and urging officials to consider their future when voting on the master plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the commissioners see the urgency in the students, you know, that the students advocating for this and fighting for this, they\u2019re going to want to say yes. They\u2019re gonna lean toward yes more,\u201d Sukoo said.<\/p>\n
The master plan requires approval from enough cities to represent 80% of Broward County\u2019s 2 million residents. The deadline is Aug. 14.<\/p>\n
If that threshold is not reached, the Solid Waste Authority and its master plan will be dissolved.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur hope is that the cities recognize not only is this good for the environment, but it\u2019s good economics,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make the right decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wednesday night, Coral Springs voted unanimously to approve the master plan, bringing the total number of participating cities to 16.<\/p>\n
Pembroke Pines, Pompano Beach and Hallandale Beach are the only Broward cities not part of the Solid Waste Authority. If the plan passes, they can join at any time.<\/p>\n