Published on July 21, 2026
Broward County’s Solid Waste Authority is one vote away from adopting an ambitious master plan that promises to overhaul the way we get rid of our trash and commit to the practice of recycling.
Of the 28 municipalities that are part of the Solid Waste Authority, 24 have voted to approve the compact. The remaining four have until Aug. 14 to sign on. For the master plan to pass, governments representing 80% of Broward’s population must join. According to Solid Waste Authority Chairman Mike Ryan, mayor of Sunrise, any one of the remaining cities would put the master plan over the top.
First up is Davie, which meets Wednesday night and has the item at the top of its Town Council agenda. After that, the measure gets taken up by Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point and Miramar.
Only the cities that voted yes will be included in the master plan’s implementation, Ryan said. Pembroke Pines, Hallandale Beach and Pompano Beach have not opted into the authority, though they will be welcomed if they reconsidered.
The SWA unanimously passed its master plan in April. The plan, which had been in development for years, calls for rethinking the way the county’s two million residents separate and dispose of their trash, along with what happens to it once it’s hauled away in garbage and recycling trucks.
The main objectives are to increase the amount of trash set aside for recycling and reduce the amount sent to landfills, which are running out of space and cannot serve as a long-term solution to the county’s disposal needs.
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