Published in the New Pelican on May 7, 2026.
Hillsboro Beach – This town Tuesday became the fourth Broward County municipality to endorse the Solid Waste Authority (SWA) agreement that is promising a better deal on solid waste services in the future.
On hand to encourage commission support were Beam Furr, a longtime member of the SWA Board, and Executive Director Sam May. Integral to the agreement is the premise that if the SWA’s 28 member cities approve a master plan laying out a vision for waste collection, by working together cities will save money. Another emphasis in the plan is the need for cities to improve the percentage of recycled materials to reduce waste at the landfills.
This small town contracts with Waste Pro for solid waste collection and, despite the fact that information on what to recycle has been distributed, of the 1,760 tons of garbage collected here annually, only 260 tons is recyclable material.
That’s roughly 15 percent, below the governor’s goal of 75 percent statewide. “We have work to do in Hillsboro Beach,” Commission Vice Chair David Ravanesi said.
What and where to recycle will be the focus of a major promotional effort by the SWA, Furr said. Instagram and other social media platforms, radio, billboards, TV, print media and educational programs in the schools will carry the message: reduce, recycle, reuse.
Commissioner Jane Reiser pointed out that with just 53 private homes, most of Hillsboro’s residents live in condominiums. She asked if SWA would send representatives to condo meetings to explain the master plan and was told “yes.”
SWA was formed in 2023 and over the course of 159 meetings recently adopted its master plan. A similar effort in 2013 to convince cities to work together to resolve the problem of decreasing space in landfills failed. At that time, 60 percent of participating cities voted against. Asked why? Furr said, “Everyone thought they could do better on their own.”
As of Tuesday, Coconut Creek, Sea Ranch Lakes, and Southwest Ranches approved the interlocal agreement and master plan.
Click here to read the full story in the New Pelican.