The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County (SWA) is celebrating America Recycles Day with an open house to show attendees how 4 million tons of garbage and recyclables are efficiently, economically and responsibly managed each year.

This family-friendly recycling adventure is happening Sunday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the SWA’s Education Center, 6751 N. Jog Road in West Palm Beach.

Come see how your blue and yellow recycling bin materials are processed, and watch your garbage get processed into energy at the cleanest, greenest, most efficient renewable energy facility in the world (Source: Solid Waste Association of North America’s Applied Research Foundation). To add to the fun, there’ll be more than 50 vendors and food trucks, arts and crafts, kids games, face painting, a heavy equipment expo and more.

Event attendees will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours of the:

• LEED Platinum Education Center where they can learn how waste is handled from curb to the SWA, and see fossils that were dredged up from the SWA’s main campus
• Renewable Energy Facility 2 to learn how everything that’s placed into the garbage in Palm Beach County is converted to clean energy that powers 90,000 homes
• Recovered Materials Processing Facility (recycling) to see first-hand that recycling is alive and well in Palm Beach County, all while celebrating Palm Beach County’s state-leading recycling rate for the past four years (91% in 2025, 90% in 2024, 84% in 2023, and 80% in 2022)

Interactive portions of the event include:

• Participating in the Plastic Bag Xchange2 Program
  • Turn in two empty and clean single-use plastic shopping bags to receive two recycling bags in exchange. Use your new bags in your kitchen to conveniently sort and separate your recyclables before placing them into your curbside bins.
• Dropping off lithium batteries
  • When lithium batteries are irresponsibly disposed of, they can start a fire. Do your part and be fire smart by safely disposing of your lithium batteries at the event.

• Taking home a free tree
  • Palm Beach County residents can receive two trees per household, with one fruit tree maximum, while supplies last. The tree giveaway is sponsored by Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful.

The SWA will also be handing out blue and yellow recycling bins for FREE to Palm Beach County residents who need them for household recycling.

Learn more about Celebrate America Recycles Day With the SWA.

Directions to the event:

• From the Turnpike: Take Exit 107, Beeline Highway (SR 710). Make a LEFT (south) onto N. Jog Road. Cross the Beeline Highway. Follow signs to the event, which will be on your right.
• From I-95 North: Take Exit 76, Blue Heron Boulevard (SR 708) and head WEST. Cross Military Trail. Pass the VA Hospital. MERGE right onto the Beeline Highway. Make a LEFT (south) onto N. Jog Road. Follow signs to the event, which will be on your right.
• From I-95 South: Take Exit 74, 45th St. (CR 702) and head WEST. Cross Military Trail, Haverhill Road and the Turnpike overpass. Follow signs to the event, which will be on your left.

America Recycles Day, a program of Keep America Beautiful, is a nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Every year on or around Nov. 15 (America Recycles Day) event organizers educate neighbors, friends and colleagues through thousands of events nationwide.

REMINDER: Hurricane season started June 1. Complete your vegetation trimming now. Once a storm threatens, it’s too late to trim trees. It’s best to make a year-round tree trimming plan a part of your hurricane season preparations to minimize property damage and help our community quickly return to normal after a storm passes.