Broward Solid Waste Authority unveils 40-year master plan roadmap, seeks countywide participation

Todd Storte, executive director of the Solid Waste Authority of Broward County, outlined a draft 40-year master plan for countywide solid-waste disposal and recycling at the City of Plantation Community Redevelopment Agency workshop on March 12.

Storte said 28 of the county’s 31 municipalities have signed on to the authority and that the plan—intended to set disposal and processing standards countywide—will offer options for processing material once it is collected, not for changing individual cities’ curbside collection contracts. “The Solid Waste Authority is not gonna be getting into your collection agreements. The Solid Waste Authority is front where the material has actually been picked up on the curb and put in a vehicle for processing,” Storte said.

The presentation described a multi-decade roadmap that addresses recycling, material recovery facilities (MRFs), organics processing, transfer-station logistics and construction-and-demolition (C&D) diversion. Storte said the draft master plan is scheduled to be published in April, with a final plan expected by August after governing-board approval; the authority will return to member cities afterward to discuss joining and implementation.

Why it matters: the plan frames long-term infrastructure decisions that could change where and how Broward County materials are processed, affect contract negotiations and influence future costs for municipalities. Storte emphasized that many options are capital intensive—he said a modern MRF can cost roughly $70,000,000 and a new landfill startup can exceed $50,000,000—so the authority is evaluating scenarios meant to balance diversion goals, proven technology and fiscal prudence.