Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County offers Hurricane Irma collection tips

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, Florida, is offering tips to home owners when putting their debris piles at the curb during Hurricane Irma recovery efforts. Residents are encouraged to pile yard waste, such as branches, limbs and tree trunks less than 6 feet in length at the curb as soon as they can.

The authority says yard waste debris in plastic bags should not be placed on the large piles. Any yard waste placed in bags and cans at the curb will be picked up beginning Tuesday, Sept. 19 by regular curbside collection haulers, along with small vegetation piles that are 4 cubic yards or less.

Emergency debris collection teams are only removing the large piles of yard waste on the first pass. Construction debris, such as fencing, will be removed during the next pass. Mixed yard waste with construction debris or other trash will be collected last.

Waste and debris should continue to be separated into three different piles at the curb:

garbage and recyclables, which should be placed out by 6 a.m. on a resident’s regularly scheduled day. These will be picked up first to remove any spoiled food;
all vegetation only in a second pile; and
all other construction storm debris in a third pile.

Be sure to keep these three piles separate and away from:

fences;
fire hydrants;
mailboxes;
power line equipment, such as poles, transformers and downed electrical wiring;
storm drains; and
water meters.

Palm Beach County residents are asked for patience during this emergency collection effort. There is a large amount of yard waste at the curb, the authority says, and residents will have their debris collected in a safe manner. In the two collection days after the storm, there has been an almost 30 percent increase in waste collected compared to the week prior to the storm. This percentage is only expected to increase.

The authority anticipates the cleanup to take approximately 6 to 8 weeks. Once the emergency collection teams are done, the 6-cubic-yard rule will once again be enforced.