Lee County Solid Waste ranked third among Florida’s 67 counties for recycling in 2024, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Residents and businesses recycled more than 1.9 million tons of waste — enough to fill 310 football fields 10 feet high — bringing the county’s adjusted recycling rate to 78%. The county exceeded the state’s 75% goal by earning credits for curbside and commercial recycling, yard waste, scrap metal, construction debris and energy produced from garbage at its Waste-to-Energy plant in Buckingham.