The Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc. (SWIX), is a non-profit clearinghouse and repository for businesses and government agencies looking for information regarding:

• Market development
• Recycled products
• Solid and hazardous waste management
• Current regulations/legislation
• Alternative and emerging waste management technologies
• Trade journals and associations
• Technical reports
• The availability of and demand for waste materials; and
• Waste management services and products

A Results Oriented Organization

The Southern Waste Information eXchange, Inc. (SWIX), has as a primary objective the recycling and reuse of solid and hazardous waste. Since its inception in 1981, the emphasis of the SWIX has been on encouraging and facilitating sound environmental and cost-effective alternatives to the landfilling, incineration or treatment of solid waste through direct interaction with waste generators in both the public and private sectors.

To facilitate this objective, the SWIX Catalog is published and distributed to government agencies and private firms in the southeastern United States. The SWIX maintains toll-free hotlines (1-800-441-SWIX) that are used to assist generators with their waste management needs with an emphasis on the recycling, use, and reuse of waste materials. The SWIX is a resource that can be used directly by the thousands of public and private waste generators in the southeast. The SWIX Catalog provides up-to-date information on waste materials that are "available" from as well as "wanted" by private firms and government agencies. In addition, the SWIX Catalog lists a wide range of waste management services (e.g., recycling services, collection and transportation services) which can be used by waste generators and managers. This report is for the period July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.

• During this period, the SWIX received 47,119 requests concerning information regarding: the availability of and demand for waste materials; recycling, use, and reuse opportunities; other waste management practices; waste management services and products; and federal, state and local regulations that affect waste management. This is a 25% increase in the number of request from the previous year.
• In addition to the 47,119 requests for information, the SWIX Web Site received 507,698 hits from 19,837 unique visitors.
• A total of 18,503 documents were downloaded from the SWIX Web Site, with the SWIX "Directory of Dealer/Processors and Industrial Users of Recyclable Materials in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi" being downloaded 8,785 times (47%), the "Recycled Product Directory" being downloaded 4,533 times (25%), and the "Used T.V. & Computer Recycling & Management in Florida: A Resource Guide (September, 1999)" being downloaded 3,812 times (21%).
• As a result of the activities of the SWIX it has been reported that approximately 88,728 tons of waste materials (with an estimated cost-savings in reduced disposal costs to waste generators of $7.9 million) were successfully recycled, used, or reused.
• The Cost Benefit Ratio Average for this period is approximately $1:26.80, which means that for every dollar invested in the operation of the SWIX program, $26.80 was avoided in disposal costs to waste generators.
• The direct financial benefits to waste generators and users resulting from reduced operating costs associated with these materials is substantial. Of even greater importance are the environmental benefits made possible by having this material diverted from landfills or incinerators through the increased levels of recycling, use, and reuse.