To be sure there is enough seating, please notify us ahead of time if you are planning to attend this meeting.
Landfill Tours
Next Tour Dates
Wake County residents board the tour bus
Join us on Wednesday, May 25 or Saturday, June 18 for a tour of the South Wake Landfill to find out where 1,000,000 people's trash ends up.
Tours are available to wake County residents aged eight years and up. To register for a FREE tour of the South Wake Landfill click here.
Backyard Composting
Reduce Landfill Waste
FreeGarden Earth compost bin
The Town of Cary is selling discounted compost bins online. From April 8th - May 8th you can purchase the FreeGarden Earth compost bin by Enviro World pictured above for just $45. Availableto all Wake County residents. For more information about the backyard composting sales event click here.
Spring Cleanup
Collected 100 Bags of Litter
Volunteers picking up litter at the spring cleanup
Wake County's annual litter cleanup event was held on April 9, 2016. Staff and volunteers participated in the event, removing over 100 bags of litter from some of the worst affected streets in Wake County. Over 60 volunteers signed up for the event, including several volunteers from Holly Springs High School. To learn more about Wake County's 86IT anti-litter program or to get help organizing your own litter cleanup event click here.
Landfill Stream Testing
Local Field Trip Opportunity
Students from Holly Springs High School testing for Macroinvertebrates
Students from Holly Springs High School were back at the landfill this April testing the water quality of the stream that runs through the 759 acre property. The Advanced Placement Environmental Science Class taught by Mr. Townley and Ms. Horne has visited the South Wake Landfill for the last eight years.
In addition to touring the South Wake Landfill, students test the stream for a variety of water quality parameters. The results are included in Wake County's Surface Water Quality Monitoring reports which are submitted to the NC Department of Environmental Quality.
The landfill is a local field trip opportunity to provide Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students with a real-world, active-learning experience. Wake County Solid Waste invites all local schools to visit the landfill.
Click here to learn more about field trip opportunities.
Stay Informed
Get Involved
We are all citizens and we understand the importance and value of receiving citizen feedback. The
South Wake Landfill Citizen Committee was established in 2006 prior to the opening of the Landfill. The purpose of the committee is to:
Provide a forum for neighbors of the landfill to have a voice in its continuing development
Provide feedback to Solid Waste staff with regards to the operations at the landfill
Provide a conduit for information between Solid Waste staff and the neighboring community regarding activities at the landfill
Bring together people who live in the surrounding areas of the landfill
If you are interested in becoming a member of the South Wake Landfill Citizens Committee email your request
here.
Wake County Solid Waste Management Division is on Facebook sharing information on waste reduction, reuse, recycling and waste disposal services in Wake County. To stay up-to-date on the latest news and events connect with us on
Facebook.
South Wake Landfill Odors
Odor Control Update
NCM Odor Control Mister in operation at South Wake Landfill
Waste Industries and Wake County continue to evaluate various methods for minimizing landfill related odors, including:
- Minimizing the size of the working face to reduce the surface area of waste exposed to prevailing winds
- Using the NCM Odor Control Mister to deliver a low pressure mist of odor neutralizer between the working face of the landfill and the Forest Springs subdivision
- Site grading to create a berm to divert wind up and over the working face to prevent it from picking up any malodors
- Visiting two landfills with similar residential proximity issues to observe other approaches that have had a positive impact on controlling odors
- Driving through adjacent neighborhoods, shopping centers and public areas daily to detect any malodors
- Developing an online odor report log for quick and easy reporting of odors
If you notice objectionable odors please notify us immediately, include the date and time the odor was first noticed, the street address and weather conditions.
South Wake Landfill Partial Closure
Phase One Final Closure To Commence Work
North Wake Landfill Closed in 2008
Phase one of the South Wake Landfill will commence closure this summer. The South Wake Landfill will have five phases in total. The height of phase one is 440 ft above sea level and is currently covered in brown mulch. By the fall 24 acres of phase one will be capped with a plastic liner, then covered in soil before grass seed is planted within 20 ft of the top.
It is expected that the closure of phase one will not only help with efforts to control odors but will also improve the aesthetics of the south and south-west sides of the landfill that are currently visible by the neighboring community.
Once closed the views of the South Wake Landfill will be somewhat similar to that of the North Wake Landfill that closed in 2008 (pictured above). Residents are encouraged to visit the North Wake Landfill District Park to learn more about the closed landfills.
South Wake Landfill Tree Program
Potential Tree Planting Program
Ginkgo trees planted along a right of way
At the South Wake Landfill Citizens Committee meeting held on April 12th members received information from OBS Landscape Architects about a potential tree planting program to be sponsored by Wake County Solid Waste Management Division.
Aimed at providing residents surrounding the South Wake Landfill with trees that will beautify their neighborhood and in time will mask the residents view of the landfill from their home or distract their attention away from the horizon. The trees will also help increase the health of our environment, by improving air and water quality, they can help reduce energy costs and increase property value.
Wake County is currently establishing a planning committee with OBS Landscape Architects and the Town of Holly Springs to develop a proposal for a Tree Planting Program. Citizen input will be a vital component of the program design. If there are any members of the South Wake Landfill Citizens Committee that would like to be an active member of the planning committee please email us for more information. Click here to learn more about a similar project in the City of Raleigh.
Curbside Recycling
Preparing Recyclables Correctly
Waste Industries truck collecting recycling
The Town of Holly Springs, through Waste Industries, provides residential curbside collection of recycling. The following recyclable items are collected curbside:
Newspapers & Magazines
Junk Mail
Copy Paper
Cardboard Boxes (broken down, 3ftx3ft max)
Telephone Books
Glass Bottles & Jars (rinsed of food debris, separate lid)
Food and Drink Cans (rinsed of food debris)
Plastic Bottles # 1-7 (empty, replace screw cap)
Aluminum Foil (clean only)
Do not put p
izza boxes, plastic bags, or Styrofoam in your curbside
recycling bin. To learn more about your curbside recycling collection click here.
Holly Springs Town Council
Tours and Presentations
Holly Springs Town Council meeting on April 19, 2016
On April 4th and April 20th Council Members and Officials from the Town of Holly Springs toured the South Wake Solid Waste Management Facilities. Council Members and Officials received a guided tour of the 759 acre property including the Convenience Center, the Multi-Material Recycling Facility, the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, the South Wake Landfill and the Landfill Gas-to-Energy Facility.
John Roberson, P.E., Wake County Solid Waste Management Director also presented at the Town Council meeting on April 19th. The next phase developments of the South Wake Solid Waste Management Facilities were discussed, including planned closure projects, odor control measures, landfill visualizations and facility expansions. To watch a video of the presentation click here.
Bathroom Recycling Campaign
Next Sign-up Event in New Hill
Recyclable items from the bathroom
The bathroom is a room in the house where a number of everyday items we use come packaged in either paper, cardboard or plastic, yet as few as 20% of Americans say they recycle in the bathroom. Wake County Solid Waste is an advocate for recycling in every room in the home, so we are piloting a Bathroom Recycling Campaign to help educate our residents on what common bathroom items can be recycled.
We are also giving away a free bathroom recycling bin and decal to residents who sign-up to complete a survey as part of the campaign. The next sign-up event will take place at Harris Lake County Park in New Hill, on Saturday May 21st. For more information about what can be recycled in the bathroom and how to sign-up for the campaign click here.
