WAKE COUNTY | Solid Waste Management Division

Welcome to Wake County's newest recycling resource!

New webpage intended to educate residents on best recycling practices

In late 2023, Wake County's Division of Solid Waste launched the Recycling 101 webpage to offer Wake County residents a new resource to help them better understanding what can and cannot be recycled at county facilities.

The new page offers resources explaining what items are accepted at Wake County convenience centers/recycling facilities/multimaterial recycling facilities, how to prepare items prior to putting them into the bins, which items should be trashed and much more! People willing to offer feedback about their experience using the new resource will also be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card!

This page was developed in response to the fluctuating contamination rate in Wake County. Since the spring of 2023, the contamination rate in our recycling program rose to 15.8%. Contaminants can damage the equipment used at recycling sorting centers, cause injury to recycling workers, and decrease the economic value of the paper, metals, glass and plastics that manufacturers want.

To better understand the reason for the contaminants entering recycling facilities, Wake County Solid Waste staff visited some convenience center sites with the County’s Innovation team to conduct interviews and surveys. The Solid Waste team started by testing out new signage at some of the sites, but because the sorting of recycling materials begins at home, eventually the team created the Recycling 101 webpage to give residents more clarity about how to recycle before they arrive at our facilities.

Visit wake.gov/recycling101 for more information. Follow us on Facebook at Wake County Waste and Recycling for helpful tips on recycling.

Positive trends continue in odor reporting data

Feedback from our neighboring communities, continued investment in odor-reducing innovation and the diligent work of our solid waste team has yielded continuous positive results over the last few years.

Odor reports have been below thresholds established in 2021 with the Town of Holly Springs for 16 straight months! As evidenced in the graph below, we have made significant progress in mitigating potential odors and we will continue to strive to keep the number of future reports down. We attribute this reduction in odor complaints in part to the recently completed interim cover, pictured above. The application of this cover began in July of last year and was completed in December.

As always, we encourage more feedback, so if you smell the landfill, please take the time to let us know! We use this data to measure which odor-fighting tactics are working and, if we see a sudden spike in reports, it alerts us to look for problems. NOTE: An upgrade to our reporting tool is expected in the next couple of weeks that will allow residents to also drop a location point in their report!

Shredder program success

The South Wake Landfill's shredder program, launched in late August 2023, has seen great success in its first six months of operation!

Commercial trash haulers bring an average of 80-100 mattresses and box springs to the landfill each day. The shredder has been instrumental in helping us reduce the space filled and air pockets created in the landfill by these bulky items.

PLEASE NOTE: Residents should continue to bring mattress and box springs to our convenience centers. Only mattresses delivered by haulers are currently being shredded.

Check out the video to see how it works!

Watch the Video

Solid Waste Management Division employee receives award

In September 2023, Sara Davarbakhsh (pictured far right) was recognized as a co-winner of the Environmental Educator of the Year Award by Environmental Educators of NC, the professional association for environmental educators in our state. The organization gives the award annually to recognize educators who “stand out as professionals who exemplify excellence in EE and lend credibility to the field.”

Sara is a member of the Solid Waste Division's Education & Outreach team, serving as the county's primary guide for the free South Wake Landfill tours (among many other educational activities). As we enter the spring season, whether you've visited before or not, we encourage every county resident of any age to take the landfill tour. Even Wake County staff members who've taken the tour learn or notice something new every time! Sara is sure to provide a new nugget of wisdom for you, so be sure to come out on a tour to learn from one of the best and congratulate her on her state recognition!

COMING SOON:

New traffic safety enhancement outside of South Wake Landfill

Many of our readership have likely experienced challenges entering/exiting the South Wake Solid Waste facilities on Old Smithfield Road at the Highway 55 intersection in Apex. Relief is on the horizon!

The. N.C. Department of Transportation has been working to install traffic signals at this busy intersection over the last few months. These are being added to facilitate smoother entry and exit from the South Wake Landfill and surrounding facilities. While no completion date has been provided, we've been told the project is in its final phases.

We are optimistic that the traffic lights will provide a better travel experience for the many people who use the South Wake Solid Waste facilities.

Upcoming waste & recycling workshop for educators

On May 7, Wake County Solid Waste Management, in partnership with Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling, will host a Don’t Waste It! Workshop at South Wake Landfill. Don’t Waste It! is an educator guide to waste management. The guide includes 11 lessons covering five themes: municipal solid waste, recycling, plastics, composting, and landfills.

Don’t Waste It! is for both formal and non-formal educators, with lessons for pre-K to 12^th graders that can easily be adapted for adult audiences. This workshop will provide a base of knowledge needed to teach each lesson, run through many of the lessons, and each attendee will receive a Don’t Waste It! guide. This workshop also includes a tour of the South Wake Landfill facilities which includes a working landfill, collection center, household hazardous waste center, and more!

If you have questions, please contact Deja Smith by email at deja.smith@wake.gov or call 919-856-2602.

South Wake Landfill Citizens Committee

We're meeting Wednesday, March 20, 2024, from 6:30-8 p.m. The meeting will be held as a hybrid, so you can join us online or we'd love to see you in person! You can also view past presentations here.

Get Involved

Ever wondered what happens to your trash when it leaves the curb?

Find out with a FREE tour of the South Wake Landfill! You’ll learn everything Wake County does to fight odors, protect the environment and support public health while processing the garbage from more than 1.1 million residents.

Spots are limited, so sign up today. 'Have a group of 10 or more interested in taking the tour? Let us know, and we’ll schedule a private tour on our bus.

Rather tour from the comfort of your couch? Check out our virtual tour, which includes access to behind-the-scenes areas and drone footage.

Take a Tour

Learn more about the South Wake Landfill →

We strive to keep residents well informed on activities taking place at the landfill and welcome all feedback. If have questions or concerns, please contact Marcus Thompson.

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Wake County Solid Waste Management

Telephone: 919-856-6424

Address: Wake County, Solid Waste Management Division, P.O. Box 550, Raleigh, NC 27602

Director: John W. Roberson, PE

Website: wake.gov/landfill