ALAMANCE COUNTY LANDFILL
2701 AUSTIN QUARTER ROAD GRAHAM, NC 27253
336-376-8902
Convenience Center
Operational Hours: Monday – Friday 7 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 7 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM
- 1,700 vehicles weekly
- Various charges for bagged trash, mattresses, electronic equipment, lawn mowers and loose trash
- No charge for “Target” recyclables – These include Aluminum Cans, Clear/Brown Glass, Newspaper, Corrugated Cardboard and Plastic Bottles, except motor oil and pesticide bottles
- 590 tons of recyclable materials collected annually.
- Accepting recyclable materials to include: Aluminum/Steel/Metal Cans, Clear/Brown Glass, Newspaper, Corrugated Cardboard, Mixed Paper, Magazines/Catalogs, Phone Books, Plastics Bottles (i.e., Milk, Soda, Water, Juice Bottles & Colored Containers [i.e. Laundry Detergent]), except motor oil and pesticide bottles.
- Accepting used motor oil and oil filters, antifreeze, automobile batteries and used cooking oil at no charge.
- Attendant collects appropriate fees and directs vehicles to proper disposal areas.
Scale Operation
Operational Hours: Monday – Friday, 7 AM to 4:30 PM and Saturday 7 AM to 12 NOON
- 1,000 vehicles weekly
- 125,000 tons per year of trash disposed.
- Disposal fee for municipal solid waste: $44.00 per ton
- Waste is weighed and charges are determined by type and tonnage of material.
- Surveillance cameras assist scale operator in monitoring loads.
- Scale operator collects appropriate fees and directs vehicles to the proper disposal areas.
Recyling Programs
- Appliances/Metal
500 tons per year processed.
Disposal fee for scrap metal: $44.00 per ton
No charge for appliances. (Revenue from the State funds this program.)
Freon is extracted from appliances prior to transporting off-site for recycling.
- Electronic Disposal Program
Began accepting household electronics in July 2009.
180 tons collected annually.
Normal tipping fees apply.
- Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
3 one-day collection events held annually
Average over 55,000 lbs. per program.
Free disposal for Alamance County residents. (No commercial/business waste accepted.)
Various household materials accepted such as paint products, pesticides, household cleaners, automotive products, batteries and fluorescent tubes.
Event is co-sponsored with NC Cooperative Extension Services & NCDA&CS Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program.
- Tires
1,800 tons per year processed.
Disposal fee for ineligible tires: $76 per ton.
No charge for eligible tires for retail with proper scrap tire documentation. (Revenue from the State Scrap Tire Program funds this program.)
No charge for 5 or less tires (off-rims only).
- Yard Waste (trees, stumps, leaves, etc.)
1,800 tons per year collected.
Disposal fee: $32 per ton
Yard waste is shredded into mulch which is used on-site at the landfill for roads after weather events.
- Recycling Centers
Two locations in the county, Pleasant Grove Recreation Center & Danieley Waterwheel Road
Accepting recyclable materials to include: Aluminum Cans, Clear/Brown Glass, Newspaper, Corrugated Cardboard, Plastic Bottles (i.e., Milk, Soda, Water, Juice Bottles & Colored Containers [i.e. Laundry Detergent]), except motor oil and pesticide bottles.
Landfill Operation
- The facility, known as the Austin Quarter Landfill, began operation in March 1994, when the Swepsonville landfill closed.
- 536 total acres owed, 90 acres designated for landfill purposes.
- Trash/garbage only accepted from Alamance County residents and businesses.
- The facility consists of an approved trash disposal area of 90 acres divided into 7 cells, with 37 of the 90 acres currently in use.
- Each cell contains 2 feet of compacted clay, a betonite mat, a 60-mil high-density polyethylene liner, a geotextile mat and a leachate drainage/collection system to assure a low-impact on the environment.
- Accumulated trash is compacted daily by heavy equipment with a goal of 1,250 pounds of trash compacted into a cubic yard space. An annual aerial topography is conducted to monitor compaction levels. Alamance County Landfill has averaged 1,750 pounds of trash per cubic yard over the last 5 years.
- The current facility is expected to be useable for 50-60 years.
Leachate Collection System
- Leachate collection pipes collect liquids filtering through the garbage. Leachate is pumped into two 340,000 gallons holding tanks.
- Transport an average of 3.9 million gallons of leachate per year to the East Burlington Wastewater treatment plant.
Methane Gas Wells
- Eight wells monitored quarterly.
Ground Water Monitoring Wells/Surface Water
- Twelve wells monitor the ground water for 62 constituents (twice yearly by a private lab).
- Surface water-sampling point monitored for the same as ground water.
Landfill General Information
- Employ 23 people, all full time
- Annual budget is approximately $5 million, excluding capital funding, operating an Enterprise Fund
- In the process of completing a new 10-acre cell for the disposal of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) and C&D (Construction & Demolition) trash. In addition, constructing a new road to the landfill and officially closing and capping the separate C&D landfill onsite.