Field Trip

We took a field trip to the South Wake Solid Waste Management Facility on October 21st. It was a fascinating trip! We learned that the Landfill takes all of the county's commercial and household waste. It's about 180 acre landfill when completed. The landfill is 520 feet above sea level at it's finished elevation. It has 25+ year disposal capacity. There are reuse and recycling facilities on site. Also, there is a gas to energy facility that converts methane into useable energy that is sold back to the power company.

View of a completed landfill.

 We learned that 25% of the waste at the landfill is PAPER!!! UGH! Our app is important!

New pipes for methane collection.

Sweet ride for off-roading!

Land of abandoned appliances!

Old big TVs come here. They are mined for precious metals and other useful parts at a facility in Durham.

This is just one of the many layers of the landfill. It feels like a rough scrub sponge

Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant behind. On top of an old landfill overlooking the county.

Hard plastic layer to divert rain water.

Posi-shell is sprayed to cover newly brought trash. It turns it all gray and makes it smell less awful.

Methane needs to escape or it will explode underground!!

The weight of our tour van.

The beginning layers of a new landfill.

Trash is crushed and shredded and moved about. Covered in dirt and then covered with a tarp at night.

New trash coming!

Part of the gas-to-energy facility

Methane collection.

Gas to energy buildings.