Waste Transfer Stations
and the Business of Trash
 

Every week garbage trucks make their routes through the neighborhoods and back alleys of America. Through big cities, small towns and rural areas, workers pick up the garbage and haul it away. Where does all that garbage go? Years ago it was hauled directly to the landfill. However, to be more cost-effective, trash is now taken to a waste transfer station. These stations take the waste brought in from local collection trucks, sort and compact it, and then load it onto larger vehicles such as a tractor-trailer truck, or even a train or barge. From there, the waste continues to its final destination such as a landfill, an incinerator or other waste-to-energy plant, or a recycling center. Waste transfer stations significantly reduce the transportation cost and environmental impact of moving trash from homes and businesses to the landfill.
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Many waste transfer stations also serve as a drop-off location for people to take their recyclables and trash. These stations make it convenient to dispose of trash as needed and not have to wait for a weekly pick up.

Here is a quick rundown of what typically happens at a waste transfer station. When a garbage truck arrives, it pulls on to a scale and is weighed. After that, the garbage is unloaded, sorted, and processed. During the sorting stage, material handlers collect recyclables and remove any unauthorized items. Once the trash is free from these items, the waste is compacted, loaded onto a larger vehicle and sent to its next destination. At Southern Waste, we offer inbound and outbound scales for quick and easy weighing. Our large four-bay dumping area can accommodate multiple trucks at the same time, and an on-site material handler makes for fast and efficient unloading.
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Moving trash from one place to another is a big job, and the process can create even more significant problems. A waste transfer station helps to minimize the impact. Fewer trips to the landfill mean fewer trucks on the road, which translates to less fuel cost, less air pollution, and less wear and tear on roadways. The stations also help to prevent pollution and soil contamination by reducing the amount of garbage that ultimately ends up in a landfill. Utilizing a waste transfer station is common sense.

At Southern Waste, our gates are open to construction and demolition companies, businesses, industrial businesses, and the general public.  Sorting recyclables out of your trash before you place it in a trash bin or put it out on the curb helps reduce the overall cost of garbage removal. It's also essential to learn about your local regulations and make sure you aren't sending banned items to your transfer station. Everyone wants to live in a clean and healthy community. Even the smallest effort can make a big difference, and by sorting your trash ahead of time, you'll be doing your part.


 

 

In The News

Southern Waste would like you to visit out State-of-the-art transfer station is located at 490 Volunteer Court in the Coffee County Industrial Park behind the Sheriff ’s Office and jail. A transfer station is a facility where municipal solid waste is unloaded and briefly held while it is reloaded onto larger long distance transport vehicles for shipment to landfills or other treatment/disposal facilities. No waste remains in the facility at the end of each day. By combining loads of several individual waste collection trucks into single shipments, communities reduce overall truck traffic, air pollution, energy use and road wear and tear. This improves the environment and saves our community money by lowering the cost of solid waste management systems. The new transfer station will be an asset to our community by lowering solid waste disposal costs and providing long term employment opportunities for years to come.

Rennie Bell, Director of Coffee County Solid Waste, is “confident the citizens of Coffee County will see significant savings with the addition of this modem and reputably operated transfer station.” Landon Richardson, owner of Richardson Waste Removal and a customer of Southern Waste, is “thrilled with the new station. There are no wait times and the service is highly professional. I’m able to utilize my trucks and drivers much more efficiently.” The general public is welcome to bring their nonhazardous waste to the station Monday - Friday from 6:30am -4:00pm.
For more information call Southern Waste at (931 ) 450-1020