Meridian Waste begins construction on new C&D MRF

Meridian Waste, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based integrated, nonhazardous solid waste services company, hosted a groundbreaking on Sept. 6 for its Shotwell Environmental Park’s materials recovery facility (MRF) in Wendell, North Carolina. The company says the facility is the first of its kind in the greater Triangle marketplace.  

The MRF is permitted by both Wake County and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to sort and remove for resale or reuse economically viable materials from construction and demolition debris (C&D). The benefits of the MRF include saving valuable airspace in the existing C&D landfill, preserving natural resources by using materials that would otherwise be disposed of within the landfill, providing the building community greater options for LEED-building certification and helping the county and the state achieve sustainability goals, Meridian says.  

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The groundbreaking event was attended by business, environmental and political participants with guests ranging from building partners and customers to Wake County’s Solid Waste department to the former North Carolina Attorney General and Secretary of State Rufus Edmisten. Don Mial, Wake County Commissioner District 1, was present with a golden shovel as the first pile of dirt was unearthed.   

The construction of the site is expected to take less than one year with operations beginning in mid-2024. The recycling facility is being built to allow for the expansion of equipment and staff as recycling demand increases.    

“Meridian Waste is proud to be the first in the region to permit, build, and soon operate a C&D MRF for the benefit of the environment,” says Mary O’Brien, Meridian Waste’s chief marketing officer. “Our disposal facilities are vital infrastructure assets to the communities we serve. Approaching our business with the goal of protecting and preserving the natural environment is always our primary focus.  We are excited about the investment in this recycling facility which will bring significant benefits to our customers, our community, and ultimately to our environmental business.”