Groundbreaking held for a cleaner environment
Meridian Waste North Carolina, LLC, hosted a groundbreaking on September 6 for its Shotwell Environmental Park’s state-of-the-art materials recovery facility, a first of its kind in the greater Triangle marketplace. The materials recovery facility (MRF) is permitted by both Wake County and the NC 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 are numerous including saving valuable airspace in the existing C&D landfill, preserving natural resources by utilizing 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.
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 NC 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 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,” said 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.”
Photo 1: Shotwell Environmental Park guests turn over the first dirt at the groundbreaking for the new construction and demolition debris materials recovery facility (MRF). Pictured from left to right: Roger Hendrick, Hendrick Construction; Bianca Howard, Wake County Solid Waste; Cooper Tharp, Shotwell Environmental Park; Emily Lucas, Wake County Deputy County Manager; Don Mial, Wake County Commissioner District 1; Dave Lavender, Meridian Waste Acquisitions; Patrick Messinger, Meridian Waste North Carolina, and Rufus Edmisten, former North Carolina Attorney General and Secretary of State.
Photos 2 & 3: Artist renderings of the operating C&D MRF
