Wake County begins plan to replace North Wake Household Hazardous Waste facility

Temporary operations continue and local options available

north wake household hazardous waste closure notice

In January, Wake County’s Solid Waste and Recycling Division had to temporarily suspend its normal hazardous waste collection operations at the North Wake Household Hazard Waste Facility after a fire severely damaged the main storage building. Now, plans are in motion to get services back on track.

“We want to continue providing services that allow residents to safely dispose of hazardous materials, and our Solid Waste staff have worked diligently over the last few months to ensure our residents get a new facility as soon as possible and to provide efficient services in the interim,” said Wake County Commissioner Shinica Thomas.

Following an investigation into the cause of the fire, insurance inspections and other safety measures, including waste removal, soil testing and building cleanup, the County began planning to replace the facility. Over the summer, a request for proposal was issued for the demolition of the current facility and site prep for the new building; designing for the new facility also began. The demolition contract is expected to begin this month with the demolition anticipated to take place before the end of this year. By 2026, the County will bid out the work for the new facility once the design is finalized and anticipates having a new building ready to resume its regular six-day operation later in that year.

Since March, the County has provided Saturday-only collection services at a facility adjacent to the North Wake site, operating from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Per state permit rules, HHW materials must be collected the same day they are dropped off at the temporary facility, which isn’t equipped to store these materials. To ensure the County complies with these rules, collections are limited to one day per week. These services will continue until the facility is fully restored.

With the temporary, limited HHW collection plan still in place, residents can also dispose of their HHW at the following locations and times:

  • South Wake HHW Facility
    • Location: 6150 Old Smithfield Road, Apex, NC 27539
    • Hours: Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • East Wake HHW Facility
    • Location: 5051 Wendell Blvd., Wendell, NC 27591
    • Hours: Saturdays and Sundays ONLY, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
       

Residents can review acceptable items and quantity limits online before visiting any facility.

Residents can also find the following disposal alternatives for select items:

  • Latex paint: Dry and dispose of with household trash.
  • Batteries: Consider local options:
    • Batteries Plus
    • Participating Home Depot and Lowe’s stores
    • Retailers selling lead-acid batteries (required by law to accept returns)
       

For questions and additional assistance, residents may contact Wake County Solid Waste at 919-856-6431 or email joseph.fitzpatrick@wake.gov.

Department
Solid Waste Management
Category
Press Release