Buncombe County wins $3.5 million recycling infrastructure grant; staff outline C&D diversion pad and pilot programs
May 15, 2026 | Buncombe County, North Carolina
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County solid‑waste staff gave a detailed briefing on construction and demolition (C&D) waste diversion, highlighting a recent grant award and operational steps the county will take to increase recycling and extend landfill life.
Staff reported results of a recent waste audit showing roughly 28–32% of incoming material by weight is C&D waste and identified clean wood, yard waste, metal, cardboard and clean brick/block as priority diversion streams. The presenter said food waste accounted for about 10% and yard waste about 30% of the residual waste stream.
The county plans to use an EPA‑backed North Carolina Clean Recovery and Recycling Infrastructure Grant (pass‑through to the state) of approximately $3.5 million starting July 1, 2026, to build a concrete conversion pad at the landfill. The operational plan is to have commercial C&D loads offload on the pad, use heavy equipment to pull recyclable materials (metal, cardboard, clean brick/block, yard waste) into designated areas, and then place remaining materials into the C&D cell. Staff emphasized minimizing manual sorting for safety and expected to buy roll‑off boxes, heavy equipment and build separation infrastructure under the grant.
The county has adopted a mixed‑load ordinance that empowers staff to assess a double‑tip fee when loads contain more than a specified percentage of recyclable material; staff said some haulers and generators prefer to pay the double tip rather than separate loads, and county capacity for sorting has been limited during hurricane recovery. To reduce barriers and increase participation, staff described plans for a diversion academy and pilot source‑separation work with local developers and contractors, and mentioned incentives such as reduced tip fees for certain materials (cardboard free, half tip for yard waste and clean concrete).
Staff also discussed landfill life and the impact of C&D tonnage on capacity; the presenter estimated 20–22 years of landfill life under current projections and said diverting C&D materials is key to extending that lifespan. The group discussed regional markets (e.g., grinding brick for road base) and noted that available grant funding is competitive.
Next steps in the transcript included finalizing grant submittals, building the diversion pad and launching pilot programs; staff offered to return with statistics on mixed‑load ordinance enforcement and operational performance when the newly hired inspector completes work.
Staff reported results of a recent waste audit showing roughly 28–32% of incoming material by weight is C&D waste and identified clean wood, yard waste, metal, cardboard and clean brick/block as priority diversion streams. The presenter said food waste accounted for about 10% and yard waste about 30% of the residual waste stream.
The county plans to use an EPA‑backed North Carolina Clean Recovery and Recycling Infrastructure Grant (pass‑through to the state) of approximately $3.5 million starting July 1, 2026, to build a concrete conversion pad at the landfill. The operational plan is to have commercial C&D loads offload on the pad, use heavy equipment to pull recyclable materials (metal, cardboard, clean brick/block, yard waste) into designated areas, and then place remaining materials into the C&D cell. Staff emphasized minimizing manual sorting for safety and expected to buy roll‑off boxes, heavy equipment and build separation infrastructure under the grant.
The county has adopted a mixed‑load ordinance that empowers staff to assess a double‑tip fee when loads contain more than a specified percentage of recyclable material; staff said some haulers and generators prefer to pay the double tip rather than separate loads, and county capacity for sorting has been limited during hurricane recovery. To reduce barriers and increase participation, staff described plans for a diversion academy and pilot source‑separation work with local developers and contractors, and mentioned incentives such as reduced tip fees for certain materials (cardboard free, half tip for yard waste and clean concrete).
Staff also discussed landfill life and the impact of C&D tonnage on capacity; the presenter estimated 20–22 years of landfill life under current projections and said diverting C&D materials is key to extending that lifespan. The group discussed regional markets (e.g., grinding brick for road base) and noted that available grant funding is competitive.
Next steps in the transcript included finalizing grant submittals, building the diversion pad and launching pilot programs; staff offered to return with statistics on mixed‑load ordinance enforcement and operational performance when the newly hired inspector completes work.
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