Disposing of Commercial Waste
Hazardous Wastes
The County Landfill is not permitted to accept hazardous wastes from commercial or industrial generators.
If you are a local commercial business or industry and you suspect that you may have a hazardous waste that is unsafe for Landfill disposal, please call the Solid Waste Division at 919-938-4750 for more information.
Non-Hazardous Wastes
The County Landfill is permitted to accept Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated from anyone within Johnnston County. This waste is typical of what most people call "trash" or "garbage" generated from everyday household, commercial, and industrial activities.
Some items are prohibited. You can view the list of prohibited items.
Corrugated Cardboard and Other Recyclables
Johnston County has a Corrugated Cardboard Ban that prohibits commercial disposal of corrugated cardboard; cardboard must be recycled.
Commercial loads of select recyclables should be taken to the Landfill for recycling. Recyclable materials that can be taken to the Landfill in commercial quantities are:
- Corrugated cardboard
- Plastic bottles
- Aluminum cans
- Newspaper
- Magazines
- Phone books
- Clear glass bottles
- Mixed glass bottles
- Whole vehicle tires
- Appliances and white goods
- Lead acid batteries
- Used motor oil
- Used motor oil filters
- Wood pallets
- Clean wood waste
- Oyster shells
- Antifreeze
For more information about disposing of specific items, see the How to Dispose of Residential Waste page.
Yard Waste and Vegetative Debris
Yard waste is accepted at the yard waste processing facility beside the Landfill. This waste is typically limbs, leaves, straw, and other vegetative debris generated by landscaping and yard maintenance. Debris from land clearing is also accepted. Roots should be free from soil and logs should be cut so that they are not more than 15 feet in length.
Construction and Demolition Waste
Construction and demolition waste can be taken to the Construction and Demolition area of the Landfill. This waste is typically wood, concrete, brick and other inert materials generated from the construction, renovation or demolition of buildings, roads, and bridges. The EPA site provides more information about C&D materials.
Scrap Tires
Four tires or fewer can be disposed of at either the Convenience Centers or the Landfill. See the Residential Waste Disposal section on Scrap Tires for more information.
More than Four Tires
Five or more tires must be taken to the Landfill along with a completed Scrap Tire form (PDF). (If the above NCDENR link is broken, you can access the saved copy here.) More information on the Scrap Tire program can be found on the NC DENR website at http://https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/waste-management/scrap-tires.
Tires are accepted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Anyone still unloading tires at 4:45 p.m. during the week and at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday will be asked to leave the Landfill and return the next available time to finish unloading. Should this occur, it is necessary to adjust the number of tires listed on the Scrap Tire form.
More than 50 Tires
Customers bringing more than 50 tires to the Landfill, MUST call the Landfill 24 hours in advance in order to reserve space in the tire trailers. Those who call ahead to make an appointment are given priority. Customers who are delayed more than 48 hours beyond the appointment time will be required to call again to reschedule a new delivery time. Anyone delivering tires to the Landfill without calling in advance will be turned away if room is not available or if the remaining space has been reserved by others.
Daily limits are placed on the number of tires accepted at the Landfill. Delivery numbers are limited by tire size as follows:
- Car and Pickup Tires - 250 per day
- Large Truck Tires - 100 per day
- Large Tractor and Off-Road Tires - 20 per day
Customers must unload and stack their own tires. The Site Attendant is responsible for instructing and directing customers only. Tires must be clean, free of dirt, rope and all other foreign materials. Pieces of scrap tires, whole tires that have been split vertically, and solid rubber tires may be disposed of in the Landfill for a per ton fee without a Scrap Tire form.
Deliveries of five or more whole automobile tires must be accompanied by a completed and signed Scrap Tire form. Loads of five or more tires will not be accepted without the proper forms completed and signed. You can download the Scrap Tire form in PDF. For a Word 2007 version, see the NC DENR Scrap Tires Program portal page. Blank Scrap Tire forms are also available at the Landfill Scale House or from the Land Use Center at 309 E. Market Street in Smithfield.
The cost for disposing of scrap tires is $65.00 per ton. Please contact the Solid Waste Division for more information.
Requirements for Scrap Tire Haulers
Persons collecting tires from a tire retailer and transporting them to the Landfill for disposal must have registered with the State and obtained a scrap tire hauler certification number. This registration number is used when completing Part Two of the Scrap Tire Certification form. (If the above link is not active, you can try the NC DENR portal page for a link, or use the saved copy of the Scrap Tire Certification form.) Tire haulers may download the Scrap Tire Hauler Registration Application or pick one up from the Landfill Scales building or from the Land Use Center on Market Street in Smithfield. Hauler registrations must be renewed every year.
Tire haulers must have one completed Scrap Tire form from each retail location with each delivery. If a hauler picks up tires from three different retailers on the same load, one completed form from each retailer is required, for a total of three forms.