Landfill, Transfer Station or Convenience Center: Which One Should You Use?

EPA defines a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill as a discrete area of land or excavation that receives household waste. It may also receive other nonhazardous wastes, such as commercial solid waste, nonhazardous sludge and industrial nonhazardous solid waste. Federal rules in 40 CFR Part 258 require location restrictions, composite liners, leachate collection, compacting and covering of waste, groundwater monitoring, closure and post-closure care, and financial assurance.

A construction and demolition (C&D) landfill is, in EPA's words, a type of industrial waste landfill designed exclusively for construction and demolition materials: debris from building, renovating and demolishing buildings, roads and bridges. C&D landfills generally will not take household garbage.

For a self-hauler, a landfill visit usually means a truck scale at the gate, heavy equipment at the working face, and per-ton pricing. Landfills can be located well outside town, so the drive is part of the cost. They are the natural choice for large or heavy loads and for debris that a smaller site will not accept.

EPA describes a transfer station as a facility with a designated receiving area where collection vehicles discharge their loads. The waste is often compacted and loaded into larger vehicles such as transfer trailers, railcars or barges for the trip to a landfill, waste-to-energy plant or composting facility. No long-term storage happens there: waste is usually moved off site within hours.

Not every transfer station is open to the public. EPA notes that publicly operated stations are more likely to allow public use, while private ones may restrict access to collection trucks because residents bring small loads, need more direction and pay small fees. Where the public is allowed in, EPA lists the usual reasons: collection is not available everywhere, some wastes such as bulky items or remodeling debris are not collected, and a convenient drop-off helps prevent illegal dumping. Public unloading areas are usually kept apart from commercial trucks.

Transfer stations also screen incoming loads, both to pull out recyclables and to catch wastes that should not be landfilled, such as hazardous materials, white goods, whole tires and auto batteries. Many have a public drop-off or convenience area on the same site, and some run programs for yard waste, bulky items, household hazardous waste and recyclables.

EPA defines a convenience center as a designated area where residents manually discard waste and recyclables into dumpsters or collection containers. The containers are periodically removed or emptied, and the waste goes to a disposal site, sometimes by way of a transfer station. EPA does not count these sites as transfer stations because they cannot handle the volume a collection truck dumps.

In areas without curbside pickup, convenience centers may be the main way households get rid of trash and recycling. They tend to be close to home, simple to use and inexpensive for residents, but they are built for bags and household items rather than truckloads of debris. Some limit use to residents of the county or town, and most post rules about construction debris, tires, appliances and bulky items, so check before bringing anything beyond ordinary household waste.

The table below summarizes the typical differences. Individual facilities vary, so treat it as a starting point and confirm the details for the site you plan to use.

Match the facility to the load. The questions below cover most situations; if two options fit, compare drive time against the posted rates and minimum charges.