Wake Offers Earth Machines to Help Cut Household Waste by a Third

Want to cut your carbon footprint? Looking to feed your garden and save money on fertilizer? Wake County is making it easier and cheaper to get started with backyard composting and help reduce waste sent to the landfill!During the month of May, our Solid Waste team is partnering with BrandBuilders to sell Earth Machine compost bins for just $54.95. That's 50% off the retail price, and orders include a 20-page handbook explaining the ins and outs of composting.

"Backyard composting is one of the best things you can do for the environment and for our community," said Wake County Board of Commissioner Donald Mial. "Composting strengthens your soil, promotes healthy plant growth and takes about 30% of what you would normally throw out and keeps it from filling up the landfill."

Orders will be accepted online through May 31, and bins will be available for pickup starting mid-June. To learn more and pre-order your bin, visit wake.gov/compost.

In addition to the handbook that comes with each Earth Machine, Wake County has videos demonstrating how to assemble your Earth Machine and the fundamentals of composting at home. The bins are about 3 feet tall and can hold up to 80 gallons.

Why Compost?

Whether you’re looking to enrich your soil, take better care of the planet or curb our reliance on landfills, there are plenty of reasons to start composting.

"A lot of people think composting is really complicated, but it's not that difficult, especially when you have one of the most popular compost bins available," said Wake County Environmental Coordinator Sara Davarbakhsh. "As residents have become more environmentally conscious in recent years, we’ve seen a lot more interest from people who, above all, want to help the planet and reduce their carbon footprint."

A recent study in Wake County showed 34% of the average trash can is made up of food and yard waste that can be composted, instead of being sent to South Wake Landfill, where it produces pollution.

The Solid Waste team wants to help residents compost at home, so that together we can reduce the amount of waste hauled to landfill and reduce our impact on the local environment.

Here are just some of the benefits of composting:

You do not have to live in Wake County to place an order for a bin. Once you do, you’ll more information and details on how to register for an appointment to pick up your bin. Appointments will begin June 20 and will be available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the North Wake Solid Waste Management facilities located at 9025 Deponie Drive in Raleigh.

About Wake County Solid Waste The Wake County Solid Waste Management Division manages 19 waste facilities including a landfill, waste transfer station, residential waste and recycling convenience centers, household hazardous waste and multi-material recycling drop-off facilities. To learn more, visit wake.gov/recycling.