By Elisha Nelson, Murfreesboro Pulse
Area residents can soon expect a new waste energy facility after the City of Murfreesboro approved plans for a solid waste management center at 2120 Butler Dr. The facility, managed by WastAway, is expected to be a transfer station for the entire city’s trash, positioned near residential areas, not far from the site of the new Buc-ee’s travel stop.
Approved by the Murfreesboro City Council back in January 2023, WastAway’s solid waste management facility is intended to help manage solid waste more efficiently in the Murfreesboro area. With the Middle Point Landfill expected to reach full capacity within the next five years, the facility may present a partial solution to the city’s growing trash problem.
“WastAway’s process provides a beneficial fuel that hits all the sustainability, economic and environmental goals that benefit our community and enhance the quality of life for citizens in Murfreesboro,” said Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland.
Efforts to construct a WastAway facility in the Middle Tennessee area come after ongoing complaints of Republic Services’ Middle Point Landfill, often affectionately referred to as “Trash Mountain” by locals. The landfill continues to grow as Rutherford County residents, and others from surrounding communities, collectively create more than 1,000 tons of landfill waste daily.