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Waste hauler All Green tells Bulloch County expanding transfer station and segregating C&D could save about $140,000 a year
Summary
All Green Services presented to commissioners on transfer‑station capacity, proposed doubling building capacity via county building renovation (~$250k–$300k), segregating construction and demolition (C&D) to a nearer landfill, and suggested reduced hours or privatization of convenience centers to cut illegal dumping and costs.
All Green Services and Atlantic Waste representatives Sam Sullivan and Ben Wall told the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 18 that modest upgrades to the county transfer station and operational changes could reduce disposal costs and improve safety.
Sullivan said the county’s transfer station — originally built about 1999 — has not been expanded and that countywide tonnage has risen from roughly 60,000 tons in 2022 to a projected 78,000 tons in 2025, a roughly 30% increase. He described an adjacent county‑owned building that, if opened up and refurbished with a push wall, could "literally double the capacity" of the station. Sullivan estimated renovation costs around $250,000 to $300,000.
Sullivan and Wall urged the county to segregate construction and demolition (C&D) material from municipal solid waste (MSW). They estimated C&D accounts for about 25% of the county’s waste stream (≈20,000 tons). Routing that C&D to a Jenkins County C&D landfill instead of the more expensive lined MSW landfill in Savannah would save roughly $7 per ton, or approximately $140,000 per year given current volumes, the presenters said. "If you're doing 78,000 tons this year... 25% is 20,000 tons. It'll save you $7 a ton... That's $140,000," Sullivan said.
Presenters also suggested operational changes at convenience centers to reduce illegal dumping: close sites overnight, stagger operating days, use attendants and cameras, and possibly reduce the number of open sites from 21 to fewer manned locations. They described curbside pickup as a longer‑term option (All Green already services about 40% of county households) but said it would not eliminate the need for some convenience centers for bulk waste.
Commissioners and staff asked about procurement, SPLOST funding, work force impacts and potential service‑delivery agreements with the City of Statesboro. County staff (Dink/Robert Siemens) noted existing service‑delivery agreements would need revision and that any privatization or use of a private transfer station would require negotiations with municipalities and clarification about SPLOST/air‑rights funds.
Why this matters: Bulloch County’s waste system is a sizable budget item (staff cited a solid‑waste line of approximately $3.4 million for collection and disposal plus additional capital). Presenters argued modest capital work and operational changes could reduce recurring disposal costs and improve safety at the transfer station.
Next steps: Commissioners proposed forming an informal working group to review options, coordinate with the city on service‑delivery agreements and request more detailed proposals and cost estimates from All Green or other vendors. No binding privatization decision was made at this meeting.
Representative quote: "We want you to consider privatization of these services. This is what we do... we're absolutely confident we can save you money," Sam Sullivan said during the presentation.
