Within the next two years, Alachua County could have a new landfill. The Alachua County Commission discussed the possibility at its meeting Tuesday.
The county’s current contract with New River Solid Waste Association, which transports the county’s solid waste to its facility in Union County, expires in 2028. The commission voted Tuesday to research options for future solid waste disposal.
The commission viewed three potential waste disposal plans, including building a landfill in the Balu Forest, reopening the Southwest Landfill in Archer or investing in alternative waste management like chemical recycling which breaks down plastic through heat pressure.
A 2019 county growth management plan listed the Balu Forest, located east of Gainesville Regional Airport, as a potential site for a solid waste facility if other environmentally safe or economically viable options weren’t available.
Though the county has been working with New River for 30 years, officials are considering an alternative because a contract renewal would increase disposal costs from $30 to $47 per ton. According to data presented at the meeting, Alachua County produces 211,000 tons of trash annually.
Alachua County Commission Chair Ken Cornell said the county negotiated with New River to get the same rates as neighboring counties Baker, Bradford and Union.
“When we negotiated in 2018, the deal was ‘We’re not an owner; we don’t want to be an owner,’” he said. “‘We are the largest customer, and we just wanted the same deal you all [other counties] have.’”
Gus Olmos, the county’s solid waste director, said it’s important to consider options to keep solid waste inside of the county.
Olmos said New River and other landfills have limited space to store solid waste from Alachua County. The county only has one decade until it won’t have a place to take trash to, he added.
“There are very limited options,” Olmos said. “We’re going to need a landfill in the next five years. There’s no escaping that.”
Some commissioners expressed concerns about new waste disposal options given its recent climate initiatives outlined in the county’s Climate Action Plan.
In the plan proposed last year, the county set a goal to eliminate 80% of countywide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Solid waste from landfills are responsible for large amounts of carbon emissions, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Commissioner Anne Prizzia said she understands the cost issue associated with resigning a contract with New River, but she hopes the county considers the environmental impact when proceeding with plans for future waste disposal.
“I would hope that expectations of environmental standards, of where our waste is going and the capturing of gas, how far we have to drive and the climate and environmental impacts, will be taken into consideration,” she said.
Contact Olivia Lofaso at olofaso@alligator.org. Follow her on X @OLofaso77652.
Olivia Lofaso is a third-year journalism student and the Summer 2026 city/county commission reporter. She previously worked as a contributing writer at The Alligator. In her free time she enjoys visiting art museums and solving crosswords.
