Peoria Opens Transfer Station as Landfill #3 Remains Delayed
The new Pottstown facility provides an interim waste-transfer and recycling hub following the closure of Peoria City/County Landfill #2 while planning and permitting work continues on Landfill #3.
MONTREAL (RecyclingMonster): Peoria County has formally marked the opening of a new waste transfer and recycling station designed to maintain local disposal services while development of the county's next landfill remains delayed.
County officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and public open house October 7 at the Peoria Transfer and Recycling Station, 4349 W. Southport Road in the Pottstown area.
The facility began operations June 8 after receiving authorization from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Waste delivered to the transfer station is consolidated before being transported to another location for final disposal.
Transfer Station Bridges Gap After Landfill #2 Closure
The new station provides an interim waste-management option following the closure of Peoria City/County Landfill #2 on April 19, 2025. Landfill #2 had operated since 1998.
Peoria County estimates that the transfer station can support local waste-handling needs for approximately 10 years while development of Landfill #3 moves forward.
Plans for Landfill #3 have been pushed back as state agencies review planning and permitting changes related to information about abandoned surface mines identified after the original siting process.
Recycling Drop-Off and Free Load Program Move to New Site
The transfer station includes a dedicated recycling drop-off area. The facility is open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
The site has also become the sole location for Peoria County's weekly Free Load Program, under which eligible county residents can dispose of one qualifying load of residential waste per week at no charge, subject to program rules.
Peoria's New Station Solves One Problem, but Not the Landfill Question
The takeaway: Peoria County now has a local place to receive, consolidate and transfer waste, but it has not added new local landfill capacity. The new station essentially buys the county time while Landfill #3 remains delayed.
Why this mattersPeoria City/County Landfill #2 closed in April 2025 after operating since 1998. The Southport Road transfer station now gives the county an estimated 10-year bridge by consolidating waste locally before sending it elsewhere for final disposal.
That distinction matters operationally. A transfer station can preserve local collection access and improve how waste moves through the system, but it does not create landfill airspace. Peoria still needs a long-term disposal solution.
What to watch nextThe key milestone is Landfill #3. County planning materials show the project has been pushed back while agencies work through planning and permitting issues associated with abandoned surface-mine information. Until that project advances, the new transfer station will remain an important link between local collection and out-of-area disposal.
Peoria County says the transfer station will continue serving as an interim component of the local solid-waste system while Landfill #3 advances through planning, permitting and eventual construction.
Peoria Transfer and Recycling Station: What to Know
When did the Peoria Transfer and Recycling Station open?
The station began operating June 8, 2026, after Illinois EPA granted permission to operate earlier that month.
Where is the Peoria transfer station?
The facility is located at 4349 W. Southport Road in the Pottstown area of Peoria County.
Does the transfer station dispose of waste on-site?
No. Waste is consolidated at the facility and then transported to another location for final disposal.
How long is the transfer station expected to serve Peoria County?
The county estimates that it will support local waste-handling needs for approximately 10 years while Landfill #3 is developed.
What materials can residents recycle at the station?
The county lists clean plastic bottles and jars, aluminum and tin cans, flattened cardboard and paper. Glass is not accepted, and recyclables should not be bagged.