Meridian Waste Celebrates Successful Inaugural “Earth Day Hooray” at Noble Hill Landfill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Meridian Waste Celebrates Easter & Earth Day at Shotwell Environmental Park’s Annual Earth Day Easter Egg Hunt

Free community event welcomes ~200 guests for education, family fun, and environmental awareness

Etowah County, Ala. — April 20, 2026 — Meridian Waste proudly hosted its first-ever Earth Day Hooray celebration Saturday, April 18th, at the Noble Hill Landfill, welcoming ~200 guests from across Etowah County, Alabama for a day of family fun, environmental education, and community appreciation.

The free event was designed to celebrate Earth Day while highlighting Meridian Waste’s commitment to protecting the natural environment and serving the local community. Guests enjoyed a wide range of activities, including pony rides, a petting zoo, inflatable attractions, environment-themed crafts, facepainting, and the company’s signature Touch-A-Truck experience, where children had the opportunity to explore garbage trucks and heavy “yellow iron” equipment used in landfill operations.

A new and meaningful addition to this year’s event was Meridian Waste’s USA250 letter-writing campaign, where young attendees created heartfelt messages of appreciation for Alabama-based military personnel serving overseas.

One of the day’s most impactful highlights was the overwhelming participation in guided hayride landfill tours. Approximately 180 guests experienced firsthand how a modern municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill operates. Visitors observed the construction of a new disposal cell and gained insight into the extensive environmental protections in place.

“Many attendees were surprised to learn that a well-managed MSW landfill is highly engineered, environmentally responsible, and does not produce the odors or visual impacts often assumed,” said Cooper Tharp, Meridian Waste’s General Manager of Noble Hill Landfill. “It was rewarding to see so many guests engaged, asking questions, and leaving with a better understanding of the critical role we play in protecting the environment.”

Guests also enjoyed a complimentary barbecue lunch served by Little Bridge Marina, along with custom-made icees provided by The Chill Spot, ensuring a festive and family-friendly atmosphere throughout the day.

Meridian Waste confirmed that Earth Day Hooray will become an annual tradition at Noble Hill Landfill and will remain a free event to thank the Etowah County community while continuing to educate residents about the essential services the landfill provides to the region.

“Our goal is to build transparency, trust, and pride in the work we do every day,” Tharp added. “Noble Hill Landfill is a vital part of the infrastructure supporting Northeast Alabama, and we are proud to serve this community.”

For more information about Meridian Waste and its community initiatives, please visit MeridianWaste.com.

Image 1: Meridian Waste Logo

 

Image 2: One of many hayride landfill tours begins!  

 

Image 3: Young guest writes a note of thanks to Alabama troops serving overseas.

 

Image 4: New friends made.

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About Meridian Waste

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Meridian Waste is a company defined by its commitment to servicing its customers, caring for and engaging its employees, and generating financial value for its shareholders while delivering a clean and healthy community. The company’s core waste business is centered on residential, commercial, and industrial non-hazardous waste collection and disposal. Currently, the company operates in Northeast Fla., St. Louis, Mo., Raleigh, N.C and the greater Triad Region of NC., Greenville, S.C., Knoxville, Tenn., Huntsville, AL, Central AL, North & South MS, Blacksburg, Va., Harrisonburg, Va., and Richmond, Va., servicing more than 582,800 residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers. In addition to a fleet of commercial, residential, and roll-off trucks, the company operates 31 hauling companies, twelve transfer stations/materials recycling facilities (MRFs), three municipal solid waste landfills, and four C&D landfills in which 1,724,200 tons of waste are safely disposed of annually. For more information, visit MeridianWaste.com.

 

Media Contact:

Mary O’Brien
(904) 616-5322
[email protected]