A transfer station is a building or processing site for the temporary deposition, consolidation, and aggregation of waste). Waste transfer stations are industrial facilities where municipal solid waste (MSW) is temporarily held and sorted before heading to a landfill or waste-to-energy plant. Garbage trucks that run city routes drop off their trash here before it’s loaded onto larger vehicles and shipped off. Some transfer stations allow residents and businesses to drop off small loads of waste and recycling, and may perform some preliminary sorting of material). Transfer stations often operate hand-in-hand with material recovery facilities (MRFs) to remove recyclable items from the trash. Items processed at these waste management stations can be taken to the following endpoints for disposal: landfill, incinerator or other waste-to-energy plant, hazardous waste facility, or recycling center. Transfer stations are key to cost-effective solid waste transportation for cities and municipalities. Transferring waste from small, local collection trucks onto larger vehicles, such as a train or barge, significantly reduces transportation costs and environmental impacts of moving the trash from homes and businesses to landfills.