Wollongong City Council is undertaking a $14 million project at Wollongong Waste and Resource Recovery Park at Whytes Gully.

The work includes a new landfill cell, which is located over the top of the existing cell, said Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery.

"The construction of a new landfill cell is imperative to ensure that we can gain more life within the landfill at Whytes Gully," Cr Bradbery said.

The landfill site has been in operation for 30 years and, in that time, has accumulated approximately three million tonnes of waste. The helicopter is being used to carry 850 kilogram bags of aggregate to weigh down what is called a "rain shed".

Similar to a large tarpaulin, it sits over previously stored waste and catches stormwater and diverts it away from the waste.

This limits the creation of leachate, which occurs when water flows through waste which is required to be treated on-site before being discharged.

The new cell is 4.4 hectares and is expected to provide enough capacity for the next three years.

However, Cr Bradbery said that could be extended if residents took a good look at the waste they threw away on bin night.

"If all households and businesses are able to remove all organic waste from their red-topped bins then we can extend the life of these cells for some years," he said.

"That is one of the best outcomes for the city, rather than look to establish further landfill cells in the future."