Solid Waste E-News: May, 2020

IN THIS EDITION:
Memorial Day Solid Waste Schedule, Glass On The Side Expands to All 5 Staffed Waste and Recycling Centers, Glass Q&A, Household Hazardous Waste Guidelines Change, General Recycling Q&A

Glass On The Side (GOTS) Update

You can now recycle glass bottles and jars separately at all staffed Waste and Recycling Centers. Put only glass bottles and jars in the specially labeled dumpsters (or carts at Bradshaw Quarry Road). Empty and rinsed please.

The County is doing this because of the savings and efficiency gains from separating glass bottles and jars. Orange County pays about $60 per ton processing fee at the Materials Recovery Facility in Raleigh where mixed recycling is sorted and sold. We receive $20 per ton for separated glass at a processor in Wilson NC that cleans and color separates glass, converting it into feedstock for new bottles, fiberglass insulation, sand blasting media and reflective paint beads, largely made here in North Carolina.

Alamance County has been a partner with Orange almost since the program’s beginning, hauling to Orange County over 65 tons out of the total shipped so far to the Wilson plant.

Recent Questions about GOTS

Hazardous Waste Program Changes

The County’s Hazardous Household Waste Collection program is now strictly limited to residential waste from Orange County residents. Volume limits are: 20 ITEMS PER TRIP, one trip per day or weekend maximum. NO MORE THAN 10 Gallons of paint or 10 each one gallon containers with varying amounts of paint.  Anyone planning to use either one of these facilities with more than these amounts of hazardous waste must contact the Solid Waste office first to set up an appointment. Call 919-968-2788 or email recycling@orangecountync.gov.

We can no longer accept any small quantity generator business waste nor waste from anyone who lives outside Orange County. When using the program, proof of residence such as motor vehicle registration (not just license) may be requested.

Recycling Right in Orange County

• YES to #1 PETE, clear, clean clamshells.
• NO to aerosol cans (take to Waste & Recycling Centers)
• No to shredded paper (even bagged)
• NO (as always) to textiles. 

Q. What to do with shredded paper now that I cannot include in my cart?
A.  Wait until the Shred-A-Thons or other confidential paper shredding events resume and bring it there. Once the Solid Waste Office is open to the public, you can schedule an appointment to shred your paper at the office. Or if you know someone raising chickens, they may accept it for bedding. Reduce what must be shredded by excluding magazines, newspapers or unopened junk mail. Get off mailing lists by unsubscribing to junk mail. Visit our webpage and search for ‘junk mail’ in our A-Z  Recyclery for tips on how to unsubscribe from various junk mail.

Q. Now you say ‘yes’ to the #1 PETE clamshells if clear, clean and empty. What about other plastics you used to accept like #2, #4 and #5 non-bottle plastics?
A. Plastics recycling remains complicated. You may still include clean and empty #2, #4 and #5 IF THEY ARE: tubs, bottles, jugs and jars. Black plastic has no market, so items like flower pots and TV dinner trays will not make it through the recycling process. Note: Those items are not bottles or tubs or jugs or jars anyway. When in doubt, keep it out.

Q. What to do with aluminum foil or pie pans?   
A.Do not put foil and pie pans in the recycling cart. Instead take aluminum foil and pie pans -- clean and crumpled -- to a Waste and Recycling Center scrap metal bin. You may also put empty aerosol cans in those scrap metal bins. Full ones go to hazardous waste collection.

Flatten and recycle all your valuable cardboard boxes. They are needed to make new shipping boxes and the market price is way up, so more cardboard helps recycling program economics!

Can’t get enough trash talk?  

Listen to us on WHUP 104.7 FM, streaming online,  2^nd Tuesday of each month,  8am - 9am on the “3-D News” with Bob Burtman. The next show is June 9.