Solid Waste E-News October 2020

Separate Glass Collection – Program Expands to Unstaffed Drop Off Sites
Plastics Recycling in Orange County
How to Have a Zero Waste Halloween

Orange County expands separate glass collection to all recycling centers as of October 1

Separate Glass Collection – Program Expands to Unstaffed Drop Off Sites

The Glass On The Side (GOTS) Program has expanded to all four 24-hr recycling drop off sites. Orange County residents can now find these containers at all recycling centers throughout the County.

Please ONLY put glass bottle and jars in to the specially marked containers. Lids and labels do not have to be removed. Please empty and rinse the glass prior to recycling. Remember- no bags! If you decide to bring your glass recycling in a paper or plastic bag, empty the contents of the bag into the dumpster and dispose of the bag appropriately. Paper bags can be recycled with mixed recycling, plastic bags must be recycled separately with plastic film recycling at grocery stores or waste and recycling centers. Only recycle glass bottles and jars. NO cookware, light bulbs, mirrors, windows, drinking glasses or ceramics are accepted.

You can still recycle your glass curbside in your blue cart at home. Orange County does not advise making special trips to the recycling centers just to recycle separated glass. If you are already heading to a recycling center or will be nearby then please bring your glass with you.

Orange County started this program because separate glass collection results in savings and efficiencies. When the glass is separated, the County receives $20/ton from a glass processor in Wilson, NC. This glass is recycled and made into more glass bottles/jars, fiberglass insulation, sand blasting media and reflective paint beads, mainly made here in NC!

Orange County Solid Waste would like to give a special shout out to the members of the East Chapel Hill Rotary Club for volunteering to do outreach at the drop-off sites for the new glass containers!

Plastics Recycling in Orange County

Orange County would like to ensure residents and businesses that their plastics are being recycled. When recyclable materials are properly prepared (empty and rinsed), they will be recycled!

We are aware of the recent article published by NPR regarding some deception behind plastics recycling. While landfilling plastics and other recyclables may be the reality in some places, that is not the case in Orange County. The materials are not landfilled, shipped overseas, incinerated or otherwise improperly discarded. The majority of the materials are used here in the southeastern part of the US to make new products.

The recyclable material collected within Orange County is hauled to a materials recovery facility (MRF) in Raleigh, NC. Patrick McDonald, the MRF plant manager, reports that last year the Raleigh MRF recovered and delivered nearly 8,000 tons (16 million lbs.) of plastic. Their facility uses a combination of automation and manual sorting to be able to capture and recover as much plastic as possible. Most of the plastics recovered at the facility includes #1 PET plastic (water bottles, soda bottles, etc.) and #2 HDPE plastic (laundry detergent, milk jugs, etc.). Even prior to the refusal of recycled material from the U.S. by China, McDonald said the Raleigh facility very rarely shipped any non-fiber/plastic loads overseas as they have strong markets and demands in the Southeast. Most of the PET plastics that are recycled, stay here in NC since there are local processors such as Unifi that take this plastic and turn it into products such as recycled fibers for textiles.

While some plastics are harder to manage than others, such as plastic films and small plastic items that can cause issues at MRFs, the Raleigh facility effectively captures all the plastic material they can and is investing in new machinery to further increase their capture rate.

When you ‘Recycle Right’ in Orange County, you can rest assured that your materials are being recycled properly.

How to have a Zero-Waste Halloween

October has arrived which means Halloween is right around the corner! While Halloween may be different this year, there are still several ways you can enjoy the spooky holiday while minimizing your impact on the environment. Pumpkin carving, costume shopping and festive decorations can all be zero to low waste with these scary good tips!

Pumpkin Carving

Before the carving begins, you will need to pick out the perfect pumpkin. We recommend visiting your local farmer’s markets where pumpkins come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors to find the perfect one for you.
Carving pumpkins is a classic Halloween tradition and serves as a zero-waste decoration as well! Before pumpkins are turned into festive Jack-O-Lanterns, they are a food source. The leftover seeds, strings and meat can be used in your next meal. This is a great opportunity to try out some new pumpkin-based recipes such as pumpkin bread, roasted pumpkin seeds or pumpkin soup! Whatever still remains of the pumpkin, can then be composted.

Costumes

Putting together a great Halloween costume does not have to cost a lot of money or have a negative impact on the environment. Unfortunately, a lot of Halloween costumes are worn once and then end up in the landfill. In 2017, approximately 11,150 tons of textiles were landfilled according to the EPA. You can cut back your carbon footprint by shopping for your costume at a local thrift store. You can also try a costume swap with some friends and family to reuse or repurpose some old Halloween costumes.

Festive Decorations

Aside from the classic Jack-O-Lanterns, people decorate their homes and yards with cob webs, skeletons, bats and other spooky decor. Sadly, these products are mainly made with plastic and can end up in the landfill if not reused. Instead of buying new decoration this year try to reuse some old decorations. Try getting crafty and making your own decorations. If you need supplies, visit a local thrift store. You can make cut outs of bats, ghosts and tombstones using paper or cardboard. You can repurpose old sheets or fabric scraps to make ghostly figures. These low-cost, crafty decorations will save you money and give your home a unique look this Halloween.

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