Solid Waste E-News: January 2021

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday Schedule
• Ideas for a Less Trashy New Year
• How to Recycle Shipping Packages
• Compost Bin & Mulch for Sale
• Recycling Services for Businesses

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday

Ideas for a Less Trashy New Year (Realistic Resolutions to Becoming Less Wasteful This Year)

Are you motivated to reduce your waste this year? Whether the low-waste lifestyle is new to you or you’re already a dedicated waste-minimizer, this list provides a range of ideas from beginner to advanced changes you can make to help reduce your waste.

For everyone: RECYCLE RIGHT 

• Make sure bottles, tubs, jugs and jars are empty and rinsed before recycling. Food residue can spill on to other recyclables, such as paper and cardboard, which can lower the quality of the recycled content and may cause that material to be sent to the landfill if it’s too dirty to recycle.
• Do NOT bag your recyclables! Keep plastic bags and other plastic film out of your recycling cart. Plastic bags and film can cause serious issues at recycling facilities by jamming up equipment, causing delays and expensive repairs. You can ONLY recycle plastic bags and film (#2 and #4 plastics) at grocery stores that offer plastic bag recycling and at the Eubanks Rd. and Walnut Grove Church Rd. Waste and Recycling Centers. Ensure the bags are dry & empty. 

For those just starting out: 

• Bring your own bag (BYOB): Bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store or on other shopping trips can help you reduce single-use plastic usage. Even if the store offers paper bags, using your own bag is always better! Keep a few in your car (or backpack/purse) so you’ll never be without one.
• Carry a reusable water bottle: By always having a water bottle with you, you reduce the chances of ever needing to buy a plastic water bottle again! This is a very easy habit to develop which can save you money and keep you hydrated in 2021.
• Ditch the take-out disposables: If ordering take out, make sure to tell them you don’t want any of the ‘extras’ like plastic utensils, napkins and straws. If you already have the sauce at home (ketchup, salad dressing, etc.) ask them to skip that too. If you want their condiments, specify the amount you want to avoid getting 10 packets of sauce that may go to waste.
• Start Thrifting: If you need some items, like extra tote bags, travel mugs, containers, and, utensils, to help kick-start your low-waste lifestyle, head to the thrift store instead of buying new things.
• Reusable To-Go Kit: Prepare a kit to keep in your car or bag (or both!) to help you remember your reusable items. You can customize the kit to your needs and it can include reusable utensils, stainless steel straws, cloth napkins, reusable cups, a tote bag, a Tupperware container, etc.
• Refuse: Be ready to refuse! Say no to the bag, the plastic cup, the freebies (that you’ll never use) and other little things that end up in the landfill. 

For those who want to go beyond the basics: 

• Compost your food scraps: By composting your food scraps you are diverting valuable waste from the landfill and returning nutrients to the soil. You can start composting in your own backyard, dropping food waste off at a Waste & Recycling Center, or use a compost pick-up service. If you’re interested in backyard composting, see the Departments website or information below about Earth Machine backyard composters for sale. Orange County residents can drop off their food waste at the Eubanks Rd. and Walnut Grove Church Road Waste & Recycling Center or the Carrboro Farmer’s Market.
• Join a Zero-Waste group: By joining groups with like-minded people, you learn new information, have a space to ask questions and meet new people. You’ll be surprised at the amount of sustainability-related things happening in your community!
• Switch to cloth napkins & towels: This switch helps cut down on paper towel usage and saves you money. Keep a drawer full of reusable napkins and towels to use instead.
• Stop the junk mail: Save trees and energy by getting off mailing lists and preventing unsolicited mail from coming to you. Every email comes with associated CO2 emissions which is why it’s important to reduce the amount of unnecessary emails you receive. There are resources online to help you automatically unsubscribe from junk mail. In addition, sign up for paperless billing.
• Meal plan to avoid food waste: Plan out your meals for the week and buy only what you need at the grocery store. Placing older food at the front of shelves in the fridge can help remind you of what food needs to be consumed first.

For those who are zero-waste experts:

• Opt out of receipts at the grocery store: Self-checkout registers give you the option to not print a receipt. After scanning your items, the screen with the payment options usually has an option to ‘print receipt’ which you can deselect. Receipts are NOT recyclable as they are printed on thermal paper which usually have BPA’s, a chemical that has negative health impacts.
• Do more with your food scraps: Turn your food scraps into a broth! Start collecting the peelings, stocks and leaves from your veggies and bones from meat in a container/bag in the freezer until it’s full. There are several recipes online on how to make tasty broths with food scraps. This hack will save you money and give your food scraps a second life.
• Commit to buying second-hand: While some things have to be bought first hand, other things like clothes, shoes, accessories, kitchen supplies, electronics, furniture, and books can all be found second-hand. Whether it’s at a thrift store, an online consignment store, or another secondhand market place, there are a lot of options. Check locally for ‘Buy Nothing’ and ‘Buy/Sell/Trade’ groups near you.
• Repair and repair again: Learning how to repair broken or over-worn items can extend the item’s life and keep it out of the landfill! Equip yourself with some needle and thread to fix holes and rips in clothing, blankets and other fabrics. For large rips or materials that are hard to sew by hand, see if any friends, family members, or neighbors have a sewing machine you can borrow. Super glue and duct-tape are also handy for fixing other things. Get creative with your repairs and repurpose items if they can no longer serve their original use: over-worn socks can be balled up and used as a pet toy and a broken bowl can be glued, painted and used as a decorative catch-all bowl.

How to Recycle Shipping Packages? 

Compost Bins for Sale

Orange County Solid Waste is pleased to again offer counter top compost pails and ‘Earth Machine’ backyard composters for sale. Sales are by APPOINTMENT ONLY. A limited number of appointments are available each Wednesday.  To schedule an appointment, please call (919) 968-2788 or email recycling@orangecountync.gov.

You can pay with cash, check or money order ONLY. Exact change is REQUIRED. 

Sales will take place at the Orange County Scale house located at 1514 Eubanks Rd., Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Face Masks and compliance with social distancing measures are required. Due to the pandemic, employees are prohibited from assisting with the loading of purchases into customer’s vehicles. Purchasers must load their purchase themselves. The composter comes in two pieces and will fit in any size car.

If a customer misses their appointment time, the customer must call to schedule another appointment.

Mulch for Sale

Until mid-Feburary, mulch is 50% off at the landfill. $12.50 per three cubic yard scoop or we deliver any size load for a delivery fee plus the cost of mulch. Check our website for details.

Recycling Services for Businesses

Does your business need recycling collection services? Orange County Solid Waste Management provides free recycling collection to businesses in Orange County. Please visit this link to request a recycling service.

If your business is also interested in free food waste collection, please email recycling@orangecountync.gov with the location of your business and an estimate of how much food waste is generated weekly. This program is a great way to reduce the amount of waste your business sends to the landfill! 

Can’t get enough trash talk?

Listen to OC Solid Waste Representatives the second Tuesday of each month from 8:15 am to 8:45 am on the ‘3-D News’ on local radio WHUP 104.7 FM, over the air and streaming online. Visit this link to listen online. If you missed the show, you can listen online and shows are archived for a month after airing.