Solid Waste E-News: July 2021

• Did You Know?
• Upcoming Webinars: Recycle Right, Reduce & Reuse More
• Zero-Waste Move Out Guide
• Explained: Compostable vs. Biodegradable vs. Oxo-degradable
• Apartment Recycling Success Story
• Convenience Store Recycling Program Grows

In Orange County, residents can recycle #1 PETE clear plastic clamshells with their other mixed recyclables in their blue recycling cart. These clamshells are often used to hold berries, cherry tomatoes, spring mix, and sometimes are used as to-go containers. Make sure it is clean, empty and remove the absorbent pad at the bottom of the clamshell (mainly for those holding berries) before recycling.

Clamshells get their name by having a ‘hinged lid’ which attaches the top and bottom of the container. If the container is #1 PETE clear plastic and does not have a hinged lid, you may still recycle it as long as you snap the lid back on to the container before putting it in your recycling. Do NOT recycle the lid and container separately as the lid is lightweight and flat which causes it to be sorted with paper at the recycling facility.

There are other clear plastic clamshells that look similar to #1 PETE clamshells but are a different plastic resin #, most commonly #6 or #7. If it says ‘#7 PLA’ (and not ‘#7 other’) it means it is compostable. The #6 or #7 clamshells are NOT recyclable and should be thrown away. Please check the number on the clamshell to ensure it is #1 PETE before recycling it. 

Upcoming Webinars: Recycle Right, Reduce & Reuse More

Interested in learning how to reduce the waste you generate, explore ways to reuse everyday items and recycle properly? Attend this free webinar hosted by Education & Outreach Coordinator, Kyra Levau, to celebrate and participate in Plastic Free July. The webinar will cover the County’s recycling program in detail, what you can and can’t recycle, and the specialty recycling services offered at the Waste & Recycling Centers. You will discover new practices to reduce your waste in ways that fit your lifestyle as well as ideas for upcycling items for crafty and functional uses.

This class is great for anyone from beginners starting off on their waste reduction journey to those more experienced with a low-waste lifestyle.

Sign up today! Click here to sign up.

Zero-Waste Move Out/In Guide

Do you have items you don’t want but are still usable by others, too hazardous to throw away, or are readily recyclable? YOU CAN reduce waste, support reuse, maximize recycling, decrease your stress (from throwing out usable items), and help your community with less strain on our landfills by using the information in this guide! Click here for Zero-Waste Move Out/In guide. 

Moving out of one place and into another can be stressful – plan ahead and start sorting your stuff early so you can organize what you’ll be keeping, donating, recycling, repurposing, or throwing out. By preparing your stuff early, you can avoid the last-minute stresses of throwing things out which helps minimize the amount of waste you send to the landfill.

Explained: Compostable vs. Biodegradable vs. Oxodegradable vs. ?

What’s the difference between the terms: “compostable”, “biodegradeable” “oxodegradeable” and all of the other terms out there signifying how material breaks down in certain conditions? These terms can be confusing and difficult to discern what will break down and what bin to put it in.
Compostable: Composting is the process of breaking down organic waste through microbial digestion to make compost. Plastics that are labeled as ‘compostable’ are often made from corn, sugar or another crop and break down into soil-conditioning material (aka compost) under a certain set of conditions. Compostable plastics are often labeled with #7 PLA. The #7 indicates the ‘other’ category which represents miscellaneous plastics and the PLA stands for ‘polylactic acid’. Non-plastic compostable products will not say #7 PLA but must say they are compostable. Do not assume that because it is a paper cup or paper container that it is compostable because often times they have a waxy-inner lining that is made from plastic.
In order for plastic to be labeled as ‘certified compostable’ or ‘commercially compostable’ it must:

• be able to breakdown at a commercial or industrial composting facility at a rate similar to the other materials being composted, typically within 6 months
• must not leave any toxic residue that would inhibit the ability of the finished compost product to support plant growth

• BPI Certified Compostable
• ASTM D6400 or D6868 
• TUV Austria Industrial or Home Compost

Just because a product has a green band or eco-friendly logo, does NOT mean it’s compostable. It is important to note that these products should only be composted in an industrial/commercial composting facility to properly degrade. You should only include it in your home compost if the product specifies that it is OK for home compost.  

Biodegradable: This term represents a material that is able to biodegrade under certain environmental conditions over varying periods of time. Microorganisms also play a role in biodegradation however, unlike the term ‘compostable’, labeling something as ‘biodegradable’ is very vague and does not come with any certification or standard to guarantee the product’s biodegradability. All natural ingredients or compounds can biodegrade over time, but some take hundreds of years.
If you get a product labeled ‘biodegradable’, throw it away. Do NOT compost it or recycle it. If a product is labeled with both the terms ‘biodegradable’ and ‘compostable’ but you are unable to find any compostable certification, look up the brand name or email the solid waste department with the item in question and solid waste staff will be happy to find an answer.

Oxo-degradable: These products are made from conventional plastics and supplemented with additives to help break down the plastics into tiny pieces (imitating biodegradation). These smaller plastic pieces are called ‘microplastics’ and pollute the environment, harming our oceans and wildlife. These products should be thrown away, they can NOT be recycled or composted. It is illegal in NC to sell oxo-degradable products without highly visible labeling that they are not recyclable.

Any other labeling like ‘eco-friendly’, ‘100% natural products’, ‘earth friendly’ and other similar labels are meaningless and unregulated. A company can brand their plastic cup as ‘eco-friendly’ without providing any backing to that claim. Similarly, for the term ‘recyclable’, it is an unregulated term and just because a product says it’s ‘recyclable’, does NOT mean it is. Check the A-Z guide to determine if a product is recyclable. 

Apartment Recycling Success Story

Orange County serves about 90% of the apartments throughout the County with recycling. The recently renamed ‘The Lory’ on South Churton St. in Hillsborough recently expanded their recycling sites from 2 to 6. As part of the expansion and revisions to recycling at this complex, Apartment Manager April Hardee has been enthusiastic about placing recycling receptacles at each mailbox site specifically to collect residents’ unwanted mail. Orange County Solid Waste provided the recycling bins and The Lory provided accompanying trash receptacles. The Lory maintenance staff checks the contents of these recycling bins and deposits the unwanted mail in the blue recycling carts before collection day. Ms. Hardee said, “The junk mail (recycling) bins and their trash receptacle counterparts have been the most successful thing about the re-launch! It's funny because my team is on the hook to dump those”. 

Convenience Store Gas Pump Recycling Program grows

The County has recycling receptacles at over half of the gas stations in the County. Upon learning about Orange County’s convenience store gas pump recycling program, Ms. Carolyn Schnare, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the National Association of Convenience Stores, said “After 40 years of consumer education about the importance of recycling and curbside recycling programs throughout much of the United States, consumers see recycling as a civic duty. Convenience store customers also say they would like to see recycling bins outside and inside the stores. According to the 2018 NACS report on trash and recycling, more than half of consumers think retailers need to add more recycling bins. I applaud the Orange County NC Solid Waste Department for working with convenience retailers in Orange County to make recycling convenient!”.

Orange County estimates that each year this program recovers up to 400,000 or more cans and bottles that customers deposit in the recycling carts next to gas pumps or in front of stores throughout the County. The County's solid waste staff thanks those participating stores and their customers for their efforts and notes the program is cost-free and open to any convenience store in Orange County. 

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.