Solid Waste & Recycling E-News May 2022

Holiday Collection Schedule Changes
Memorial Day Facilities Schedule
Spring Cleaning
Recycling Stars Updates
Salvage Shed Rules

Getting ready for spring cleaning? Remember to recycle!

Starting from inside your home to forgotten items stored in the garage, Orange County residents can reduce the amount of materials being sent to the landfill during the cleaning process by utilizing the Waste & Recycling Centers (WRC’s).

Clothes, shoes, bedding, belts, and bags, that are clean and odor-free, can be placed in the donation bins at the Eubanks Road and Walnut Grove WRC’s. Worn and torn textiles, including clothing, bedding, and towels, can also be donated if they are clean and odor-free. Please bag the materials before placing them in the bins.

Beyond textile items, household items may be placed in the Salvage Sheds! These sheds serve as mini thrift stores for community members to take what they need for free and donate items that no longer serve them. The Salvage Sheds accept small appliances, kitchenware, books, electronics, non-upholstered furniture, and small sports equipment. The items must be clean and in working condition. The Salvage Sheds help promote local reuse systems and require daily upkeep. Please help keep them clean and free of trash so the County can continue to offer this space.

Non-working electronics and appliances can be recycled too! Orange County residents can bring household items such as monitors, televisions, printers, cellphones, and radios to the Waste & Recycling Centers. Make sure all batteries are removed and recycled separately. Cellphones can be donated to the Compass Center, which helps women and families in the community. Call them to schedule a drop-off (919)968-4610.

Many items commonly stored in household garages may also be recycled at the Centers. Take oil-based paint, cleaners, bug spray, automotive fluids, and fluorescent bulbs to the hazardous household waste collection area in the Eubanks or Walnut Grove WRC to ensure these materials are safely and properly disposed of. Although accepted with hazardous household waste, latex paint can be safely disposed of by drying the paint out at home. Remove the lid and allow the contents to aerate (pro tip: add kitty litter or sand to accelerate the drying process). Once the paint is thoroughly dried, dispose of the can with the lid removed, in the regular trash.

Bulky items in usable condition can be donated. For large furniture, contact Habitat for Humanity ReStores as they offer pick-up options. Another option is to post curb alerts online to platforms like NextDoor, Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. For broken furniture or non-usable bulky items, contact your Town’s Public Works Department to request bulky item pick-up service or bring them to a WRC.

For other materials you may come across during your spring cleaning, please visit our website for more information.

Recycling Stars Program Update

Earlier this year, the Solid Waste Department announced the coming new Recycling Stars program that aims to improve the overall quality and quantity of recyclables collected throughout residential curbside routes. One of the first steps in the Recycling Stars program is to update cart stickers on blue curbside recycling carts. This will provide residents with updated information on what can be recycled and can serve as a guide when residents are placing materials in their recycling cart. Some residents will begin to see new cart stickers in the next few weeks.

As a reminder, this program involves inspectors looking in recycling carts to assess the materials and check for contamination. The inspectors will either leave a recycling star sticker on carts without contamination or an ‘oops’ tag on carts with contamination. Residents that are consistently recycling properly will be entered in a raffle with the chance to win a prize such as a $50 gift certificate to a local farmer's market! Carts with contamination will not be collected and residents will receive personalized contamination letters along with other educational materials to help them recycle right.

Keep up with this newsletter and the solid waste website for more information and updates on this program.

Salvage Shed Rules

The Salvage Sheds are well-loved and frequently visited by residents. The Solid Waste Department wants to remind residents of the rules for the Salvage Sheds.

Residents can visit a shed once per day and for no more than 10 minutes per visit. This limit is to allow for the sheds to benefit all community members. Loitering is not allowed at any Waste & Recycling Center. Only items that have been placed in the sheds are available to residents; please do not approach people or cars that are being unloaded.

Please ensure that all items brought to the Salvage Sheds are in clean and working condition. When non-usable items are left it makes it more difficult for site attendants to maintain the cleanliness and organization of the sheds.

Follow Us On Social Media!

Follow our social media pages for important updates on waste and recycling programs in the County, upcoming events & webinars, answers to FAQ’s, facilities schedule changes (due to holidays or inclement weather) and other important recycling news you can use!

@ocncsolidwaste on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

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 since shows are archived for a month after airing.