Plastic Free July

Celebrate Plastic Free July, a global initiative by the Plastic Free Foundation working towards a future with less single-use plastic and decreased plastic pollution. An estimated 11 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean every year (oceanconservancy.org). Plastic breaks down into smaller pieces and particles called micro-plastics. Plastic pollution and micro-plastics impact our water sources, oceans and marine species, human health, and more (iunc.org). By reducing your consumption of single-use plastics, you can help decrease the amount of plastic waste created each year. Small changes add up to make a big difference!

The Plastic Free July challenge encourages you to refuse single-use plastic in one or several areas of your daily life for a day, week, or the month of July. Join the challenge, and learn about new ways to reduce single-use plastic. Think of challenges that can be easily added to your daily life. Set a goal plastic-free goal for a day, week, or month, and try to continue after July.

Some example challenges include:

Refuse drinks that come in single-use plastic. Bring your reusable water bottle or coffee cup instead.
Pack your lunch in reusable containers and reusable silicone bags. Bring reusable silverware and a washable napkin.
Opt for reusable or paper bags at stores.
Bring a reusable container to restaurants for leftovers.
Choose loose produce instead of bagged or packaged.
Buy items in bulk, or opt for items that come in less packaging. I.e. one large box of crackers, instead of several snack-sized bags.
Choose items that are packaged in paper, glass, or metal, such as bar soap, canned goods, and condiments in glass jars.

Here are some helpful steps for you to reduce single-use plastic (and other waste) consumption:

Join the Plastic Free July challenge by setting some goals for the month of July.
Share your Plastic Free July goals with your family, friends, coworkers, and others! Reducing waste is a community effort – the more people involved, the less waste there will be.
Visit Orange County Solid Waste’s Waste Reduction webpage to learn more information and tips.

Bulk bin section at the grocery store (realsimple.com).

Illegal Trash Burning

Burning trash and other man-made and non-vegetative materials is prohibited by North Carolina law. This includes household trash, plastic, newspaper, cardboard, metal, rubber, clothing, furniture, and more. Smoke from fires containing trash can cause serious health implications to those conducting the fire and people in surrounding areas. Some health threats include asthma attacks, lung and eye irritation, coughing, and dizziness. Burning trash also leaves toxic substances in the remaining ash. These toxins contribute to dioxins (long-lasting organic pollutants that are dangerous to humans) and soil, air, and water pollution.

If you are concerned about instances of trash burning or other air quality effects, please contact your NC Division of Air Quality Regional Office to submit a complaint. Please refer to the NC DEQ’s Open Burning webpage for more details on open burning regulations.

What's in the Cart?

A monthly review of the most common and obscure findings in recycling carts.

As part of the Recycling Stars Program, solid waste staff evaluate curbside recycling carts to educate residents on proper recycling. Some contaminants that inspectors have found:

Balloons, both rubber and plastic, are not recyclable. Please throw these away.
Insulation is not accepted in recycling. Please dispose of insulation in Construction & Demolition drop-off. Please note, some insulation is made from fiberglass or may contain asbestos. To learn how to safely remove and dispose of fiberglass insulation, please visit North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website.
Window blinds are not recyclable. Please throw away blinds in the trash, or donate if in working condition.
Plant pots are not accepted in single-stream recycling. Reuse or donate pots, if possible. Large, rigid pots can be disposed of in the Rigid Plastics drop-off at the Waste & Recycling Centers. Small starter pots should be thrown away.
Baby wipes cannot be recycled. Please throw away used and unused baby wipes. Check with local organizations for donating unopened packages of baby wipes.

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.

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For more waste and recycling content, follow Orange County NC Solid Waste @ocncsolidwaste on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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