Solid Waste E-News - April 2021

Any Orange County resident can recycle plastic bags and film at the Eubanks Rd. & Walnut Grove Church Rd. Waste and Recycling Centers during operating hours (hours of operation). Plastic bags and film must be clean and dry. Remove any receipts and stickers from bags. Examples include:

• Retail, carryout, produce, newspaper, bread, and dry cleaning bags (clean, dry and free of receipts and clothes hangers)
• Zip-top food storage bags (clean and dry)
• Plastic shipping envelopes (remove labels), bubble wrap and air pillows (deflate)
• Product wrap on cases of water/soda bottles, paper towels, napkins, disposable cups, bathroom tissue, diapers, and female sanitary products
• Furniture and electronic wrap
• Plastic cereal box liners (but if it tears like paper, do not include)
• Any film packaging or bag that has the How2Recycle Label. The label will tell you if the item is recyclable or not.

*Not all items are accepted at all drop-off locations. Check with your local drop-off to see what is accepted.

Any plastic wrap used to cover food is not accepted.
Do NOT recycle plastic bags or film in your blue recycling cart. Plastic bags and film can only be recycled separately. Putting them in the cart causes significant issues at recycling facilities by jamming/damaging equipment and slowing down the sorting line at the processing facilities. Click here to find a drop-off location nearest you to recycle plastic bags and film. 

Upcoming Events to Celebrate Earth Month!

Shred-A-Thons

Shred-A-Thons are back! These events are both drive-through, from 10am to 2pm, and limited to residents, small Orange County businesses, and employees of Orange County, as well as employees of the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. There is a four bag limit and we strongly recommend clear heavy plastic bags so the program operators can see into the bags for contamination. We will also accept paper in boxes but not in black/colored bags.
 
To ensure the safety of employees and residents, this event will be ‘contactless’ meaning that those bringing paper for shredding will have to unload and dump their paper in the carts at the site themselves, with no assistance from County staff, volunteers, or Pro Shred staff. All attendees are required to wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart and maintain all safety protocols to avoid spreading COVID 19 or its variants.

Recycle Right - Spring Cleaning Webinar

April 21^st from 12-1pm
Interested in recycling properly and minimizing waste during your spring cleaning this month in honor of Earth Day? OC’s Education & Outreach Coordinator, Kyra Levau, will teach you about recycling guidelines, what happens to your recycling, and how to utilize the specialty recycling programs at the Waste & Recycling Centers.

SIGN UP HERE

Hard 2 Recycle Events

Orange County Solid Waste has partnered with the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce and Chapel Hill Public Library to host two ‘Hard 2 Recycle’ events.

Hard 2 Recycle – Hillsborough Chamber Building
Thursday, April 22^nd from 2 – 6 pm
200 N. Churton St. Hillsborough, NC 27278
 
Hard 2 Recycle – Chapel Hill Public Library
Saturday, April 24^th from 2:30 – 5:30 pm
100 Library Dr. Chapel Hill, NC 27514
 
Orange County residents can celebrate Earth day by bringing their hard to recycle items to either of these events! At these events, we will accept the following items from your home (no business waste accepted):

• Cellphones
• Batteries
• Lightbulbs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps -CFL only - ‘Twirly lights’)
• Plastic Bags and film

If the cellphone is still in working condition, consider donating it to a local charity or nonprofit organization. Lithium and lead acid batteries must be taped before recycling - tape will be provided at the event. 

Let's Talk Trash - Composting Panel

Tuesday, April 20^th from 6:30 – 8 pm
Join us to learn about the composting efforts in Chapel Hill by listening to our panel of experts as they discuss food waste reduction initiatives in Orange County. Learn more about the actions you can take to be a part of the solution to mitigate climate change and reduce landfill waste in your community. Whether you're operating a small business, living as a student at UNC, or wanting to compost at home, this panel is here to answer your questions about compost and waste reduction. See Chapel Hill’s revised Climate Action Plan here.
 
SIGN UP HERE

Other Earth Day Related Events in Orange County & Around the Triangle

Earth Day Food Footprint Food Sale
Thursday, April 22^nd from 5-7:30 pm
Climate Reality Orange County is partnering with the Town of Carrboro and Present Day on Main to host an Earth Day Food Footprint Food Sale. This will be at the Carrboro Town Commons on Main Street (where the Carrboro Farmers' Market is held). It will feature a variety of vendors selling delicious vegetarian and vegan foods, with the goal of encouraging visitors to consider cutting back on consumption of meat products, especially those from feedlot producers. The Town of Carrboro's Climate Action Plan includes educating people about the climate impact of their food choices, read the Climate Action Plan here. The Earth Day Food Sale will also include information on composting, including composting of food waste.
The Food Sale will require all visitors to wear masks and follow social-distancing practices. Climate Reality and the many vendors look forward to seeing you at the Food Footprint Food Sale.

Earth Day Celebration – City of Durham
Saturday, April 24^th from 11 am – 6 pm
Celebrate Earth Day with Durham Parks and Recreation! Enjoy concerts and conservation talks from the comfort of your vehicle or bring your own chairs and sit directly in front of your vehicle in the marked space provided. Click here to see their Earth Day performance schedule.

Kiss the Ground Virtual Screening & Panel Discussion – Towards Zero Waste
Kiss the Ground is a full-length documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that sheds light on a “new, old approach” to farming called “regenerative agriculture” that has the potential to balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world. After the 45 minute film, attendees will have a panel discussion with experts from across North Carolina. Register for the event here.

Virtual Tour of South Wake Landfill – Wake County Waste Management Division
Thursday, April 22^nd from 1-2pm
Join Environmental Educators from Wake County on a virtual tour of the local landfill to find out what happens to your trash. As part of the virtual program, learn how to reduce waste at home, recycle more, and how Wake County is putting household trash to better use. Plus, get all your waste related questions answered by their expert panel. Register for the event here.

Earth Day Events – Town of Cary
The Town of Cary is hosting several Earth Day related event from conserving water to backyard chickens! Find the full list of events here.

Break Down Your Boxes! – Recycling Large Cardboard Boxes
It is important to break down your cardboard boxes before recycling them! Breaking them down saves room in your recycling cart. Do not jam boxes into the recycling cart, as it can cause other materials to get stuck in the cart and they will not be recycled. If you have a very large cardboard box, please cut the pieces up into 2ft by 2ft size.
Do not leave cardboard outside of the recycling cart, it will not be collected. If you have extra cardboard that will not fit in your recycling cart, visit any of the Waste and Recycling Centers or 24hr drop off sites located around the County for cardboard recycling. Please ensure that boxes are empty of packaging materials like Styrofoam, packing peanuts and air pillows before recycling. Tape and staples that are on the box are OK.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Offs

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.