Solid Waste & Recycling E-News April 2022

Plastic Clamshell Update
Local Composting Facility Virtual Tour
Good Friday- Passover Holiday Schedule
Fork It Over Program Returns
Shred-A-Thon success!
Earth Month/Day Celebrations
Compost Bins For Sale

The County is now working with a different recycling facility that does not accept #1 plastic clamshells. The facility is closer in proximity which helps cut emissions from transportation and saves the County money.

The other recycling guidelines for plastics remain the same – recycle plastic bottles, tubs, jugs and jars. If the plastic item falls into one of those categories, it can be recycled.
The Solid Waste Department appreciates your support and understanding of changing recycling guidelines.

Local Composting Facility Virtual Tour

Do you ever wonder where food waste and compostable materials go in Orange County? This webinar will show how food waste and compostable materials turn into compost at the Brooks Composting Facility in Goldston, NC! The webinar includes a full virtual tour of the composting facility and information about the various processes that take place to make soil-enriching compost.

Register here to learn how the composting magic happens!

Weekend Holiday Schedule

Fork It Over Program Returns

The well-loved “Fork It Over” program returned on April 1, 2022. The program was suspended due to COVID. The program allows residents to borrow durable, stainless steel forks, spoons and knives for special events. This helps residents reduce single-use plastics, minimize waste and save money!
The borrowing process:

Contact the Solid Waste office to make a reservation.
Pick up the clean, sorted and containerized utensils from the Orange County Solid Waste Management office before your event.
Wash the utensils using a sanitary cycle or equivalent dish washing cycle after the event, then separate by type, and place in the same containers in which they were borrowed.
Return the clean boxes with washed and sorted utensils ready for the next event.

There is no cost; the loan program is absolutely free. The utensil sets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Up to 200 sets can be borrowed at a time. Call (919)968-2788 or email recycling@orangecountync.gov to make your reservation.

Donations of clean stainless steel utensils in good condition are welcome! Stainless steel standard forks, dessert forks, standard knives (not steak knives), teaspoons, and tablespoons only, please-- no plastic handled picnic ware. For any donations, please call or email the Solid Waste office.

Shred-A-Thon Success!

The Solid Waste Department wants to thank residents for coming out to the spring Shred-A-Thon events! Nearly 900 people attended the shred-a-thon events and contributed to a combined 28,300 pounds of shredded paper. This paper, securely shredded on-site in the trucks, will be recycled into a variety of paper products such as paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, and newspapers.

The next shred events are scheduled to take place in the Fall. Follow the e-news to find out when the next shred events will take place.
The Shred Center is another option for residents to securely have confidential papers shredded. The program is available to all Orange County residents, small businesses, OC Departments, all Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Carrboro, and Town of Hillsborough employees, as well as Town departments.

Visit the Shred Center page for more information and to schedule an appointment.

Earth Month/Day Celebrations

April 22 - Earth Day
Celebrate Earth Day: Climate Reality of Orange County and the Town of Carrboro are holding their second annual Earth Day event at the Carrboro Town Commons from 5-7:30 pm. The event will feature vegetarian and vegan food trucks along with several local climate/environmental groups, live music, kids activities, electric cars and more. Click here for more information.

April 23
Earth Day Market: Join the Earth Day celebration at the Eno River Farmer’s Market in Hillsborough on Saturday from 8am-12pm. Bring your food scraps and other compostable materials to drop off at the market on your way in. Enjoy the live music and a large variety of plant starters for home gardens.

April 29
Earth Evening: Orange County’s Earth Evening coincides with the Town of Hillsborough’s Last Friday Event and Art Walk. Earth Evening takes place at the David Price Farmers’ Market Pavilion (144 E Margaret Ln) in Hillsborough from 6-8pm with a movie showing at 8pm. There will be several exhibits and hands-on demonstrations on a variety of environmental topics for all ages.
Check out the Town of Chapel Hill’s Guide to celebrating Earth day all month long

April 30
Kids Seedling Day: Join the Carrboro Farmers' Market (CFM) for Kids Seedling Day on Saturday, April 30th! Kids can start their gardens with a free tomato seedling donated by CFM farmers with potting soil and growing tips from Fifth Season Gardening Company in Carrboro. From 8:30am until they run out, the CFM will give away tomato seedlings to kids. Kids will get to pick a seedling of their choice and plant it in a cup with potting soil provided by Fifth Season Gardening Company. Kids can also decorate a label for their seedling and then write a thank-you card to the farmer that donated it. Fifth Season Gardening will also be raffling off a composter!

Compost Bins for Sale

Orange County Solid Waste offers 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.
These make great gifts as well! Gift them to your friends and family that are striving to reduce their waste.
Prices: Counter Top Compost Pail: $5, Earth Machine Backyard Composter: $50

The 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. Individuals 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.

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.