Solid Waste & Recycling E-News June 2022

• Did You Know?
• New Recycling Cart Stickers
• Juneteenth Recycling and Facilities Holiday Schedule
• The Importance of Proper Battery Disposal
• Orange Recycling Bins
• University Place 24-Hr Drop-Off Site - Officially Closed
• Cans and Bottles are Banned from the Landfill 

Receipts are not like regular paper; they are printed on thermal paper and can NOT be recycled. Thermal paper does not pulp in the same manner as other paper and contains a chemical called bisphenol-A (or sometimes bispehnol-S), which cannot be removed in the recycling process. Bisophenol-A, commonly known as BPA, and other chemicals stick on the fibers of thermal paper, contaminating other papers in the recycling stream.

The best thing to do is say ‘no’ to receipts. Some self-checkout kiosks provide the option to not print a receipt. Several drug stores and grocery stores can email or text the receipt to you instead. Ask the cashier to not print a receipt or, if there is an option, receive it electronically instead.

The Importance of Proper Battery Disposal

On Monday, June 6^th, one of the County’s recycling collection trucks caught on fire due to a battery being improperly disposed of in a blue recycling cart. Thankfully, no one was injured and the fire was taken care of expediently.

It is critical that batteries are NOT recycled with mixed recycling. Batteries pose a very serious fire risk when disposed of improperly. An entire recycling facility burned to the ground due to a battery related fire.

Orange County residents can bring their batteries to any of the five Waste & Recycling Centers to be recycled safely and separate from other materials. Lithium batteries must be separated from other batteries with the ends/terminals taped. There are containers labeled for lithium batteries to help separate them from other batteries and reduce fire risks. 

Orange Recycling Bins

The Orange County Solid Waste Department halted the collection of recycling in the orange recycling bins at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 in an effort to protect recycling collection staff. The Department does not plan to resume the collection of recycling in the orange bins and encourages residents to switch to blue roll carts. For residents that are unable to utilize a blue roll cart due to a disability or other reasons, please contact the Solid Waste office for information about the special collection service. The special collections form can be accessed on the recycling collections page under the urban curbside or rural curbside tab.

There are several benefits of switching from bins to carts. One of the main benefits is improving worker safety. Using carts, reduces weather-related accidents and eliminates the need for collection workers to repeatedly bend over to pick up heavy bins. In all County collection trucks, the driver can remain in the vehicle and use an arm to service carts. This helps reduce heavy lifting and keeps County employees off the streets.

Using carts can also lead to increased recovery rates. According to the Recycling Partnership, recycling programs using carts can recover 450 pounds per household per year! The 96-gallon carts allow residents to store up to five times more than the amount of recyclable materials possible in a standard 18-gallon bins. If your household doesn’t generate enough recyclable materials to fill a cart up by collection day, that’s OK! It is recommended to only roll your cart out for collection once it’s over halfway full which helps save fuel, reduces pollution, and lowers costs. Carts also help keep materials contained and protected from rain.

Visit this page to request a cart.

University Place 24-Hr Drop-Off Site - Officially Closed

On Tuesday, May 31^st, 2022, the University Place recycling drop-off site officially closed. The Solid Waste Department, along with many residents, are saddened at the closure of the site. The Department is actively searching for new locations to replace the University Place site.

All the dumpsters have been removed from the site. Anyone leaving their materials at the site may be fined for illegal dumping. Other nearby recycling sites include Eubanks Rd. Waste & Recycling Center, Meadowmont 24-Hr Drop-Off Site and Cedar Falls 24-Hr Drop-Off Site. For a list of all Waste & Recycling Centers and 24-Hr Drop-Off Sites, click here.

Cans and bottles are banned from the landfill! 

North Carolina State law bans aluminum cans and plastic bottles from being disposed of in landfills.

Please ensure that you are recycling these items! Recycling saves energy, conserves natural resources, creates jobs and helps save landfill space. When you recycle plastic, it helps save up to 88% of the energy needed to make new plastic bottles from raw materials with energy savings increasing to 95% for aluminum cans (NC DEQ). Saving energy by recycling also leads to less fossil fuels being burned resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions.

To make sure you always recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans, twin your bins! In your home and office, place a recycling bin next to your trash bin. If you find yourself with a bottle or can and are unable to locate a nearby recycling bin, take it home with you to recycle. 

Check out NC General Statute 130A-309.10 for more information on materials banned from disposal in the landfill.

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. 
**This month's show has been postponed and will take place on Tuesday, June 21.