Solid Waste & Recycling E-News January 2022

Did You Know?
Memorial Day Recycling and Facilities Holiday Schedule
Hillsborough Shred-A-Thon
What’s in the Cart?
International Compost Awareness Week
Move-Out Tips
Come See Us at the Grand Opening of Blackwood Farm Park

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:

Hard plastic ice packs and gel ice packs cannot be recycled. Please throw these items away.
Plastic coated paper platesare not recyclable. Non-coated paper plates can only be recycled IF they are unused.
- Tip: to determine if a plate is plastic coated, tear the plate’s edge; plastic coated plates will have a noticeable separate top layer
Rubber doormats are not recyclable. Please donate doormats in good condition or throw away. Rubber products of any kind are not recyclable in single-stream.
Dryer sheets are not recyclable or compostable. Please throw these away.
Metal cookie tins and popcorn tins are not accepted in single-steam recycling. Please take these to the Waste and Recycling Center and place in the scrap-metal drop-off.

International Compost Awareness Week

Happy International Compost Awareness Week! Composting is a valuable process that provides benefits to landfills and soil. Diverting food waste from your garbage saves landfill space in your community and reduces pollution emitted by landfills. Compost improves soil health and fertility; it improves soil structure, retains moisture, increases nutrient content, and boost plants growth.

To learn more about home composting, please view the County’s Composting Education webpage. If you are interested in collecting food waste and organic material for the County’s Food Waste Collection Program, you can learn more on the County’s Food Waste Drop-Off Sites webpage.

Move-Out Tips

With summer right around the corner, college students and residents are moving out. Instead of throwing away unwanted items, consider ways to reuse or recycle them. Reduce landfill waste by using the information below!

Reuse

Donate or sell used electronics in working condition to local thrift stores or charitable organizations.
Usable items, such as clothes, shoes, furniture, books, binders, houseware, and small appliances, are needed by various local charitable organizations, UNC student organizations, and thrift stores.
Donate unopened food to local charitable organizations.
Orange County’s Salvage Sheds accept housewares and other items in good, working condition. Check the webpage for more details on accepted items.

Waste & Recycling Centers – Specialty Materials

Paint, cleaners, bug spray, nail polish, hair spray, fluorescent light bulbs, and other hazardous items should not be landfilled. Share unused items with friends or bring them to the HHW collection site at Eubanks Road and Walnut Grove Church Road Waste & Recycling Centers.
No more than 20 items per trip and no more than 20 gallons of material per day. Of this amount, no more than 10 paint containers per day. Each paint container cannot exceed 10 gallons.
Broken computers, TVs, printers, toner cartridges, and other electronics can be recycling at all Waste & Recycling Centers.
Old, unusable clothing and bedding can be brought to Clothing and Shoe drop-off at select Waste & Recycling Centers.
Unsalvageable furniture, appliances, mattresses, and other items can be brought to the Waste & Recycling Centers. Contact your town’s public works department to schedule curbside bulky item pickup.
Bring opened food and food-related paper products to one of Orange County’s food waste drop-off locations.

Recycle in Single-Stream

Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars.
No clamshells, large rigid plastics, or tupperware.
Clean and dry copy/notebook paper, paperback books, mail, magazines, paperboard boxes, and aseptic cartons.
- No paper towels, tissues, napkins, receipts, or shredded paper.
Glass bottles and jars (empty and rinse).
- No household glass (i.e. drink glasses, mirrors).
Metal cans (empty and rinse).
- No scrap metal.
- No aerosol cans.

Come See Us at the Grand Opening of Blackwood Farm Park

Orange County Solid Waste will be at the grand opening of Blackwood Farm Park on May 19^th from 11 am – 2 pm. Come see the education and outreach team to talk about recycling, composting, and waste reduction!

Blackwood Farm Park is located at 4215 NC-86, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Visit the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation for more details.

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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