Latest News
- Orange County decided on December 7, 2009 to not site a Solid Waste Transfer Station in Orange County of its own at this time.
Click here for more information on the Transfer Station Site search process.
- New Hours of operation for Orange County Solid Waste Convenience Centers starting September 21, 2009
- Outdoor Compost Bins are no longer available at the Orange County Solid Waste Management office. They have sold out!
Orange County Hits Its Highest Waste Reduction Rate of 54% for 2009
The State of North Carolina Annual Solid Waste Management Report released today states that Orange County achieved a waste reduction rate of 54% last year, meaning that an average of 0.63 tons of waste per person was landfilled compared to disposal of 1.36 tons in the base year of 1991-92. Fifty-four percent is the highest rate achieved by the County since waste reduction measurement began in 1993. It tops the County’s previous high of 50% achieved in 2008 and puts the County well along its path to achieving its 61% waste reduction goal. This rate includes all waste landfilled outside of Orange County but identified as originating here, so if a private hauler moved waste from Orange County to one of the three transfer stations in Durham, or the private landfill in Person County but noted it was from Orange County, it would be counted against Orange County. Construction and demolition waste is also included in this total.
This 54% waste reduction rate ranks Orange County third in the state in waste reduction rate per person in 2009, behind Jones County at 66% and Martin County at 57%. Surrounding Triangle Counties had waste reduction rates ranging from 36% in Chatham, to 12% in Wake and 1% in Durham. In Johnston County waste landfilled increased 41%. Alamance achieved a 2% waste reduction rate. Mecklenburg, the largest County and home to the City of Charlotte, the state’s largest city, had a waste increase of 6%.
The statewide 2009 reduction rate was 0% compared to 1991-92 rate, meaning an average of 1.07 tons of waste per person was landiflled last year, the same amount as in 1991-92, down from a high of 1.25 tons per person in 2006. The state’s waste reduction goal is 40% compared to the base year.
A waste reduction rate is not the same as a recycling rate which many states measure. A recycling rate compares the tons recycled to the tons landiflled in any given year, not necessarily over time. While the recycling rate can be a useful measure, it would not include waste reduction approaches that are effective in resource conservation, but more difficult to quantify such as backyard composting, reducing junk mail or bringing your own bags to shopping. Orange County Solid Waste Management Director Gayle Wilson said, “Our waste reduction rate of 54% is a tribute to the people who live and work in Orange County’s zeal for recycling and other reduction measures such as backyard composting, and to the leadership and support of the County’s elected leaders. Even with a downturn in the economy, recycling continued at a high rate in all the programs we offer the public and last year we sold more backyard composting bins than ever. We look forward to additional progress and towards finalizing a plan that helps us achieve or surpass our 61% goal.”
Orange County Solid Waste Management Inclement Weather Schedule, Friday February 3.
Orange County Government is operating on a one hour delay in anticipation of wintry weather. The Orange County Solid Waste Management Administration Office will open at 9:00A.M. The Orange County Landfill and Solid Waste Convenience Centers will open at 8:00A.m., one hour later than normal.
NEW! Orange County now collects plastics that are not bottles, #2 and #5 to be recycled--
Drop-Off locations only!
Orange County now collects “rigid plastics”, which are defined as plastics that are not bottles and are limited to resin types High Density Polyethylene HDPE #2 and Polypropylene #5. As of February 1, 2010, bright purple dumpsters situated at Orange County 24-hour Recycling Drop-off Sites and Solid Waste Convenience Centers will accept a broad range of plastic items including yogurt tubs and stadium cups, five gallon buckets, kitty litter buckets, milk crates, plastic trash cans, broken recycling bins, plant pots larger than one pint, plastic storage totes and their lids, plastic lawn furniture, kiddie pools, broken plastic sleds and other plastic toys.
Do not include: plastic bottles (recycle those separately at drop-off sites, at the curb, or apartment complexes), plastic bags (recycle these at local grocery stores), styrofoam, or #1 clear plastic clam-shell take-out containers and salad boxes (discard these in your regular trash). Rigid plastics must be clean, free of food residue and dirt.
Rigid plastics cannot be collected in the County’s curbside recycling program, or recycling cart sites at apartment complexes and businesses; they must be recycled at one of the drop-off locations only. Orange County Solid Waste Management will be taking rigid plastics to a different recycling market than the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) that currently accepts the County’s commingled bottles, cans and jars. These rigid plastics will be transformed into pipe, flower pots, buckets and other industrial or consumer goods.
The labor necessary to sort rigid plastics from other recyclables often outweighs their value, so we are asking residents to do the sorting at the drop-off sites. This will help the County receive the best value for the materials, and prevent what would be considered contamination from going to the MRF. There are an estimated 2,800 tons of plastics in the Orange County waste stream that are not bottles or plastic film. While not all of these plastics will be accepted by the Rigid Plastics Program, this program will expand the recycling opportunities available to Orange County citizens, further reduce the amount of material being buried in the Orange County Landfill and reduce fossil fuel consumption for new plastic products.
Bradshaw Quarry Solid Waste Convenience Center Schedule Change Effective February 1.
Beginning Monday February 1, 2010, days of operation of the Bradshaw Quarry Convenience Center will be reduced to only two days per week.
The new schedule at Bradshaw Quarry will be:
OPEN Tuesday 7:00a.m.-6:00 p.m.
OPEN Saturday 7:00a.m.-5:00 p.m.
CLOSED Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
The Bradshaw Quarry Center is located at the intersection of Bradshaw Quarry Road and Oak Grove Church Road, Efland. Yard Waste is not accepted at the Bradshaw Quarry Road Center.
There are four other centers available to all Orange County residents:
1514 Eubanks Rd., located one mile west of Hwy.86 in Chapel Hill,
1616 Ferguson Rd., near the intersection of Old Greensboro Hwy, Chapel Hill,
7001 High Rock Rd, located ¼ mile west of Mill Creek Road, Efland, and
3605 Walnut Grove Church Rd., located near the intersection of Hwy.86 North, Hillsborough.
The hours at these four centers are:
Monday, Tuesday, Friday, 7am-6pm
Saturday, 7am-5pm
Closed Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Free confidential paper shredding for Orange County residents, April 22 and May 1.
The Orange County Solid Waste Management Department will sponsor two free “post-tax-season” Shred-A-Thons in cooperation with University Mall, the Chapel Hill Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Orange County residents or employees may securely destroy and recycle their personal confidential documents at no cost.
Both events are from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will take place at the following locations:
- Thursday, April 22 -- University Mall, Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, near the Wachovia Bank Building. Held in conjunction with the Chapel Hill Police Department and University Mall.
- Saturday, May 1 -- Hampton Pointe Shopping Center, Hwy 86, Hillsborough at the 24-hour recycling drop-off site located behind Home Depot. Held in conjunction with the Orange County Sheriff’s Dept.
There is a limit of ten “banker-box” sized boxes or large bags of paper per person, and one trip per person. Please remove all plastric bags, plastic binders, folders, computer disks, laminated paper or any other non-paper materials prior to bringing loads to the Shred-a-thon. Incidental staples or paper clips are acceptable.
Shredding will take place on-site in full view of people delivering paper. The events are limited to Orange County residents, residents who live in the part of Chapel Hill located in Durham County, or those working for the County or Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough.
New Hours of operation for Orange County Solid Waste Convenience Centers starting September 21, 2009.
Starting Monday, September 21st, Solid Waste Convenience Centers will be closed one hour earlier during the week, and additionally will no longer be open Thursdays and Sundays.
The NEW Solid Waste Convenience Center hours will be:
OPEN Monday, Tuesday, Friday 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
OPEN Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
CLOSED Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday
Landfill Permits will no longer be issued in Orange County, Effective July 27, 2009
As of July 27, 2009, free landfill permits will no longer be issued by Orange County. This includes the staffed Orange County Solid Waste Convenience Centers and the Solid Waste Administration office. Permits issued prior to that date must be used on or before July 25, 2009 as they will no longer be valid after that date. Permits may be used by only the party to whom they were issued.
Permits have historically been provided to residents that use the Solid Waste Convenience Centers for large loads that exceed Center capacity guidelines, multiple loads from one residence, and for materials that are not accepted at the Solid Waste Convenience Centers.
Residents can take large, multiple, or loads of materials not accepted at the centers to the Orange County Landfill and now must pay the associated cost. Pick-up truck loads (1,000 pounds or less) of mixed waste are $22 each. Vegetative waste/brush and clean, unpainted and untreated wood should be separated for recycling at reduced rates. Scrap metal and corrugated cardboard can be recycled at no charge. All loads must be tarped.
The Orange County Landfill is located at 1514 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill (between NC Hwy 86 and Old Hwy 86). Hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 am to 12 noon.
Residents of the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, or Hillsborough may contact their respective Public Works Department for curbside collection policies and fee schedules.
- Town of Carrboro: 918-7425 or email: pworks@ci.carrboro.nc.us
- Town of Chapel Hill: 969-5100 or email: publicworks@townofchapelhill.org.
- Town of Hillsborough: 732-2104 ext. 222 or email: hillworkorders@ncrrbiz.com
Mattresses and box springs will no longer be accepted at Solid Waste Convenience Centers, effective July 27, 200
As of July 27, 2009, mattresses and box springs will no longer be accepted at staffed Orange County Solid Waste Convenience Centers. Orange County residents will need to bring mattresses and box springs directly to the Orange County Landfill, 1514 Eubanks Rd. in Chapel Hill (between NC Hwy 86 and Old Hwy 86) for a charge of $22 per pickup truck load. Other items may be included in the load to fill it up, not to exceed 1,000 pounds. Hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 am to 12 noon. All loads entering the landfill must be tarped.
The Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill will both collect these items at the curb from their residents for a fee. For more information contact Carrboro Public Works by phone: (919) 918-7425 or email: pworks@ci.carrboro.nc.us or if you live in Chapel Hill, contact Chapel Hill Public Works by phone: (919) 969-5100 or email: publicworks@townofchapelhill.org.
The Town of Hillsborough will collect these materials at the curb from their residents at no additional charge. Contact Hillsborough Public Works by phone 732-2104 Ext. 222 or via email to place a work order request: hillworkorders@ncrrbiz.com.
If you are replacing an old mattress and box spring with a new one, most companies when delivering the new mattress will remove and discard the old mattress and box spring at no additional charge for their customers.
Futon cushions will still be accepted at the Convenience Centers and should be placed in the appropriate container as directed by Convenience Center staff. Mattresses and box springs may not be left in the salvage sheds, nor are they an acceptable item for local charities. If you feel your mattress is still in good usable condition, consider posting it on www.freecycle.org on the Orange County, NC “freecycle” list.
Orange County wins 2009 American Forest and Paper Association Award for Best Community Paper Recycling Program
On May 5, the 2009 American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) Community Recycling Award was presented to Orange County, North Carolina. The annual awards recognize outstanding community, business, school, and college/university paper recycling programs across the country.
In 2008, the 128,000 residents of Orange County recovered approximately 8,750 tons of paper for recycling. This success resulted from a combination of education, outreach, and accessibility for residents. The county recycling program includes weekly curbside collection in urban areas; biweekly curbside for rural locations, multi-family units, drop-off sites, and government buildings; and collection from “park and ride” locations and city buses.
“We are pleased to recognize the success of the Orange County paper recycling program,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. “Recycling is one of America’s great environmental success stories, providing ‘green jobs’ and giving new life to used products. Continued support of our existing infrastructure – and programs like the one in Orange County – is crucial to our ability to continue to meet global demand as the economy rebounds.”
Gayle Wilson, Orange County Solid Waste Director said, “Our program’s success is a little like the chasing arrows recycling symbol, “The public asks for a program, the Board provides funding and backing, the staff executes it and the public responds by recycling more. Each round of positive feedback encourages further program success.”
Rob Taylor, County Recycling Programs Manager adds, “Citizens consistently provide high quality recyclable paper to the County’s recycling programs. Our markets praise us and recognize that quality with the best pricing they can offer.’
Thanks to programs like this one and the efforts of millions of Americans, AF&PA recently announced a record-high 57.4 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2008.
For a video and information about the 2009 AF&PA Recycling Award winners, along with how-to guides, interactive features, and additional resources related to paper recycling, visit www.paperrecycles.org.
AF&PA is the national trade association of the forest, paper, and wood products industry. representing companies and related associations that engage in or represent the manufacture of pulp, paper, paperboard, and wood products.
Residential Corrugated Cardboard Banned from Landfill Disposal beginning March 1
In an effort to preserve landfill space and conserve resources, residential and household corrugated cardboard is now banned from landfill disposal. Starting March 1, 2009 Orange County will begin enforcing the ban on disposal of residential corrugated cardboard at the Orange County Landfill, and will also prohibit collection of corrugated cardboard in any licensed waste-hauling vehicle.
Curbside corrugated cardboard recycling at the curb became available to all residents with curbside recycling in November 2008. There is a ten piece limit per set out and all boxes set at the curb must be emptied and completely flattened, and no pieces may be larger than three feet by three feet. Larger boxes or loads may be dropped off at recycling sites or the Orange County Landfill on Eubanks Road. Boxes set at the curb for recycling should be placed inside, under or between recycling bins. Do not stack near garbage carts. Empty pizza boxes, free of cheese, may be recycled, but they are not subject to the ban, so they may also be placed in the garbage cart if they contain excessive food contamination.
Commercially generated recyclable corrugated cardboard has previously been banned from collection and disposal as waste as part of the Regulated Recyclable Materials Ordinance which has now been extended to include residential cardboard. Extension of the ban to include residential corrugated cardboard will result in a total ban in Orange County on landfilling recyclable cardboard.
Beginning in 1996, the County banned landfilling of non-residential cardboard. In 2002 the ban was extended to include collection and hauling, and added the materials scrap metal and clean wood under the County’s “Regulated Recyclable Materials Ordinance”. The ban has been in effect at the Solid Waste Convenience Centers since 2003. This extension of the ban to curbside residential waste was enabled when curbside cardboard recycling collection was initiated in November 2008. Staff estimates this recycling collection expansion combined with the pending landfill ban will shift as much as 500 tons annually to the County’s recycling program.
Sanitation divisions in Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Carrboro have all been notified of the impending ban on disposal of residential cardboard. Harv Howard, Solid Waste-Fleet Maintenance Services Superintendent for the Town of Chapel Hill said, “Residents of Chapel Hill have been notified throughout December of the ban and been informed that they can recycle boxes at the curb or take them to the drop-off sites or convenience centers. The Town is no longer collecting garbage carts with recyclable cardboard in them.”
Loads of waste containing concentrations of more than ‘a large armload’ of cardboard will be subject to a double tipping fee penalty on the whole load. Haulers destined for disposal sites other than the Orange County Landfill will be subject to a series of escalating penalties if County inspectors find them in violation of the ordinance as they randomly spot-check waste containers collected by these haulers.
Orange County’s Drop-Off Recycling System Now Easier to Use
All cans, bottles, jugs and jars recycled at County’s ten drop off sites can be recycled together. Recyclers will no longer have to separate each color of glass bottle, metal cans and plastic bottles, jugs and jars. Instead they can all be dumped together into the large blue recycling containers. This change, known as “commingling” will also apply to 150 bars, restaurants and other businesses that are now part of the County’s commercial recycling program. Recycler Peter Laramore, who uses the recycling drop-off site at University Mall said “It will be super convenient to not have to separate!” The county hopes it will increase efficiency too.
Rob Taylor, Orange County Recycling Programs Manager said, “Orange County wants to make its drop-off collection program more efficient and easier for the citizens. When we made this change for our curbside and multifamily recycling programs we found that collection became about 25% more efficient and that the amount of material recycled increased as well. The change will reduce the number of times collection must take place from our drop-off sites. In the past, it was typical for the plastic bottles’ sections of the large blue containers at drop-off sites to fill well before the other sections; now the containers can remain on-site until the whole container is full, rather than hauling only partly full containers when one section is full. The same is true for roll carts at businesses. Staff and truck time saved as a result of these changes can be devoted to expanding collection programs to more businesses.”
County staff will inspect the loads mixed cans, bottles, jugs and jars for contaminants when they are dumped and accumulated into 120 yard tractor trailer loads thus improving the materials’ quality before it is shipped out to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where the material is sorted. The larger loads also reduce the number of trips to recycling processors. The County sends its mixed recyclables to a material recovery facility in Greensboro, FCR Recycling, for processing and receives varying revenues per ton for the mixed cans and bottles delivered there. The amount of revenue received fluctuates with market value for cans and bottles as well as the cleanliness of the loads; the fewer contaminants, the higher the revenue. So, even though recyclers no longer have to separate their recyclables, all other rules still apply such as No plastic bags, plastic bottles and jugs only, no dishes, plates, ceramics, or mirror glass-- glass bottles and jars only.
After operating a source-separated program for over twenty years, Orange County is following the national trend in its shift to collecting commingled cans and bottles and selling them for processing at a central location. In June 2005, the County converted its curbside programs to commingled cans and bottles from curbside sorting of all materials, and the multifamily program followed in July 2007. Overall, this approach appears to be a more efficient and cost-effective than the traditional source separated approach as sorting equipment and techniques improve and labor and fuel costs for collection increase, and it increases the ease of recycling for the citizens and for the collectors.