Solid Waste & Recycling E-Newsletter |
- Did You Know?
- SWAG Meeting
- Shred Center
- Doggy Bag Disposal
- Low Waste Spring Cleaning
- What’s in the Cart?
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Attend the upcoming Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG) Meeting on Thursday, March 20th from 6pm-8pm. Hear results from the County-sponsored municipal solid waste composition study undertaken in November 2024. The meeting will take place in person at the Solid Waste Administrative Building (1207 Eubanks Rd, Chapel Hill) and virtually. Microsoft Teams information will be available on the Solid Waste website the day of the meeting.
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Can't make it the Shred-A-Thons next month? Orange County Solid Waste offers a free shredding service year round for Orange County residents, Orange County small businesses, Orange County departments, all Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Carrboro, and Town of Hillsborough employees, as well as Town departments.
This service is available BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please call 919-968-2788 or email recycling@orangecountync.gov to schedule an appointment.
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- Tuesdays - open to County departments and Town departments.
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Wednesdays - open to Orange County residents and Town and County employees for personal shredding.
- Thursdays - open to Orange County small businesses including not-for-profit organizations (churches and non-government organizations).
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The Shred Center is for confidential un-shredded paper only (no discs, credit cards, magazines, or general bulk mail will be accepted) and all users are limited to 2 boxes of confidential papers per appointment. Boxes must not be larger than 15x12x10 (legal banker box sized) and must be brought in boxes that fit these specifications or the material will be turned away and another appointment will need to be scheduled.
For more information, visit the Shred Center page on the Solid Waste website.
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As important as it is to clean up after your dog, it is equally important to dispose of that waste properly. When doggy bags end up in recycling carts, they are a major contaminant, from both the plastic bags and the hazardous contents inside.
This type of waste contaminates all the recyclable materials in the cart and poses health risks to workers.
Make sure your doggy bags are disposed of properly, keeping you AND your neighbor's recycling carts free of contamination.
Doggy bags should NEVER be put in recycling carts.
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Be a good neighbor and a good recycler and put your doggy bags in the trash.
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Low Waste Spring Cleaning |
Spring is approaching, as is the time for spring cleaning. Rather than using disposable cleaning products and tossing unwanted items in the trash, refresh your space with sustainability in mind. Here are some tips for low waste spring cleaning:
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- Repurpose items instead of throwing them away. Old t-shirts can become reusable cleaning rags.
- Buy cleaning products in bulk and choose reusable rags and wipes.
- Donate, sell, or give away unwanted items like toys, books, and clothing.
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Repair household items rather than disposing of them. Bring them to Orange County's Repair Café on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 1pm to 5pm at the Whitted Meeting Room (300 West Tryon St, Hillsborough).
- Recycle unwanted and unusable items properly. Check the A-Z Guide on the website or the 'Orange County NC Recycles' smartphone app to check disposal options.
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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. The program’s goal is to improve the overall quality and quantity of recyclables collected from households around the County. Residents that recycle properly are awarded a star sticker. Residents also receive feedback on unaccepted items found in their recycling cart via a letter or ‘Oops’ tag attached to their cart. For more information on the Recycling Stars Program, please visit our website.
Some contaminants that inspectors have found recently:
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- Bottle pumps are not recyclable. Please remove the pumps before recycling the containers.
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Waste reduction tip: Purchase products like soap and lotion in bulk to refill the containers and reduce the number of pumps being thrown away.
- Plastic bowls are not accepted in single-stream/mixed recycling as they are not one of the accepted shapes of plastic.
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Waste reduction tip: Donate unwanted bowls to donation centers, nonprofit thrift stores, or Salvage Sheds.
- Small pill bottles are not accepted in single-stream/mixed recycling as they are too small to make it through the recycling sorting process. Bottles need to be at least the size of a soda can to be recycled.
- Waste reduction tip: Check local pharmacies for pill bottle recycling options.
- Dirty pizza boxes are not recyclable* and should be composted or thrown in the trash. *Boxes with small amounts of grease and residue are recyclable, but those coated in grease and food are not.
- Hardback books are not accepted in single-stream/mixed recycling.
- Waste reduction tip: Donate unwanted books to local donation centers, nonprofit organizations, or community programs.
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| Become a Better Recycler! |
Download our free app called Orange County NC Recycles in the Apple or Google Play Store where you can:
• Use the A-Z guide to find out the right way to dispose of your materials
• View the recycling collection calendar and receive reminders
• Learn about the Waste & Recycling Centers
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Follow Us on Social Media |
At Orange County NC Solid Waste on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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Can't Get Enough Trash Talk? |
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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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1207 Eubanks Rd | Chapel Hill, NC 27516 US
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