How will New Hanover County handle the new State law on recycling plastics?

Home > County Commissioners / Governing Body > Posts > How will New Hanover County handle the new State law on recycling plastics?

9/15/2009

With the 10/1/09 state requirements on recycling plastic bottles, among other items, must we depend on the trash haulers or has New Hanover County applied for an exemption? The prohibition against aluminum cans has been in effect for some time but we, in the unincorporated areas, have been placing aluminum cans in our regular garbage all along.

I and several of my neighbors are confused. Waste Industries, for example, has no plan for 10/1 for plastic bottles; should this include aluminum cans? Further, the information we have includes "ABC containers" as a banned item, but as I read the law, this includes only businesses with ABC permits.

Briefly, what happens 10/1? Our Homeowners' Association has gathered information on this matter, but I do not believe all of what we have is correct, and I know it is not complete.

Thank you for your time.

Tom Parker

******************************

Response: I have asked John Hubbard, Director of the Environmental Management Department to respond to your question. Chairman Ted Davis

To answer your initial question, no we have not asked for an exemption on the state requirement for recycling plastic bottles. We have been working with the state on this issue for quite some time. State personnel have actually told us that, regarding residential waste, they do not feel there is much more that local government can do. They stated that the county and the towns have provided every household in New Hanover County with the opportunity to recycle (in New Hanover County’s case, with the seven drop-off sites).

You are correct, aluminum cans have been banned from both WASTEC and the landfill for some time. Our drop-off sites have a container for aluminum cans as well as plastics.

I have talked with the major haulers about this plastic bottle ban, in addition to the ban on oil filters and pallets at the landfill, all effective on October 1, 2009. The hauler you mentioned, Waste Industries, told me that they were gearing up to offer some form of recycling. This is exactly what the state wants to see – the haulers stepping up to help with recycling these items. If curbside recycling is offered by the haulers, I believe that it would be for more than one item. Therefore, it should include recycling aluminum cans.

You are correct regarding the ABC containers. The ban only affects businesses that have alcoholic beverage permits.

On October 1, our waste screeners will be looking for large producers of banned items. If we witness a violation, we will notify the hauler involved and request that he/she, in turn, takes action to notify the source of the violation.

We appreciate you and your Homeowners’ Association interest in recycling. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you or your Homeowners’ Association have any further questions.

John H. Hubbard

Director, Department of Environmental Management

New Hanover County

Posted at 12:02 PM by Davis, Ted | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (7)

Comments

Recycling plastics and other items

Why will the state not make this mandatory to recycle???? In New Jersey we HAD to recycle or you got fined......at first I grumbled but after doing it for a while it was sooo easy and I felt so much better knowing i was making a difference in the environment. In NJ you could recycle everything....i still cant believe after being here 15 years what i can recycle is extremly minimal....NC has a loooong way to go...actually in Wake Forest you can recycle many more items than you can here....the homeowners need to be more educated on what we can recycle....i am still confused and the info i have received is very unclear....i was just told recently by our recycling pickup guys that i can only recycle plastics that have a neck!!! What???? now i am really confused!! please make it mandatory for
EVERYONE to recycle!!!

at 9/25/2009 8:25 AM

Recycling Bins

If after October 1, everyone went to the seven areas the county has designated for recycling with their bottles (or even now, with their cans), there would be several huge mounds of bottles and cans and long lines waiting to get in.

Perhaps the county could ask the City of Wilmington to expand since they are recycling effectively already.

at 9/25/2009 3:01 PM

My favorite part is.....

OK SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT....

WE PAY THE GARBAGE COMPANY THE SAME AMOUNT ....THEY HAUL AWAY LESS... AND LUCKY US GETS TO PUT GARBAGE IN OUR $30,000 CARS AND DRIVE IT AROUND TOWN....

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK MY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOR ALL THIER TREMENDOUS EFFORT AND OBVIOUS VISION IN THINKING THIS THROUGH!

***********I AM SURE THE AUTO DETAILERS OF AMERICA , WITH THIER POWERFUL LOBBYISTS, HAD THIER HANDS IN ON THIS!!**********************

JUST A THOUGHT..... HAVE THE REFUSE COMPANIES PASS OUT RECYCLE BINS (I DONT KNOW, MAYBE BEFORE THIS BECAME THE LAW)

ANYONE ELSE THINK ALONG THESE LINES????

at 10/3/2009 6:17 PM

Savings

This is a chance for the County to think hard. I bet if someone looked into this there is a way the County can even save/make money as well reduce the amount of trash delivered to the land fill. Reduced fees for subjects who will fully use recycling services. This will keep the public happy that they are saving 3 0r 5 dollars on their bill. We could have have two dates to pick up trash. One for trash and one for recycling items. The metals can be deliverd to a business that can use the recycled items. They will handle the items for free since they normally pay the public to give the same items to them in the first place. This can go as well as for the plastic and other items. If it is enough to support the issue there may be some business that will be happy to help pay for the program so that they can be the one who gets the recycling items. There will be less trash at the fill so there will be a lower cost to the county to service the sight.

at 10/4/2009 6:51 PM

Recycling for Dummies....

A-1 Sanitation is offering recycle bins for a fee of around $10/month. So, if I "do the right thing" and separate my garbage, I pay more???? I believe this is what is called "rewarding bad behavior". I have recycled for the past 30 years (15 years ago, I lived in NY and it was mandatory). I will continue to recycle but am really mad that the neighbor whose garbage bin is overflowing (with aluminum, plastic, cardboard, etc.) pays LESS than I do for a garbage bin 1/3 full. The sensible response by the garbage hauler would be to charge the extra fee to those who chose NOT to recycle....thus rewarding "good" behavior.

at 10/12/2009 1:21 AM

Remove head from .....

Part I
To start with put a deposit on the bottles like other states do. The beverage companies initially balked at the idea, but then became quiet when they started making more money from people who didn't return the bottles. After awhile the state caught wind of how much money (several millions/year) the bottling companies were making on bottles that were not returned and imposed a tax on the bottlers.

Part II
I used to live in a county where you paid for trash/recyclables by the number of bags you put out. You bought specially designated orange plastic bags labeled for household refuse ($3 in 1994) at the drug store, grocery store and clear bags for the recylables. The clear bags ($1 in 1994) could contain only one type of recyclable, such as newspaper, cans, bottles. The county would distribute the bags to local vendors at convienient locations thoughout the community. The waste hauler would make the rounds as usual and pick them and and get paid directly from the county by the bag. We were a family of five at that time and it was amazing how little went in the household trash.

at 10/27/2009 7:35 AM

What about the incinerator?

I don't think we are getting the full story about recycling plastic bottles and other items that burn such as pallets? As far as I know these items do not end up in a landfill. These items are combustible and are burned in the local incinerator to generate electricity.

at 11/1/2009 2:07 PM

Add Comment

Items on this list require content approval. Your submission will not appear in public views until approved by someone with proper rights. More information on content approval.