N.C. Recycling Mandate Effective October 1st

Please read the following, courtesy of the Apartment Association of North Carolina.

During the 2005 legislative session, the N.C. General Assembly passed House Bill 1465, banning plastic bottles from landfill disposal effective October 1, 2009. The law does not apply to plastic containers used for motor oil or pesticides. Essentially, the state is mandating recycling of plastic bottles.

At least 95 percent of North Carolina residents have access to some type of plastic bottle recycling through local government programs – although the “access” is highly variable in urban North Carolina, ranging from specialized service at apartment properties in some major cities such as Raleigh and Charlotte to managing a single recycling center in a city or a county where individual households must transport recyclables to a single point on a regular basis. Unfortunately, North Carolinians collectively currently only recycle 18 percent of PET plastic bottles! In apartments,several major North Carolina cities provide recycling service at the property level. Others do not. Many cities have evolving programs, such as going to so-called “singlestream” recycling programs (this allows co-mingling of recyclables instead of having to saddle apartment residents with the duty of having to separate recyclables such as paper, plastic, and aluminum).

There are many ways to recycle plastic bottles. To determine the recycling services available in your city or county, use this link: http://p2pays.org/localgov../ncwaste.html. You can also work with your current trash hauler or recycling service provider to start a program. If you need additional help or guidance, call the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance at 919-715-6500 or 800-763-0136.