Mecklenburg County Commercial Source Separation Ordinance
Reauthorization
Background
North Carolina House Bill 859, passed in 1996, required all units of local government to put in
place a 10-year solid waste management plan by July 1, 1997. The goal of the bill was to
reduce the amount of solid waste landfilled by 40% by June 30, 2001. Mecklenburg County
Solid Waste Management fulfilled the requirement to develop the plan. Since business and
industry accounted for 78% of the recyclable material that ended up in the landfill, Mecklenburg
County Solid Waste Management proposed that a $1 per ton fee be levied on commercial waste
to fund a voluntary educational effort in reducing commercial waste landfilled. The Mecklenburg
Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) did not approve this proposal, and hence the start of
an organized voluntary public/private partnership was developed, the Coalition for Voluntary
Commercial Waste Reduction.
Though successful in raising the awareness level of businesses in the community on issues of
recycling and waste reduction, the reduction goals were not successfully met. Mecklenburg
County appointed a task force, Source Separation Task Force, of business leaders to develop a
mandatory source separation ordinance for corrugated cardboard and office paper. The
Ordinance was subsequently adopted by Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, and the
Towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Mint Hill and Pineville. The Ordinance became
effective January 1, 2002.
Ordinance Implementation
The mandatory source separation program consists of the MECKLENBURG COUNTY
ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE THE SOURCE SEPARATION OF DESIGNATED MATERIALS
FROM THE MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE STREAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF PARTICIPATION
IN A RECYCLING PROGRAM and corresponding support programs. The intent of the
Ordinance is to reduce the amount of commercial waste landfilled, and requires businesses that
contract for 16 cubic yards or more of waste on a weekly basis to keep separate their office
paper and corrugated cardboard for the purpose of recycling. Commercial recycling collection is
provided by the private sector in Mecklenburg County.
Progress Towards Reduction Goal
Tons Reduced
FY 1998/99
Base Year
FY 2001/02
FY 2002/03
FY 2003/04
FY 2005/06
FY 2009/10
Base Year
25,500 Tons
28,000 Tons
39,000 Tons
www.recycle.charmeck.org
Tons/Persons/Year % Decrease from
Base Year
1.04 Tons
Base Line
.86 Tons
.84 Tons
.80 Tons
.74 Tons
.68 Tons
17% Decrease
19% Decrease
23% Decrease
27% Goal
35% Goal
Public Outreach
Approximately 39% of the participants of the 2004 Urban Institute Survey indicated that they are
aware of the Source Separation Ordinance. The outreach initiative is to maintain a continuous
and effective campaign to increase awareness of commercial recycling in this area. The
outreach programs includes, development of a Commercial Recycling Communications Plan,
television, radio and print advertisements, interviews, brochures, recycling Info line, recycling
website, public presentations, focus groups, surveys, and other outreach tactics targeted to
specific sectors, such as hospitality, transportation and distribution, property managers and
printers.
Enforcement
In 2004, the County initiated a Business Recycling Enforcement program. Over 1,000
businesses have been visited and approximately 55% of those were in compliance of the
ordinance upon initial inspection. Potential Notice of Violation letters were sent to 101
businesses, all of these businesses were provided with the opportunity to receive technical
assistance and education to ensure compliance to the Ordinance. Only eight businesses have
been sited with first notice of violations and one business has been sited with a second notice of
violation. There have been no fines levied. The inspection program has also been a good
opportunity to educate businesses on recycling and open lines of communication for other
environmental programs.
Zoning
Adequate space is essential to siting recycling containers. Zoning regulations were drafted and
approved by the City of Charlotte, Pineville and Cornelius allowing for additional parking spaces
for recycling, and requiring equal garbage/recycling space allotments in new construction.
Recycling Infrastructure
One of the benefits of the Ordinance has been in the area of economic development. There are
now additional companies servicing businesses in the county, and many of those businesses
take a wider range of recyclable materials. Businesses can now recycle newspaper,
magazines, catalogs, and boxboard, in addition to the traditional recyclables, white paper and
corrugated cardboard. Adequate collection and processing capabilities have been maintained
by the private and public sector. Mecklenburg County has also provided 22 drop off locations
for the collection of recyclable materials.
Benefits to Continuing the Commercial Recycling Program
• The business community has not objected to this Ordinance and has been generally
supportive.
• The Ordinance has reduced the amount of waste landfilled in the County and is making
progress towards achieving its waste reduction goals.
• It is making recycling at work a permanent part of doing business in Mecklenburg County.
• The Ordinance has established opportunities for new businesses to provide recycling
services within Mecklenburg County.
• It is helping protect our land, water, air and other environmental resources.
Proposed Changes to the Ordinance
• Remove “foreign corrugated cardboard” from the Ordinance
• Remove the sunset clause from the Ordinance
www.recycle.charmeck.org