MECKLENBURG COUNTY
Land Use and Environmental Services Agency
SOLID WASTE DIVISION
January 2007
Resource Guide
FOR COMMERCIAL WASTE
REDUCTION AND RECYCLING
Waste Reduction in Mecklenburg County
PRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED CONTENT PAPER
Contents
Introduction
Section I
Section II
Section III
Why should businesses be interested in Reducing Waste & Recycling?
3
Waste Reduction Options
4
How To Create & Implement a Waste Reduction Program
5
Source Reduction and Reuse Strategies and Ideas
10
Procurement Source Reduction and Reuse Strategies & Ideas
11
How to Implement a Recycling Program
Recycling Ideas and Strategies For Small Business
Section IV
Section V
Section VI
Section VII
12
16
Why Recycle
It’s the Law - Mecklenburg County Source Separation Ordinance
17
It Saves Money
18
It Creates Jobs
18
It Reduces Business Operating Costs
19
Tax Incentives
20
Corporate Leadership through Environmental Sustainability
20
Find the Cash in Your Trash
21
Conducting a Waste Assessment
21
Waste Assessment Kit
24
Education Ideas
27
Recognition Ideas
28
Employee Recognition
28
Mecklenburg County Business Recognition Program
30
Litter Prevention and Control for the Business Community
31
A
B
How To Choose a Waste or Recycling Service Provider
Recycling A-Z - Markets for Recyclable Materials
32
33
C
County Recycling Drop-Off Center Map
50
D
How To Sponsor a Commercial Drop-Off Recycling Center
52
E
Sources for Recycling Containers
53
F
Just Say No to Junk Mail!
54
G
Resources and Links
55
H
NC Recycling Legislation
57
Section VIII
Appendix
Glossary
59
Acknowledgements
63
Introduction
T
his Commercial Waste Reduction and Recycling Resource Guide is designed
to provide members of the commercial sector with information regarding the
Mecklenburg County Source Separation Ordinance and the benefits a Waste
Reduction and Recycling Program can provide to their business and the community;
and with practical detailed information to assist a business in starting and/or
enhancing a waste reduction program.
Why should businesses be interested in Reducing Waste and Recycling?
There are numerous sound business reasons to reduce waste such as:
Corporate Leadership Through
Sustainability Initiatives
•
•
Sustainability for business means making
responsible decisions today that will have
positive effects for the future allowing future
generations to have access to the same
resources and environmental benefits that we
enjoy today.
Reducing waste and recycling is good for
the environment and is a prime example
of corporate leadership and environmental
stewardship.
Economic Reasons
•
•
•
•
•
A waste reduction and recycling program saves
money through cost avoidance.
It can turn Trash into Cash!
Operational costs are reduced by
implementing proper waste management
throughout the business process.
It can increase your customer base - the public
patronizes businesses that make efforts to
protect the environment.
Recycling creates jobs, and that is a boost for
the local and state economy.
Instills Employee Pride
•
•
Employees feel good about having a positive
impact on the environment, being recognized
and rewarded for their cost reduction and
waste reduction efforts, and working for a
socially responsible company.
Attract the best of the best! Many employees
who are knowledgeable and experts in their
fields are also socially responsible and want to
work for companies which demonstrate the
same values.
It’s the Law
•
•
The Mecklenburg County Mandatory Source
Separation Ordinance requires businesses to
keep corrugated cardboard and office paper
separate from their trash for the purpose of
recycling and to inform all employees or, in
the case of property managers, tenants, that
recycling is required.
The state of North Carolina currently bans
several items from landfills, and in January
2008 and 2009, additional items generated by
businesses will be banned from landfills and
must be recycled.
North Carolinians throw away enough trash to fill 2,555 miles
of dumpsters each year, enough dumpsters to line the length
of N.C.’s Interstate 40 more than six times.
Section I:
Waste Reduction Options
What is Waste Reduction?
A
ny action you take to reduce the amount and/or
toxicity of waste. It includes waste prevention,
recycling and composting, as well as purchasing
and manufacturing goods that have recycled content or
produce less waste.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t have to
get bogged down in a comprehensive plan. A complex
approach to developing a waste reduction program
would be to review all business operations to identify
and implement as many opportunities for reducing
waste as possible. However, the implementation of
any strategy will result in economic and environmental
benefits for a business. You don’t have to construct
an expensive waste management facility. Just start
somewhere.
Make a plan to lower waste removal costs. Decide to
lower expenditures on raw materials, office supplies, and
equipment. Streamline your operations to reduce waste
AND reduce operational costs. Just deciding
to make informed choices about source
reduction, waste reuse and recycling strategies
is a great start!
Did You Know?
With a 64 percent national recycling
rate, nearly all the steel made in the
United States and in the world is made
from scrap.
Many steel products are recycled at
a high rate in North Carolina, though
less than 20 percent of steel cans were
recovered in 2001.
Look at Appendix B “Recycling A-Z” to
see what can be recycled.
Ways to reduce waste (in order of importance) include:
1
Reduce
Do anything you can to prevent
waste generation from the source.
Source reduction should be your first
strategy before recycling, since it will
save you the most money and have
the greatest positive effect on the
environment. For example, you can:
• Purchase or produce items in
just the quantity needed
• Choose items that use less
packaging
• Avoid using a material
altogether
• Choose items that have a longer
life and can be readily recycled
2
Reuse Focus on reusing materials
again in their original forms.
Many reuse options eliminate
the transportation, energy
and resource requirements
associated with recycling
alternatives. It’s easy to:
• Reuse office furniture
• Re-label file folders
• Remanufacture toner
cartridges
3
Recycle
Use a material again to make
another product.
• Turn recycled tires into
materials for cushioning
playgrounds
• Turn plastic bottles into
clothing or plastic lumber.
• Turn newspapers into
insulation
Section II:
How To Create And Implement
A Waste Reduction Program
1
Step One - Obtain Management Support and
2
Involvement
Unless management is behind it, it won’t happen. Your managers
must endorse your company’s waste reduction program from Day
One. Their support can take the form of an informal endorsement, or
better yet, they can implement a formal waste reduction and recycling
company policy. Management must support the waste reduction team
by endorsing program goals and implementation, communicating the
importance of reducing waste within the company, setting an example,
guiding and sustaining the program, and encouraging employee
commitment and participation through rewards and incentives.
Waste Reduction
Team Responsibilities
•
•
Step Two - Establish A Waste Reduction Team
A team approach to planning, designing, implementing and
maintaining your program allows tasks to be distributed among
several employees from different departments within the company. It
also establishes essential communication links.
Team members should meet regularly to develop a plan and begin
program implementation. How long will it take? Generally, large
facilities incorporating many different options will need several
months to start up a program. Department-specific or more
modest programs might be implemented in less then a month.
Some businesses might even be able to implement simple options
within a matter of days. Regardless, time and resources invested will
undoubtedly be returned by the savings a successful waste reduction
program generates year after year.
•
•
•
•
Works with management
to set preliminary
and long-term goals
and plans for waste
reduction efforts.
Conducts a waste
assessment by
gathering and analyzing
information on
processes, procedures,
and the company waste
stream.
Plans for implementation
of waste reduction
efforts.
Educates employees and
promotes participation
Monitors the progress of
the program.
Provides management
with program status
reports.
Size and Composition of Team - What size team do you need?
It depends on the size of your company, and should represent as many departments or operations as possible. For
a one-person team, choose someone who can wear many hats and is familiar with the overall operations of your
company. Likely candidates for a two-person team would be a company manager and an administrative or technical
support person.
Larger businesses should create a team of employees from different departments to encourage widespread input
and support. Environmental managers, building supervisors, technical, operational, administrative, maintenance or
purchasing staff members, and other employees interested in waste reduction make good team members.
Company management, or the team itself, should appoint a knowledgeable and motivated team leader. Depending
on the size of the company and type of program, the position can require a significant amount of time and energy. The
leader must be capable of directing team efforts; administering the planning, implementation and operation of the
waste reduction program; and acting as a liaison between management and the team. You might choose a facilities
manager, an environmental manager, or an employee who has championed waste reduction in the company. If
possible, the task should be incorporated into the person’s job description.
II:
3
Step Three - Set Preliminary Goals
Do!
The team’s first task is to work with management
to establish and record specific preliminary goals
for the program. The amount of waste that can
be reduced will depend on the level of effort
the company is willing to dedicate to the task.
Remember that goals provide a framework, but
should be flexible – you may need to reexamine
and adjust them as the program proceeds.
4
Step Four - Get Participation From
the Whole Company
Once you’ve established the general direction
of the waste reduction program, you’ll want to
present the program to the rest of the company.
Now’s the time to get employees in the loop and
give the team momentum! Start with a direct
announcement by the president or representative
of upper management, demonstrating that the
program has full management support and is a
high priority for the company. The announcement
should:
•
•
•
•
Introduce employees to waste reduction
Explain how waste reduction will benefit both
the company and the environment
Outline program design and implementation
stages
Publish the team leader’s name and contact
information
Do!
Solicit suggestions from employees.
Post announcements in a prominent place
or distribute them through electronic or
voice mail to save paper.
Communicate regularly to maintain
employee support.
And don’t forget that employees will
appreciate being asked to join in the
company’s waste reduction efforts –find
ways to ask them for help.
5
Step Five - Look at Your Waste Assess the Waste
Stream
What kind of wastes are you generating? How
much of each type of waste is going into the
dumpster? The data you collect in your waste
assessment can be used to identify and evaluate
potential waste reducing options, including
alternative purchasing practices, reuse, material
exchanges, recycling, and composting. If time
or resources prevent conducting a waste
assessment, you can approximate your waste
generated by using industry averages of the
amount of waste generated by companies in
your related field.
Many effective waste reduction and
recycling measures can be adopted
without the help of a formal waste
assessment. For small businesses
or businesses with very few items in
the waste stream, a complex waste
assessment may be unnecessary.
Larger companies will find it helpful
to determine the types and amounts
of waste generated. Refer to Section
V, “Find the Cash in Your Trash,” of this
guide for help in conducting your own
waste assessment!
6
Step Six - Select Ways to Reduce
and Recycle
This is where the most satisfying work begins!
Use the following information to list, analyze, and
choose appropriate waste reduction measures for
your company.
A. Compile and Screen Your Options
Use the results of your waste assessment as a
tool to aid the team in listing all possible waste
prevention, recycling, composting, materials
exchange, and purchasing measures that
might be effective. Consider program goals as
you compile your list.
B. Analyze and Select Your Options
At the outset, strive to consider all three
types of options: source reduction and reuse,
procurement, and recycling.
Source Reduction and Reuse Options
Think waste prevention first – it delivers the
most bang for the buck!! You’ll find that just
one source reduction option can result in
savings in purchasing, storage, materials
handling, removal costs and other areas. Make
sure your analysis is comprehensive and take
into account savings in all related areas.
Source Reduction and Reuse Strategies are
located on pages 10 and 11.
Procurement Options
Commit to new purchasing strategies and
establish new habits in which procurement
with waste reduction in mind becomes the
norm rather than the exception.
Ideas:
• Buy supplies with reduced packaging.
• Beef up inventory control to avoid over
ordering and possibly throwing away
perishable items.
• Use the company’s buying power to
reduce waste and encourage growth of
recycling markets.
• Contact your suppliers and discuss
alternative products that would meet
new purchasing criteria.
Procurement Strategies are located on
page 11.
Recycling Options
Do you have waste that cannot be
prevented? Evaluate recycling options.
Determine the marketability of the materials
to be collected, and weigh the costeffectiveness and potential operational
effects of recycling options. Your team
should also consider whether the new
recycling program will affect current
purchasing practices. For instance, the
company might want to buy exclusively
aluminum cans for vending areas instead
of glass and plastic containers to take
advantage of strong markets for aluminum.
Appendix B, “Recycling A-Z,” lists markets
for recycling.
II:
7
Keep In Mind!
Step Seven - Plan Your Program
Now that you’ve decided to adopt specific waste
reduction options, your team is ready to forge
into planning and implementation. This is not a
race. Plan to build your program slowly, especially
if your waste reduction program is complex.
Implement a few options at a time, so employees
are not overwhelmed by changes in procedure.
In addition to making the program manageable,
your efforts to carefully phase in options will give
time to identify, assess, and solve any operational
problems in the early stages.
If your program involves only a few simple
measures, it might be possible to implement all
options at once. Give it a shot.
Remember that cost-effectiveness may not always
be the overriding criteria for selecting options.
Other criteria, such as improved environmental
awareness, employee morale, community relations
and legal requirements, may be equally important.
If your company is most focused on costeffectiveness, don’t automatically disregard
options that have large start-up costs. When
the long-term feasibility of such options are
considered, they may show impressive multi-year
savings that make them viable.
In selecting your options, you should also review
the long-term feasibility of the program as a whole.
Successful programs can be designed around
complementary options that take advantage of
their different strengths. Don’t remove an option
from consideration until you consider whether
it may, over time, save enough money to pay for
other waste reduction activities that improve
environmental awareness, employee morale, or
community and customer relations.
TIP: Section VI contains great
education Ideas.
Some options do not require extensive
analysis.
For example, a facility that already has a
copy machine that can make two-sided
copies efficiently, easily adapts to a policy
mandating double-sided copying.
8
Step Eight - Roll Out Your Program
You’ve gotten great input from employees, Your
teams have proved their analytic skills. Now it’s
time to kick the program into high gear. Set a
date for the kickoff of the program and make it
fun, creative and exciting. Your team can decide
the best way to motivate and educate your staff,
considering a wide range of communication media
including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Newsletters
Electronic mail
Training sessions
Posters
Employee orientation
Special events -- slogan contests, cash awards,
or other recognition for waste reduction
activities.
Management should ensure that waste reduction
training and education become part of every
employee’s job. Incorporating waste reduction
responsibilities into employee job descriptions
works well.
Note:
Implementing a Recycling Program requires a
somewhat different approach and is covered
in Section III.
9
Step Nine - Reward Employees and
Publicize Results
Let your company bask in the glow of its success.
Publicize waste reduction results so everyone
knows they are making a difference. Monitor the
program and make improvements or modifications
as needed. Respond to employee questions
with enthusiasm and retrain employees when
necessary. Incentives, prizes and awards keep
people pumped up and eager to participate.
Your success makes great press internally and
externally. Waste reduction and recycling can
boost your company’s image. Let your customers
and your community know that you are taking
positive steps to manage waste and protect the
environment.
Tip!
TIP: Read Section VII, “Recognition
Ideas,” for effective ways
to recognize and reward
employees and great education
Ideas.
10
Step Ten - Monitor and Evaluate
Once your program is underway, your team should
judge results against goals. As the potential for
reducing waste in the company becomes better
understood, consider establishing long-term goals
for the program. It is important to evaluate the
program periodically to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Join Mecklenburg County
Waste Reduction and Recycling’s
Business Recognition Program
and enjoy the public recognition
you deserve!
Your Waste Reduction
Program
Keep track of overall program success and to
build on that success
Identify new ideas for waste reduction
Identify improvement areas
Document compliance with any regulations
Determine the effect of any new additions to the
program
Keep employees informed and motivated
The best way to assess and monitor program
operations is through continued documentation.
Perform your first evaluation after the program
has been in place long enough to have an effect
on the company’s waste generation rate, usually
about one year after roll-out. You may find that
conducting additional periodic waste assessments
to determine further changes in the company’s
waste output is worthwhile as well. Data and
procedures from the initial assessment make
subsequent assessment much faster and easier.
10
II:
Source Reduction and Reuse
Strategies and Ideas
Equipment
•
•
In Office Areas
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use e-mail and maintain electronic (instead of
paper) files
Establish a company website instead of printing
brochures
Print on an as-needed basis, instead of mass
producing documents and forms, to avoid extra
copies
Receive faxes through computers and print only
as needed
Make double-sided copies whenever possible
Set up computer software to default two-sided
printing
Reduce size and double-side standard forms
Eliminate unnecessary reports
Maintain central files instead of filing in multiple
files
Proof documents on the computer screen before
printing
Update mailing lists to avoid duplication and
returned mail
Route magazines, reports, and other documents
Install computer-based training for new
employees instead of printing training manuals
Participate in a Commercial Mail Reduction
Program (see Appendix F)
Convert scrap paper, outdated forms, and
letterhead into memo pads
Use non-toxic fluids and art supplies
Reuse office supplies, such as file folders and
manila envelopes, when possible; collect and
store excess reusable items in a central location
for future use
Use outdated letterhead for in-house memos
Sell or donate used equipment and furniture
Provide reusable cups for staff use, instead of
disposables, and reduce use of other disposable
items where possible
Donate old magazines and journals to clinics
and shelters
Reuse cardboard boxes
•
•
•
•
•
Practice preventive maintenance on equipment to
prolong service life
Consider:
• Renting equipment that is used infrequently
• Using repaired or remanufactured office
equipment
• Using rechargeable batteries
• Installing reusable furnace and air conditioner
filters
Invest in equipment that facilitates waste reduction,
where feasible, such as:
• High quality, durable, repairable equipment
• Copiers that make two-sided copies
Reclaim usable parts from old equipment
Rotate tires on company vehicles on a regular basis to
prolong tire life. Keep tires properly inflated
Find uses for worn out tires (e.g. landscaping or swings)
Recharge fax and printer cartridges
Coordinate efforts within your company:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Can waste produced by your company in its
manufacturing process be used as raw material in one
of your suppliers’ products? If so, make this part of your
bid evaluation
Develop a review and approval procedure for all raw
materials and supplies purchased. The purchasing
agent can regulate the quantity of materials ordered to
reduce excess and out-of-date inventory
Inspect materials before acceptance; do not accept
incorrect orders, off-specification materials, impure
feeds, etc.
Have an inventory control system in place, so on-hand
quantities and expiration dates are easily identified;
this will prevent over-purchasing that leads to excess
and out-of-date inventory
Use just-in-time ordering to eliminate inventory by
moving raw materials from the receiving dock to the
production area for immediate use
Find uses or markets for off-specification material that
would otherwise be disposed
Store inventory under appropriate conditions and
temperatures to maintain shelf life
Arrange storage so materials can be easily accessed
and handled to prevent spills and breakage
Purchase more efficient and durable equipment
Prevent poor operating practices or carelessness by
properly training forklift drivers to prevent damages to
materials and products
Repair rather then replace. Return, reuse, and repair
wooden pallets
11
Food service areas
Donate surplus, edible produce and food to food banks
• Consider using durable towels, tablecloths,
napkins, dishes, flatware, cup, and glasses rather
than disposable items
• Offer smaller portions to reduce food scraps
• Use unbleached coffee filters
• Encourage customers to take home their extra
food
• Buy sugar, cream and condiments in bulk and use
reusable serving containers instead of packets
Procurement Source Reduction
and Reuse Strategies and Ideas
•
•
•
•
•
Retail Areas
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Let your customers know you are environmentally
responsible
Encourage customers to use their own reusable
bags, mugs, or cups
Encourage customers to return their metal hangers
at dry cleaners
Promote items that are refillable, reusable and
recyclable
Offer customers waste-reducing choices such as:
• Items in bulk or concentrate
• Solar powered items – watches, calculators,
batteries
• Recycled content items – paper, plastic
• Rechargeable batteries
• Razors with replaceable blades
• Durable merchandise
• Repairable merchandise
Landscaping
•
•
•
•
•
Use a mulching lawn mower on grounds – time
savings should reduce cost of lawn maintenance
and reduce need for fertilizers
Compost grass clippings and leaves or request that
contractor compost these items
Use compost as a top dressing or soil amendment
Ensure that yard trims are sent to the Mecklenburg
County Composting Facility or chipped into mulch
to be used on company property to reduce weeds
and conserve moisture around plantings
Choose a landscape design that needs low
maintenance
• Slow-growing species and evergreen trees do
not generally create large amounts of debris
• Xeriscaping is a water-conservative approach
to landscaping. Plants whose natural
requirements are appropriate to the local
climate are emphasized, and care is taken to
avoid losing water to evaporation and run-off
•
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Order items in bulk quantities to reduce packaging
Purchase material in appropriate-sized containers; for
example, if used in bulk, buy in bulk; if used by the
can, buy by the can
Purchase copiers and printers that are designed for
high-volume double-sided copying
Purchase supplies with minimal or reusable
packaging
Purchase multi-purpose and concentrated products,
such as cleaning supplies
Purchase non-toxic or less toxic materials when
possible
Purchase supplies with minimal or reusable
packaging
Ask suppliers to take back unwanted packaging and
to minimize packaging on orders
Request that deliveries be shipped in reusable
returnable containers
Reuse newspaper and shredded paper for packaging
Reuse foam ‘peanuts’ and ‘bubble wrap’ and
cardboard boxes or find someone who can reuse
them. Or set up a system to return them to the
distributor for reuse
Use just-in-time
• ordering to eliminate inventory by moving
raw materials from the receiving dock to the
production area for immediate use
• delivery on low-use materials to minimize
spoilage
Purchase energy efficient products where available
and practical
Require longer warranties
Review and/or revise current packaging standards
When renovating, purchase building materials made
from recycled-content, such as ceiling tiles, carpets,
floor tiles, and wallboard
Negotiate with suppliers up front
• for return of leftover/unused product or material
on which shelf life has expired
• for return of scrap material for recycling in
manufacture of new product
Purchase recycled products when economically
feasible
Develop life cycle costs for the products you purchase
Keep records on suppliers’ capabilities
Find out costs involved in maintaining various levels
of inventory
Learn what raw materials comprise the products that
you purchase
Determine which products contain recycled materials
12
Section III: How To Implement A Recycling
Program
In Section II, you evaluated your waste stream and
now know what recyclables are in your trash. The key
to getting them recycled is using a team, following
a plan and generating excitement for workplace
recycling!
Each week, N.C.
workplaces throw
away enough
potentially
recyclable office
paper to fill two
soccer fields three
feet deep.
1
Step One:
Obtain Management Support
To make recycling a success, you will need
staff time for planning, implementation and
oversight. You may need to make changes
to janitorial or waste hauling contracts. You
may need capital or operational expenditures,
as well as purchasing or process changes
to improve material recovery and decrease
material contamination. Section IV of this
guide, WHY RECYCLE, provides reasons for
starting a program. It’s helpful in gaining
management support for a workplace
recycling program.
Did You Know?
Remember to target office paper
and cardboard, because they are
specified in the Mecklenburg County
Mandatory Source Separation
Ordinance!
As much as seventy percent of
office waste is paper. More then ten
percent of waste in the typical office
is corrugated cardboard.
2
Step Two:
Designate A Recycling Program
Coordinator
The program needs to be “somebody’s baby.”
The designated recycling coordinator will plan
and implement the recycling program and act
as a liaison among management, employees,
maintenance staff, outside vendors, and customers.
This individual will monitor and publicize the
program to keep participation rates up and
contamination rates down. In larger offices, a team
of program monitors are made up of employees
representing different work areas or different work
shifts can work with the program coordinator to
help keep employees educated and enthused
about recycling.
How much time will it take? Your recycling
coordinator may need to dedicate about one day
per week to initial planning and implementation.
Once the program is underway, he or she will only
need a few hours a week to maintain the program.
In multi-tenant buildings, the property manager
should coordinate the building’s recycling efforts.
Each tenant can choose a monitor to assist with
the program.
13
3
Step Three:
Find A Market For The Materials
Finding a market for the recyclables and
understanding just how that market accepts the
materials is an important part of the recycling
coordinator’s job. An extensive list of potential
markets can be found in this guide.
See APPENDIX B – “Recycling A-Z: Markets for
Recyclable Materials.” You can also visit www.
wipeoutwaste.com for the most current markets.
Many vendors can offer assistance in setting up your
recycling program. Some offer collection services
and will help you decide if you are generating
enough materials to support pick up. Some private
recyclers will provide containers. You may choose to
take paper and cardboard to one of the Mecklenburg
County Commercial Drop Centers (see APPENDIX C
of this guide for a location map).
TIP: Your waste hauler or paper
recycling vendor may be able
to provide a container for
cardboard. For most containers,
except compactor boxes, the
corrugated cardboard boxes
must be flattened for collection.
Employees can place the
corrugated boxes in a central
location; custodial staff or
designated employees flatten and
stack the boxes in the recycling
container.
See Appendix A – “How to
Choose a Waste or Recycling
Service Provider” for detailed
information.
Industrial Waste Recycling
Get Your Stuff Together
Finding markets for industrial waste that
cannot be reduced or reused is not as simple as
plugging into your local community recycling
program. But, if you are producing large
enough quantities of homogeneous waste,
the potential reduction in disposal fees makes
working to find a market worth the effort.
When you contact a private recycling
vendor, you’ll need to have a description
of your wastes and an estimate of how
much of each your business generates.
Typically, an office generates ½-to-one
pound of paper waste per person per
day. Ask the vendor these questions:
Today, local industries are recycling a variety
of items in their waste streams: cardboard,
chemicals, fiber drums, metals, plastic film,
and other plastics and packaging, petroleum
products, textiles, and wood pallets.
Resources for finding additional industrial
markets can be found in the APPENDIX G of this
guide, “Resources and Links.”
You can also call Mecklenburg County
Commercial Recycling Technical Assistance at
704-432-3200 for assistance.
(1) What containers and educational
support can you provide?
(2) What do you charge for pick up?
(3) Do you pay for our materials?
How much?
(4) What happens if we have a
contaminated load?
(5) How do you handle billing, payment,
and tonnage reports?
(6) Do you require a contract? How
long?
14
III: Did You Know?
Aluminum and glass companies rely heavily
on secondary materials for their product,
and many plastics manufacturers also
depend on recovered material. Only half of
NC’s aluminum cans are recycled despite a
statewide disposal ban on the material.
4
Step Four:
Design The Program
Container Considerations
Container size will depend on where containers
are located and how often they will be emptied.
Desktop or desk side containers serve individual
employees at their workstations and are either
emptied by a custodial staff or by the employee
into a larger centralized container. Centralized
containers can be located in well-traveled hallways,
the mailroom or copier room, and any other areas
where large quantities of paper are generated.
These centralized containers can be large enough
to serve as final storage containers and moved to
the loading dock for pickup. They may alternately
be emptied into larger storage containers.
The coordinator will need to determine answers to
these questions:
It’s smart to run a pilot collection program in
one department or work area to determine if the
containers, collection, and separation methods
you’ve chosen are convenient for employees and
custodial staff. If you purchase large quantities of
containers and later find out they don’t meet the
needs of your program, you may be faced with a
restocking fee to return them.
•
Safety Considerations
After you have determined what materials you can
market, your recycling coordinator will plan exactly
how you will separate, collect, store and transport
recyclable materials.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who will handle the recycling collection within
the facility?
Can the cleaning crews collect recyclables
at each workstation or only at centralized
locations?
Will the cleaning contract need to be
renegotiated?
Is there adequate storage space for
recyclables? Where?
What containers will be used to collect and
store the materials?
Will the recyclables be stored near the final
pickup location? If not, how will the containers
be moved to the loading area?
Will the loading area be clear at the scheduled
pickup time or will the recyclable collection be
competing with customer needs?
Use common sense when storing paper or other
flammable recyclables. Do not block passages,
keep paper away from heat sources, and post no
smoking signs. A covered storage container is
preferable. If you have any questions about fire
safety contact the fire marshall’s office. In Charlotte
call 704-336-2101; in other parts of Mecklenburg
County call 704-336-2154.
Good Idea!
One Charlotte Company uses the mailroom
as the cardboard box collection area.
Anyone in need of boxes takes what they
need and the rest are flattened and put
into a wire cage on the loading dock where
the recycling vendor collects them.
15
Think Ahead!
Ask your recycling vendor what
containers they can provide.
If you don’t have money to purchase
containers, think about labeling
existing cardboard boxes, trashcans or
other suitable containers for recycling
collection.
Need to purchase containers?
Refer to Appendix E, “Sources For
Recycling Containers.”
5
Step Five:
Educate Your Employees
It’s the single most important variable in making
a recycling program work --employee education.
What should you cover? The program’s purpose, its
method of operation, and the importance of each
employee to the program’s success.
Spell it all out in memos posted on bulletin board.
Reiterate it in the in-house newsletter. Say it again
in 15-to-20 minute training sessions. Emphasize
the new collection, introduce the new collection
containers, and explain the collection methods.
New employees should be trained as part of their
orientation.
Keeping contaminants out of the recycling
stream is very important to maintain the value
of your commodities and to retain your reliable
recycling companies. Reminding employees about
contamination prevention will be an on-going
education process. See Section VI of this guide,
“Education Strategies and Ideas.”
6
Step Six:
Kick Off The Program
Set a date for kickoff. Announce it in a memo or
in-house publication. Recruit and train program
monitors. Schedule all employees for a recycling
training session. Check with your recycling vendor,
container vendor, and janitorial staff or building
manager to be sure everything is in place for the
kickoff date.
Make sure and everyone knows their role. Position
the labeled recycling containers the night before
the kickoff; distribute desk containers at the
training sessions. Hit the ground recycling!
7
Step Seven:
Employee Recognition and
Company Recognition
A workplace recycling program gets employees
involved in a common project. It also gives
employees who recycle at home the satisfaction of
bringing their environmental ethic to work. Section
VII of this guide, Recognition Ideas, will inspire you
with ways to recognize and reward employees.
Don’t Forget!
Recycling saves natural resources,
can lessen air and water pollution,
and creates jobs within the recycling
infrastructure.
Join Mecklenburg County Waste
Reduction and Recycling section’s
Business Recognition Program to get
well-deserve public recognition for
your company’s efforts.
16
III: Recycling Ideas and Strategies For
Small Business
•
•
•
•
•
•
In a small office there may not be enough
materials generated to warrant pickup by a
vendor. One solution is to combine recyclables
with those of neighboring offices. Or you may
want to deliver materials to a private recycler
or a County-operated recycling center. See
Appendix C, County Recycling Drop-Off Center
Map.
If you are a tenant, check with your property
manager about the recycling services they
provide. Property management companies are
included in the Mecklenburg County Source
Separation Ordinance. If the complex meets
the ordinance criteria, the property manager
is required to provide tenants with paper and
cardboard recycling options and provide the
tenants with written information about the
options.
Small businesses can band together with
other businesses. Check with other businesses
in your building, complex, mall, or block.
Coordinated efforts can raise recyclable
volumes enough to make recycling services
more affordable.
Sponsor a Free Commercial Drop Center for
paper and cardboard at your location for your
group of small businesses. See Appendix D,
”How to Sponsor A Commercial Drop-Off
Recycling Center”
Piggyback with a large business in your area
that is already recycling. Check to see if a large
business will allow you to empty recyclables
into their large recycling bins.
Ask trucks that bring supplies to your business
if they would be available to back-haul clean
recyclables to a recycling vendor.
TIP: Many items are easily
recycled in the Charlotte
Region. Look at Appendix
B, ”Recycling A-Z, Markets
for Recyclable Materials,”
to see what can be
recycled.
What’s Right For Your Business?
While the basic practices of commercial recycling
and waste reduction are common to all businesses,
your company’s size, type and location can impact
your program choice. Mecklenburg County has
developed a number of waste reduction and
recycling information sheets specific to different
types of businesses, including banking/finance,
hotel/motel, industry, places of worship, property
management, restaurants, small business and
construction and demolition.
All sheets are available on the Mecklenburg Solid
Waste website www.wipeoutwaste.com.
You may also request that free sheets be mailed
to you—just call the Business Recycling Infoline at
704-432-3200.
Keep In Mind…
Although the City of Charlotte
may provide trash collection
service to your small business,
it does NOT provide recycling
service to businesses.
Why Recycle?
1
Reason to Recycle #1:
It’s The Law!
The Mecklenburg County Source Separation Ordinance
is a mandatory source separation ordinance that targets
office paper and corrugated cardboard generated by
businesses.
•
•
•
Section IV:
Businesses that generate less than 500 pounds
of office paper per month will be exempt from
separating office paper from their solid waste.
Source separation is not required if doing business
from a temporary location (e.g., street vendor,
construction site, outdoor festival).
Businesses may apply for an exemption if physical
constraints preclude compliance with the ordinance.
These will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Businesses may be exempted if compliance with the
ordinance would require them to violate codes or
regulations such as the Zoning Ordinance.
The intent of the ordinance is to reduce the amount of
waste being sent to landfills.
•
FAQs About The Mecklenburg County Source
Separation Ordinance
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
The County will provide the business with three notices
before penalties will be assessed. Each notice will be
accompanied by an offer of technical assistance. A civil
penalty of $50 per day will be assessed if a business
fails to comply with the ordinance within thirty days of
receiving a third notice of violation.
What is required of the business?
Businesses are required to keep corrugated cardboard
and office paper separate from their trash for the purpose
of recycling. A business entity may either contract with a
vendor to pick up their corrugated cardboard and office
paper or they may take these materials to a recycling
facility including one of the County’s Recycling Dropoff Centers (see Appendix C). A business is allowed to
commingle corrugated cardboard and office paper
with the rest of their trash if they are contracting with a
certified mixed waste recycler who will do the separation
for them. Otherwise, once separated, these materials may
not be mixed together. The business must also inform its
employees or tenants (in the case of property managers)
about the ordinance and the source separation system in
writing.
Who does the ordinance affect?
Any business that contracts for 16 cubic yards or greater of
uncompacted trash per week is included in the ordinance
unless the business qualifies under one or more of the
exemptions (see below). Compacted solid waste will be
measured on a 3:1 ratio basis against uncompacted solid
waste (e.g., 5.33 cubic yards of compacted waste will be
regarded as equivalent to 16 cubic yards of uncompacted
waste).
Who is exempt?
• Businesses that generate less than 500 pounds of
corrugated cardboard per month will be exempt from
separating corrugated cardboard from their solid
waste.
The ordinance in it’s entirety can be found at
www.wipeoutwaste.com.
North Carolina Legislation
The State of North Carolina currently bans the
following materials from landfills: Whole tires, used
oil, yard waste, aluminum cans, white goods (large
appliances), antifreeze, lead acid batteries and
tires.
Near Future State Requirements
House Bill 1518, effective January 1, 2008:
“Holders of on-premises malt beverage permits,
on-premises unfortified wine permits, on-premises
fortified wine permits, and mixed beverages
permits shall separate, store, and provide for the
collection for recycling of all recyclable beverage
containers of all beverages sold at retail on the
premises.” This is to include aluminum, plastic and
glass beverage containers.
House Bill 1518, effective October 1, 2009:
“An ACT to prohibit the disposal of motor vehicle
oil filters, rigid plastic containers, wooden pallets,
and oyster shells in landfills.” See Appendix H for
detailed information on NC State Legislation.
17
18
IV: 2
Reason to Recycle #2:
It Saves Money
Waste reduction programs are designed to
provide economic benefits through the reduction
of operational costs by implementing proper
waste management throughout the business
process. Conducting a waste assessment allows
a business to discover the ‘”Cash In Its Trash.”
Through assessment, employees become aware of
what waste is created and how it is managed. Staff
can then target opportunities for waste reduction
and recycling.
Waste reduction and recycling reduce the
demand on our natural resources, save valuable
landfill space, save energy, provide materials for
new products and create opportunities for new
industries.
3
Reason to Recycle #3:
It Creates Jobs
Consider these fast facts from the North Carolina
Department of Environment and Natural
Resources:
•
•
•
•
•
TIP: If you generate large quantities of
cardboard, you should look at the
economics of baling the cardboard
on site. Baled cardboard will
generally bring in twice as much
in revenue as loose cardboard.
Determine what size and weight
bales your recycling vendor will
accept before purchasing a baler.
Small balers that generate bales
of about 300 pounds sell for about
$5,000.00. As bale weight and size
increase, the price of the baler
increases to as much as $50,000.00.
In addition to baler cost, consider
staff time to operate a baler and
related costs such as baling wire,
maintenance and electricity.
•
•
Recycling employs more than 13,000 North
Carolinians and recycling jobs have increased
about 48 percent in the last 10 years
The United State’s major industrial sectors
need recycled materials now more than ever
and are counting on expansion
There are around 530 recycling businesses in
North Carolina employing more than 14,000
people
Recycling businesses make at least $25,000/
year creating a $325 million annual payroll,
which is plowed back into the economy
through purchasing, home buying, savings
in local banks and property and income tax
payments
A 20 percent increase in recycling would
create as many as 500 new jobs in this state
creating a stronger economy
Almost 80 percent of U.S. paper mills rely on
recovered recycled paper. In fact it supplies 37
percent of their material
Ultimately, the major industrial sectors would
suffer severe difficulties if the supply of
recycled materials suddenly disappeared
Did You Know?
Creating jobs: Recycling is an increasingly
important part of our state’s economy.
A recent study showed that more than
10,000 recycling jobs exist in North Carolina, an increase of 12 percent in the last five
years. Many small businesses have been
created in our state to recycle discarded
materials and products.
19
4
Reason to Recycle #4:
It Reduces Business Operating Costs
Part of the cost of running a business is waste
disposal. Some costs, such as the rental, tipping and
disposal fees paid for waste hauling services, are
obvious. Other costs, such as government provided
waste disposal and processing facilities, are passed
on to businesses through taxes. Recycling can save
money now by reducing disposal costs for your
business. Effectively managing waste can help
local government hold down future costs for waste
processing and disposal.
Have you ever researched what your company
currently pays for waste disposal? Recycling saves
your company money if the cost of waste handling
and recycling is less than current waste handling
costs.
If your business is located in an office park or rents
a portion of a larger building, the costs for waste
disposal may be paid indirectly through your lease
payment. Make sure your building manager is aware
of how recycling can positively affect the building’s
waste disposal cost. If you are a small company that
doesn’t generate enough recyclables to warrant
collection by a private vendor, pooling recyclables
from the entire building or office park can make
collection cost effective.
Be sure to restructure your waste hauling contracts
after you have implemented a recycling program.
You may be paying for more service than you need if
waste containers are being emptied before they are
full.
Did You Know?
In 1994, North Carolina had 306 recycling companies.
In 2004, there were 532, a 74 percent rise in only 10
years. Translation? More recovered materials. More
jobs. More money flowing through our economy - all
because of recycling! The 1994 study indicated a 20
percent increase in recycling would create as many as
500 new jobs.
–From the North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources
How To Determine The Full Cost/Savings From Recycling
Estimate of Recycling Savings
A forty-five employee company generates about 550 lbs. mixed office paper and 400 lbs. cardboard,
but does not recycle. The company has an 8-cubic yard waste container that is emptied twice per
week at a low monthly cost. However, the waste disposal contract is up for renewal and monthly fees
are expected to increase. The increase can be mitigated by starting a recycling program for paper and
cardboard.
Here’s an estimate of the monthly cost of waste disposal and recycling using a vendor.
Existing Waste Service Fee
= $ 87
Projected Waste Service Fee* (current level of service twice weekly)
= $218
Projected: Downsized Waste Service* (weekly pickup of 8-cubic yard waste container)
= $109
Recycling Vendor Fee* (Bi-monthly pickup of 10 roll carts for paper and cardboard)
= $ 58
Total
= $167
Estimated monthly saving:
$218 - $167 = $ 51
*based on information obtained from Mecklenburg County waste assessments
20
IV: 5
Reason to Recycle #5
Tax Incentives
•
If your company purchases equipment or
constructs facilities used exclusively for recycling,
you may benefit from special recycling tax
provisions provided by North Carolina. North
Carolina offers a tax exemption on equipment
and facilities used exclusively for recycling and
resource recovery. If you are interested in finding
out how to apply for a Tax Certification, it is first
advisable that you refer to the North Carolina Solid
Waste Management Rules regarding the standards
for special tax treatment. If you are not sure if the
equipment or facility you own qualifies, there
are resources available to help you determine
your eligibility. You can also access examples of
qualifying equipment and facilities as well as
additional tax provision information. Information
on Tax Incentives can be found at http://www.
p2pays.org/ref/26/25939.htm
•
•
•
•
One ton of uncoated virgin (non-recycled)
printing and office paper uses 24 trees.
Every ton of steel recycled saves 2,500
pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal
and 120 pounds of limestone.
Producing recycled paper causes 74
percent less air pollution and 35 percent
less water pollution than producing virgin
paper.
The pollutants created in producing one
ton of aluminum include 3,290 pounds of
red mud, 2,900 pounds of carbon dioxide
(a greenhouse gas), 81 pounds of air
pollutants and 789 pounds of solid wastes.
Recycling one ton of steel reduces
air pollution by 86 percent and water
pollution by 76 percent, and saves 74
percent of the energy and 40 percent of
the water that would have otherwise been
used.
•
•
•
Recycling an aluminum can saves
95 percent of the energy required to
make the same amount of aluminum
from virgin materials.
Producing new plastic from recycled
material uses only two-thirds of the
energy required to manufacture it
from raw materials.
Producing glass from virgin materials
requires 30 percent more energy than
producing it from crushed, used glass.
Producing recycled paper requires
about 60 percent of the energy used
to make paper from virgin wood pulp.
(NCDENR)
6
Reason to Recycle #6:
Corporate Leadership Through
Environmental Sustainability
Resource Saving Facts
•
Energy Saving Facts
(NCDENR)
Sustainability for business means making
responsible decisions today that will have positive
effects for the future. It entails being thoughtful
in our actions and careful enough to allow future
generations to have access to the same resources
and environmental benefits that we enjoy today.
Reducing waste and recycling are prime examples
of corporate leadership and environmental
stewardship. The public appreciates and patronizes
businesses that make efforts to protect the
environment and reduce waste.
Businesses that have implemented a waste
reduction and recycling program are eligible to
join the Wipe Out Waste Business Recognition
program which recognizes and rewards
Mecklenburg County businesses that have made
efforts in the workplace to reduce and recycle
waste and to buy recycled products.
Find The Cash In Your Trash:
Conducting A Waste Assessment
Conducting a waste assessment involves
determining what wastes you generate and how
much of each, which can be prevented, which can
be reduced, and which can be recycled.
1. Determining The Approach
Planning and executing an appropriate waste
assessment involves determining its scope,
scheduling the different assessment activities,
communicating the necessary information to
employees, and performing the actual assessment.
Depending on the objective of your waste reduction
program, a waste assessment can involve examining
facility records, conducting a facility walk-through,
performing a waste sort or a combination of the three.
The assessment team should determine what type
of assessment is most suited for the company based
on such factors as the type and size of the facility, the
complexity of the waste stream, the resources (money,
time, labor, equipment) available to implement
the waste reduction program and the goals of the
program. In a facility generating only a few types
of waste materials, the team might only need to
review company records and briefly inspect facility
operations. If the company generates diverse types of
waste and has established a goal to cut waste disposal
by 50 percent, the team will need to thoroughly
examine and quantify the waste generated in most
company operations by performing a waste sort.
A. Examining Company Records
Examining company records can provide insight
into the company’s waste generation and removal
patterns. The type of records you might find useful
include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Purchasing, inventory, maintenance and
operating logs
Supply, equipment, and raw material invoices
Equipment service contracts
Repair invoices
Waste hauling and disposal records and
contracts
Contracts with recycling facilities and records of
earned revenues from recycling
Section V:
B. Conducting a Facility Walk-Through
A walk-through involves a complete tour of the
facility and its grounds, observing the activities
of the different departments and talking with
employees about waste-producing activities
and equipment. Include all departments and
shifts. A walk-through is a relatively quick
way to examine a facility’s waste-generating
activities and processes. Specifically, it will
enable the team to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Observe types and amounts of waste
produced.
Identify waste-producing activities and
equipment.
Detect inefficiencies in operations or in the
way waste moves through the organization.
Observe the layout and operations of
various departments and shifts.
Assess existing space and equipment
that can be used for storage, processing
recyclables, and other activities.
Assess current waste reduction efforts.
Collect additional information through
interviews with supervisors and employees.
The team should be careful during the walkthrough not only to record the types of waste
observed and the ways in which waste is
generated, but also to consider the potential
waste reduction opportunities that lie in
increasing the efficiency of these operations.
Before conducting the walk-through, check
with the managers of the departments that
will be toured to avoid disrupting special
deliveries, rush orders, or other department
functions. Request that the supervisor and
employees of each department be available
during the walk-through to answer questions or
describe operations. These interviews can offer
important additional detail on waste generation
and removal practices. Interviews also help
keep employees informed and interested in
the evolving waste reduction program, and
offers an opportunity for them to ask questions.
Employees are a valuable source of ideas for
reducing waste.
21
22
V: C. Conducting a Waste Sort
Should more data be required than company
records or a facility walk-through can provide,
you may want to do a waste sort. A waste
sort involves the physical collection, sorting
and weighing of a representative sample of
the company’s waste. The goal of the sort is to
identify each waste component and calculate
as precisely as possible its percentage of
the total waste the company generates. A
waste sort can focus on the entire company’s
waste, or target certain work areas. If the team
believes one or more specific functional areas
are responsible for much of the facilities waste,
it may chose to concentrate its waste sort
accordingly.
It may be feasible for some companies to
assemble and measure one day’s worth of
waste. In larger firms where this is impractical,
the team might choose instead to assemble a
portion of the waste from each department for
measuring. Regardless of the approach taken
to structure the waste sort, consideration must
be given as to whether waste generation at the
company varies significantly enough from one
day to the next to distort results. Seasonal and
periodic variations in waste generation are also
common.
The assessment team might want to sort
samples on more than one day. Multi-day
sampling might provide a more accurate
representation of the waste generated at
the company. Since the data gathered in
the waste sort will be used as the basis for
key waste reduction and recycling program
decisions, it is important that you obtain a truly
representative sample of the company’s waste.
If a representative sample is not obtained,
calculations on waste generation, waste
composition, and waste removal costs can be
skewed significantly.
If your company has an active recycling
program in place, the assessment team will
need to decide whether the waste sort should
measure all materials, or target just the portion of
the waste streams not currently being recycled. For
a complete assessment of the types and amounts
of waste being generated, the waste reduction
team should locate all recycling collection areas
and measure the contents.
If your focus is on ways to reduce just the materials
that are not being recycled, you can exclusively
target waste collected in company dumpsters.
This will also help identify the amount of materials
that could have been recycled under the current
program, but ended up being thrown away.
In organizing a waste sort, you must determine
which waste categories to quantify. The major
components of a businesses’ waste include paper,
plastic, glass, metal, and organic material such as
wood, yard trimmings and food scraps.
The team needs to decide whether to limit the
waste sort to identifying and measuring only the
major waste component categories or to sort the
waste into subcategories (such as breaking down
paper into newsprint, corrugated cardboard,
magazines, and other). Precise measurements are
important because they will be useful later when
determining which materials can be exchanged,
reused, sold, or recycled.
Did You Know?
Saving energy: Enormous amounts of
energy are required to make products
and materials worldwide. Energy is
saved by not using products and materials when at all possible, or by reusing
products in their current form. Tremendous energy savings come from using
recycled instead of virgin materials in
manufacturing.
23
2. Documenting The Waste Assessment
Documenting all information gained through the waste assessment is important. Worksheets guide
the waste assessment process, and function as a record of your waste assessment activities and data.
Worksheets recorded during your waste assessment should be part of your company’s permanent records.
Documenting your findings serves several purposes, including:
•
•
•
Providing a record of the company’s efforts to reduce waste.
Developing a record-keeping system that tracks costs, savings, and waste reduction quantities.
Obtaining baseline data to use for investigating the economic and technical feasibility of waste
reduction options and to evaluate the impact of these options once implemented.
Strengths Methods
Waste Assessment Approaches
Waste Sort:
Facility Wide
Waste Sort:
Specific
Functional Areas
Facility Walkthrough Records Examination
(Purchasing Records)
• Provides waste
generation
estimates for the
entire facility.
• Provides
quantitative
information about
specific types
of waste and
functional areas;
appropriate if
targeting specific
types of waste.
• Can require less time
and effort than waste
sorts.
• Requires
significant time
and effort to
conduct.
• Does not provide
data on waste
generated facilitywide.
• Might not identify all
waste generated.
• Might not be
representative if
only conducted
once.
• Might omit major
components of the
facility’s waste.
Limitations
• Provides
quantitative
information
on each waste
component.
• Does not provide
qualitative
information on
how or why wastes
are generated.
• Might not be
representative of
the waste in the
specific area if only
conducted once.
Records
Examination
(Hauler Records)
• Can provide data on waste • May provide
generation of specific
accurate data
materials or products.
on the weight or
volume of waste
• Allows first hand
• Tracks major potential
generated at the
examination of facility
waste from the point of
facility.
operations.
origin.
• Can require less
• Can provide
• Can require less time
time and effort
qualitative
and effort the facility
than facility walkinformation about
walkthroughs or waste
troughs or waste
major waste
sorts.
sorts.
components and
waste generating
• Can be more accurate
processes.
than waste sorts of
tracking small items, low
• Allows interviews
volume waste materials,
with workplace
and occasional or
personnel.
seasonal waste materials.
• Might not be
representative if only
conducted once.
• Does not provide
precise information
about the quantity of
waste generated.
• Not likely to provide a
full picture on waste
generation.
• If company purchasing
is not centralized, can be
incomplete or require
substantial effort to
collect and analyze.
• Might not provide
adequate data,
if accurate waste
hauling records do
not exist.
• Not likely
to provide
information about
specific waste
components.
• Can be difficult
to use if more
than one business
shares a dumpster.
24
V: Waste Assessment Kit
7 Easy Steps
Estimate the amount of waste you generate that currently is dumped into the landfill.
You may need to contact your waste collection company for this information
Multiply By
Dumpster
Estimated %
Full at
Pickup
Number of
Containers
Compactor
Other
Number of
Monthly
Pickups
Add volume column for total waste
2
Volume
(cu yd)
Equals
Container
Size (cu
Multiply By
Container
Type
Multiply By
1
Just fill in the blanks to determine
the type and amount of trash you generate.
Cu. Yds.
Determine total monthly waste disposal and collection costs. This information should be on your waste hauling
bill. If container rental costs, disposal (tipping fees) fees and hauling costs are not itemized, include the total costs.
Monthly
Total
Cost
Cost
3
Equals
Monthly
Transportation
Cost
Plus
Monthly
Disposal
Cost
Plus
Monthly
Container Rental
Determine the waste stream and amounts. For an understanding of the types of waste
generated, identify each waste stream from point of generation to placement in the garbage
dumpster.
Dept/Area
Example: Offices
Common Areas
Lobby
Restrooms
Copy Room
Mail Room
Waste Stream
White Paper
Aluminum Cans
Cardboard
Food/Food WAste
Wrappings
Paper Towels
Who Collects & With What
Est. Amount of Waste Produced
Janitor collects materials from garbage cans with a rolling An 8 cubic yard dumpster is full every night.
35 gallon garbage container and places in 8 yard dumpster on loading dock.
About 50% of the waste is office paper, 30% of the waste
is cardboard, 5% is aluminum cans and plastic drink
Cardboard is broken down and collected separately.
bottles and 15% is restroom waste and food waste.
25
4
Determine the percentage of material in the waste stream. Use Section 3 to help estimate
the percentage of materials in the waste stream. Often, it is helpful to interview individuals who
are more familiar with the waste stream such as janitorial or cleaning staff.
% of Total Waste
Material
Material
% of Total Waste
#1 Plastic Bottles
#2 Plastic Bottles
Textiles
Food Waste
Other
Other
True Garbage
Office Paper
Corrugated Cardboard
Newspaper
Magazines
Aluminum Cans
Tin Cans
Glass Bottles & Jars
Total should equal 100%
5
Multiply by
Determine the percentage of recyclables or materials that could be reduced in the waste stream
by using the information in section 4. Choose only those that you plan to recycle or reduce.
Estimated
Participation
Rate
Percentage of
Recycled/Reduced
Material
Equals
Estimated
Percentage of
Recyclables
*75%
*Experience indicates 75% is an average recovery rate for the total amount of your recyclables
6
(Total from 1)
Cu. Yds.
Adjusted
Percentage of Waste
Multiply By
Previous Amount
of Waste Generated
*(% remaining from 5)
Equals
Determine the adjusted amount of trash to be landfilled if a recycling/reduction program
is started.
Adjusted
Volume of Waste
(Should be less than total from 1)
*100% minus percentage from 5
7
Determine the potential savings from reduced trash. Using the adjusted volume of garbage found
in section 6, call your waste hauler and find out the waste disposal charges for the adjusted amount of
waste. Call other waste haulers and get price quotes as well. Compare the new costs with the costs
found in section 2. Example: If 50% of your trash will be reduced or recycled, you may be able to cut
your collection costs in half. Or if you currently have an 8 cu. yd. dumpster and after recycling you only
need a 6 cu yd dumpster, you may be able to save money by reducing your container size.
$
Adjusted
Waste Disposal Cost
Previous
Waste Disposal Cost
Waste Disposal
Savings
(New Cost from Haulers)
(Number found in 2)
(Total from 7)
$
$
**These funds may now be available to cover the cost of your new recycling program.
**Costs do not take into consideration the environmental and societal benefits
that occur as a result of recycling
-See Next Page for conversion table to help in estimating numbers-
26
V: D E N S I T Y
C O N V E R S I O N
Volume
MATERIAL
Weight
VOLUME
WEIGHT (lbs)
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
5000 Sheets
500 Sheets
500 Sheets
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
12” Stack
Set-Charlotte White
and Yellow
50-150
300-500
700-1,100
400
755
42
5
6.4
360-505
720-1,000
35
6.75
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
1 case - 24 cans
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
50-75
250-430
0.9
150
850
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
8 Bottles
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
30-40
515
1
24
270
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
55 gallon drum
500-700
1,000-1,800
300
55 gallon drum
1 Cubic Yard
1 Cubic Yard
Each
400-410
200-250
350-450
40 (average)
Each
Each
1 gallon
12-20
60-100
7
PAPER
Corrugated Cardboard (uncompacted)
Corrugated Cardboard (compacted)
Corrugated Cardboard (baled)
Mixed Office Paper (uncompacted)
Mixed Office Paper (compacted)
1 Case Office Paper
Ream 20# bond 8 1/2 X 11
Ream 20# bond 8 1/2 X 14
Newspaper (uncompacted)
Newspaper (compacted/baled)
Newspaper
Phonebooks
METAL
Aluminum Cans (whole)
Aluminum Cans (manually compacted)
Uncompacted
Steel Cans (whole)
Steel Cans (flattened)
PLASTIC
Soda Bottles (uncompacted)
Soda Bottles (compacted)
2-Litter Bottles
Dairy/Detergent Bottles (uncompacted)
Dairy/Detergent Bottles (compacted)
GLASS
Whole Bottles
Semi-crushed Bottles (manually broken)
Uncrushed to manually broken bottles
ORGANICS
Food Waste (solid/liquid fats)
Leaves (uncompacted)
Grass Clippings (uncompacted)
Pallets
AUTOMOTIVE
Car Tires
Truck Tires
Used Motor Oil
Common Conversion Factors
1 Gallon = 0.0049 Cubic Yards
1 Cubic Yard = 202 Gallons
90 Gallons = 0.45 Cubic Yards
1 Ton = 2000 Pounds
Section VI:
Education Ideas
Some companies can effectively reach all their employees by circulating memos or holding information meetings. Others
might need to conduct a full-scale education or training campaign to be sure the entire company is aware of and involved
in the program. Either way, employees appreciate feedback and frequent updates on the success of the program. Employee
interest may increase if the team encourages them to submit new ideas for increasing the efficiency of company operations.
Other ways to “educate” your employees:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Integrate waste reduction & recycling into normal work routine.
Place waste reduction and recycling information on the employee Web page.
Send out periodic emails with information about the program and successes as well as issues.
Sort recyclables the first time they are handled – If you are going to keep cans separate from bottles, then have one bin
for cans and one bin for bottles and make sure they are clearly labeled.
Place signs near recycling (or reuse) containers that clearly show what materials can be recycled/reused and, if
necessary, what items must stay out of the bin.
Place recycling containers in all meeting and employee dining rooms.
Make sure every office staff person has a desk-side bin and a recycling guide.
Make announcements at conferences, company events, picnic, etc., to please remember to recycle.
Fun Facts for Newsletters, Bulletin Boards, E-mails, etc
•
•
•
•
•
If one-third of North Carolina’s
households sent junk mail reduction
cards to the Mail Preference
Association, it would save North
Carolina local governments almost $1.3
million in disposal fees per year.
Making products from recovered
materials instead of virgin materials
saves energy. For aluminum cans, the
energy saved is more than 90 percent,
for newspaper 40 percent and for steel
60 percent.
North Carolinians recycle 68 pounds of
materials a second. That’s impressive!
But we throw away 679 pounds of trash
a second. That’s almost 10 times what
we recycle.
Each month, North Carolinians throw
out glass that would fill up more than
13 miles worth of tractor-trailers lined
up end-to-end. That’s a half marathon
of tractor-trailers each month!
Glass bottles can be used hundreds of
times over to make new bottles. North
Carolina has three glass plants capable
of consuming thousands of tons of
•
•
•
•
•
•
“cullet” or recovered glass.
Newspaper and corrugated cardboard
are the highest recycled types of paper
in North Carolina we recycle 57 percent
of all newspaper and 50 percent of all
cardboard.
North Carolinians throw away more
than $20 million in aluminum cans
each year.
Every 43 days, North Carolinians throw
away enough trash to fill dumpsters
lining the entire North Carolina
coastline.
The amount of trash North Carolinians
throw away in just five and a half days
would fill dumpsters that reach as high
as Mount Mitchell. That’s 6,684 feet!
The amount of waste disposed in North
Carolina has increased from 6.8 million
tons in 1991 to 10.23 million tons in
2003.
The State picked up more than one
pound of litter for each of the state’s
8.4 million citizens in 2003, according
to figures released by the State
Department of Transportation. You
•
•
•
can help report litterbugs by reporting
the license plate of a car and the date
and location of an incident to the DOT.
Forms can be obtained by calling (800)
331-5864 or reports can be made here.
In 1994, our state had 306 recycling
companies. In 2004, we had 532
recycling businesses in North Carolina,
a 74 percent rise in only 10 years.
That means more materials are being
recovered, more jobs are being created,
and more money is flowing through
our economy - all because of recycling!
A 20 percent increase in recycling
would create as many as 500 new jobs,
according to information from the 1994
study.
North Carolina recycles 26 percent of
its waste stream, composts 6 percent,
sends 67 percent to landfills and
incinerates 1 percent.
North Carolinians throw away enough
trash to fill dumpsters from Boone to
Bald Head every 47 days.
*Unless stated, all facts are from DPPEA or DENR 2003 data. http://www.re3.org/facts.html
27
28
Section VII:
Recognition Ideas
When considering a recognition program,
keep these ideas in mind.
•
•
•
•
Keep the program simple, with categories that
are easily measurable.
Consider funding for the recognition
and award program from site or facilities
management, or from the revenues from the
recycling program itself.
Make regular program reports to both
participants and site management.
Highlight program success (either financial
or otherwise) to all employees. Since each
and every member of your company has
participated in the success of your program,
it is important that all employees receive
recognition of their involvement through
regular reporting on the quantity of material
reduced through the source separation, reuse
and recycling elements of your program.
This may be done via bulletin boards,
newsletters, or memos to building occupants.
To demonstrate source reduction, e-mail
should be used where feasible. If your results
are particularly good, you may wish to involve
the public relations staff to give your program
more visibility.
Group recognition
•
A surprise break with snacks for the most
recyclables collected
Department recognition
•
•
Lunch paid for by the company for the
department that collects the most recycled
(paper for instance)
Recycled content mugs, hats, or team t-shirts
for the department with the largest reduction
in paper usage due to double-sided use of
paper
Whole company recognition
Money saved in the total program is placed in the
company benefits fund or donated to a charity on
behalf of each employee.
Consider rewards for the employee:
•
•
•
•
Who makes the most contributions to the
program; offers suggestions or assists in the
program concept. Recognize him/her at a staff
meeting or through interoffice e-mail or create
a Thank You poster.
Who collects the most cans and bottles during
a specific time frame. Award a gift certificate.
Who makes a suggestion to save the company
money through a waste reduction suggestion.
Award a bonus (commensurate with the
amount of money saved).
With the most recyclables in their bin, during
an on-the-spot inspection, Award a small gift
(recycled content) on the spot.
Individual recognition
•
•
•
•
Certificates of appreciation. See Samples
below. If you would like an electronic copy of
the certificates call 704-366-3777.
Recycled content gifts (it always helps to walk
the walk)
Gift certificates for local restaurants or local
health food stores.
Time OFF – this is always a favorite with staff.
An extra hour for lunch or leaving early on
a Friday afternoon can make anyone feel
appreciated.
29
Supplier/vendor can also be
recognized for outstanding
accomplishment, innovation, or
contribution.
Mecklenburg County Business Recognition
Program
The Wipe-Out-Waste Business Recognition
Program recognizes and rewards Mecklenburg
County businesses that have made efforts in the
workplace to reduce and recycle waste and to buy
recycled products. Sponsored by Mecklenburg
County Solid Waste, the program is free and
voluntary. Any business in Mecklenburg County
that recycles and has a waste reduction program
can join.
Rewards For Joining
Invitation to attend the annual Wipe-OutWaste Business Recognition Waste Reduction
and Recycling Awards Banquet. Networking
with other businesses. Recognition by County
Officials. Opportunity to submit an application
to be selected for one of the annual Business
Recognition Awards. Use of Wipe-Out-Waste logo
for education and promotion materials. A WipeOut-Waste decal to display at their business. Free
technical assistance from the County. Free publicity
in local media. Publicity through the Wipe-OutWaste educational events, presentations, and
forums.
How Does My Business Join?
There are two levels of membership - Member
or Mentor. Members agree to make a three-year
commitment to implement a comprehensive solid
waste reduction program and annually report
their accomplishments in the following areas:
Waste Reduction, Recycling and Buying Recycled
Products. Mentors agree to act as a mentor to another
business, offering information and technical assistance
including over the phone assistance, tours of facilities,
etc. Mentors also assist in recruiting other businesses
to join the Wipe-Out-Waste Business Recognition
Program.
Get your Application Form at www.wipeoutwaste.com.
Select Business Recycling and then select Business
Recognition Program or call 704-336-3777 for a form to
be mailed to you or for additional information.
Kudos!
Mecklenburg County
Business Recognition Program
Medium Business Recycler Of The Year
The Building Center, Inc. (medium business - 25 99 employees): Recycles wood, plastic, steel, paper
and cardboard. The company has an incentive to
give back to employees the proceeds from the sale
of recyclable material, encouraging employees to
separate materials. Last year, forty employees
split $10,000 and the company saved money
by not having to send the material to the
landfill.
Zero
Waste Award
Recreational Equipment, Inc.: Thirty-nine
part-time employees work out of three large
warehouses and set-up events throughout
Mecklenburg County. The waste reduction
and recycling program is so exceptional that
the company does not use a dumpster.
The company generates about the same
amount of trash at work as a small family
does in one week, so employees
simply take it home and put it
in their residential rollout
container.
30
VII: Way To Go!
May 31, 2006
Recyclers Of The Year:
Mecklenburg County Recognizes Organizations For Waste-cutting Programs
Charlotte, NC – Four businesses and four schools were recognized today for their efforts
in recycling and waste reduction. The Business Recycling Awards luncheon is an annual
event hosted by Mecklenburg County Solid Waste and Recycling, recognizing businesses
and organizations for their innovative approaches to waste disposal, waste reduction
and commitment to business recycling.
FWA Group, Architects
(small business - 24 employees
or less): Employees voluntarily recycle
glass, plastic and metal and rotate the
duty of carrying materials to the recycling
center. Large architectural drawing sheets
with errors on them are donated to schools
for use in art and other classes. Employees
are encouraged to track their personal
home energy and water use on a provided
spreadsheet.
UNC Charlotte
(large business - 100+ employees)
Last year, UNC Charlotte recycled 1,639,769
pounds household and office materials and
308,060 pounds of construction and demolition
materials; composted 23,383 pounds of food waste
and 1,815 pounds of sawdust; donated 6,210 pounds of
food (from on-campus cafeteria) to Urban Ministries; and
collected 18,000 pounds of non-perishable food, clothing,
furniture and small appliances, then donated to local
organizations. UNC Charlotte collects more than forty items
that can be recycled on campus. The per capita recycling
rate increased 15.65% over the last school year. The most
successful project to date was a renovation of locker
rooms into laboratories in Belk Gym - of more than
40,000 lbs. of metal, and 80,000 lbs. of concrete,
only 10,000 lbs. of material were sent to
landfills.
Litter Prevention And Control For
The Business Community
Every business has a basic responsibility to its
community and our world -- to ensure that
its waste does not become litter. The public
appreciates businesses that keep their properties
clean and litter free. In addition to the stigma of
litter, your business may be charged and fined
under state and local littering laws.
Litter Prevention Musts
Keep all outdoor recycling and waste
receptacles covered.
Make sure receptacles are the appropriate
size and collections are frequent enough to
avoid overflows.
Conduct end-of-day cleanups in loading and
unloading areas, parking lots, and sidewalks.
Section VIII:
North Carolina LITTER LAWS
G.S. 14-399-effiective 3-01-02
Definition of littering: (a) No person….
shall intentionally or recklessly (a1 *
unintentionally) throw, scatter spill or place
…cause to be blown, scattered, spilled,
thrown or placed or otherwise dispose
of any litter upon any public or private
property not owned by the person within
this State or in the waters of State.
(b) When litter is blown, etc…from a
vehicle or watercraft, the operator shall be
presumed to have committed offense.
Penalties:
(c) less than 15 pounds: not
commercial=Class 3 misdemeanor, ~first
offense: fine $250-$1,000; 1 point on
license; may require community service of
8-24 hours.
Place litter containers near entrances and
walkways.
(*c1=infraction, *$100, *4-12 hours)
~subsequent offense within 3 years: fine
$500-$2,000; 1 point on license; may
require community service of 16-50 hours
For additional information call Keep
Mecklenburg Beautiful: 704-432-1772
(*c1=infraction, *$200, *8-24 hours)
(d) 15-500 pounds; not commercial=Class 3
misdemeanor; fine $500-$2,000; 1 point on
license; shall require community service of
24-100 hours (*d1=infraction; *200, *8-24
hours)
Litter Fact
Litter is everyone’s problem and
the problem is getting worse. Each
year 11 million pounds of litter (one
pound of litter per person) is deposited
on the streets and highways of NC.
Surveys indicate that a sizable portion
of litter in Mecklenburg County comes
from business operations, especially in
loading dock and dumpster areas.
(e) 500 + pounds or any quantity for
commercial purposes or hazardous
waste=Class I felony:1 point on license,
vehicle subject to seizure; shall require
cleanup, repair of property, community
service; in civil action for damages- - shall
pay court costs/attorney’s fees and greater
of 3x cost of damages or $200 to injured
party.
(*e1 not commercial or
hazardous=infraction, *$300, *16-50 hours)
31
APPENDIX A
32
How To Choose a Waste or Recycling Service Provider
Consideration:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Size of your business and number of employees
Person(s) in or at your business responsible for
contracting for waste collection
Type(s) of recyclables and estimated quantities
How waste is collected inside and outside your business
Available waste storage space inside and outside your
business
Size of current waste container(s) and number of pickups
per week
Container accessibility for pickup vehicles
Questions To Ask A Provider
Volume
Office Paper: 96-gallon (0.625 cubic
yards) containers of office paper per
month.
(>3 Containers * 0.625 cubic yard containers/
month) * (400 pounds per cubic yard) = >750
pounds/month
Section 3.A. of the Ordinance indicates we assume 400
pounds for each cubic yard of office paper.
Cardboard: Determine cubic yards of container provided
Waste haulers must be permitted by the Mecklenburg
by waste/recycler hauler
County Land Use and Environmental Services Agency
(LUESA) Solid Waste Division (704) 432-1753.
(4 * 8 yard dumpsters) * (1 pick up per month)* (100
pounds per cubic yard) = 3,200 pounds/month
•
What will be the schedule for collections?
•
How much notice is required for unscheduled pickups?
Section 3.A. of the Ordinance indicates
•
How will missed pickups be handled?
we assume 100 pounds for each cubic
•
What is the fee for pickup?
yard of flattened corrugated
•
If the hauler is to provide both waste and recyclables
cardboard.
collection, will it include waste pickup at a cost that
could be adjusted as solid waste quantities decrease due
to recycling?
•
Does the hauler lease or rent exterior recycling storage containers (dumpsters or roll-off
containers)?
•
Who is responsible for repairs to a dumpster or roll-off container?
•
How often is the dumpster or roll-off container cleaned and where?
•
Where does the hauler intend to take the waste or recyclables?
You are responsible for your own waste or recyclables, so you need to ensure
that the hauler will take your waste or recyclables to a legitimate landfill or recycler.
Tips on How to Get a Competitive Bid
Competitive bids for services require a clear definition of the services you require. Most recyclers/haulers will quote
services over the phone. The challenge is to get at least two bids for the same services. The following tips should assist in
obtaining competitive recycler/hauler service bids.
Visit www.wipeoutwaste.com for names of recyclers and haulers. Save time by identifying potentially suitable vendors
•
by phone before requesting a bid.
Define your required services in writing to the vendors (e.g., use a bid form).
•
Specify the duration of service required (6 months, 1 year, etc.).
•
•
State estimated volume of waste/recyclables and frequency of service required; ask for costs of service on various
size units or container configurations. Request the vendor to provide a per unit or per item bid and a total. Include
information on when and where to return the bid.
•
State in the bid request that alternative approaches can be proposed by vendors in addition to the original bid request.
•
Evaluate the bids with prospective vendors to make sure there are no hidden charges or misunderstandings.
A Final Note – Monitor Service
After you award a contract and service begins, monitor the service. Often a waste-hauling firm will have a change in
drivers or a routing change, disrupting your service. However, the waste hauler’s accounting department is not aware of
the disruption and will continue to charge you for the contracted services. As the customer you must alert the company,
if there is any disruption in your service. Be sure your contract allows for modification of your service frequency. As you
begin to recycle more, there should be a drop in the trash hauling services required.
APPENDIX B
Recycling A-Z: Markets For Recyclable Materials
Service Providers
Recycling Service Providers are the connection between those who generate waste materials and those
who turn these materials into new products. The services you can expect depend on the type of materials
generated, the condition of the materials, and most importantly, the quantity of materials available. For
example, a company might provide a container and pick-up your recyclable materials if you generate a large
quantity, but require delivery for small amounts.
Recycling Vendors
The www.wipeoutwaste.com website contains a current listing of recycling vendors by commodity. From
the main page above select Business Recycling. From there you can select Recycling Service Providers. If
you do not have computer access to the website, please call the Business Recycling Infoline
704-432-3200.
The website also has information on the Business Recognition Program, the Recycling Ordinance,
Recycling Drop Off Centers, Construction & Demolition Debris Recycling, Waste Assessment Information,
Waste Haulers, and Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful Litter Prevention Programs.
33
34
All of the following commodities are reusable or recyclable within our region and UP TO DATE local vendor
information is available at www.wipeoutwaste.com.
Reusable Donations
Appliances or White Goods
Banned from Garbage
Recycle with a qualified metal
recycler.
Appliances Include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
air conditioners
clothes washers and dryers
dehumidifiers
dishwashers
freezers
furnaces
garbage disposals
heat pumps
water heaters
conventional and microwave
ovens
refrigerators
stoves
trash compactors
Crisis Assistance Ministry
500-A Spratt Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 371-3001
www.crisisassistance.org
Goodwill Industries
2122 Freedom Drive
Charlotte, NC 28266
(704) 372-3434
www.goodwillsp.org
Habitat for Humanity Restore
3326 Wilkinson Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28208
1133 N. Wendover Rd, NC 28211
(704) 392-4495
www.CharlotteRestore.org
Second Harvest Food Bank
500-B Spratt Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 376-1785
www.secondharvestcharlotte.org
(freezers & refrigerators only)
Major appliances may
contain hazardous materials
such as mercury, PCBs
(polychlorinated biphenyls),
CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons),
fluorescent tubes, rechargeable
back-up batteries and oils that
must be properly removed before
the appliance can be recycled or
disposed.
Salvation Army
501 Archdale Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 332-1171
www.salvationarmysouth.org
(many appliances
& household machinery also)
Appliances Donation
(in working order)
Goodwill Industries
2122 Freedom Drive
Charlotte, NC 28266
(704) 372-3434
www.goodwillsp.org
(In any condition)
Butterfly Bin
2920 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
www.butterflybin.org
Computer, Electronics &
Accessories Donation
Second Harvest Food Bank
500-B Spratt Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 376-1785
www.secondharvestcharlotte.org
(up to date and operational)
Eye Glass Donation
Lions Club
5950 Fairview Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28210
(704) 588-9123
www.southparklions.org
Food - Edible, Perishable
& Non-Perishable Food
Donation
Ada Jenkins Center
Loaves & Fishes
(704) 523-4333
www.loavesandfishes.org
Charlotte Rescue Mission
901 W. 1st Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 334-4635
www.charlotterescuemission.org
Community Food Rescue
Jerry Jones
500-B Spratt Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 342-FOOD
www.communityfoodrescue.org
Crisis Assistance Ministry
Clark Pennell
500-A Spratt Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 371-3000
CUP Inc.
Carl Thomasson
1201 E. 36th Street
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 331-4806
35
Friendship Trays
2401 Distribution St.
Charlotte, NC 28203
(704) 333-9229
www.friendshiptrays.org
Charlotte Rescue Mission
901 W. 1st Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 334-4635
www.charlotterescuemission.org
Lighthouse Counseling Center
5801 Pineville Mathews Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28226
(704) 341-5326
www.calvarychurch.com
Crisis Assistance Ministry
500-A Spratt Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 371-3001
www.crisisassistance.org
Mecklenburg Co. DSS
Community Resources
301 Billingsley Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28211
(704) 336-4809
www.charmeck.org/
Departments/DSS/Community+R
esources+Office/Home.htm
Florence Crittenton Services
1300 Blythe Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28203
(704) 372-4663
www.fcsnc.org
Second Harvest Food Bank of
Metrolina
Ann Register
500-B Spratt Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 376-1785
www.secondharvestcharlotte.org
United Way of America
301 S. Brevard Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
1-866-744-7778
http://national.unitedway.org
Uptown Shelter
1210 North Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28236
(704) 334-3187
www.uptownshelter.org
Household/Furniture Donations
Amvets Pick Up Service
Charlotte, NC
(704) 393-2359
Butterfly Bin
2920 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
www.butterflybin.org
Goodwill Industries
2122 Freedom Drive
Charlotte, NC 28266
(704) 372-3434
www.goodwillsp.org
Habitat for Humanity Restore
3326 Wilkinson Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28208
1133 N. Wendover Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28211
(704) 392-4495
www.CharlotteRestore.org
Also takes Lighting fixtures
Salvation Army
501 Archdale Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 332-1171
www.salvationarmysouth.org
United Family Services
200 N. Sharon Amity Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28211
(704) 332-9034)
United Way of America
301 S. Brevard Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 372-7170
http://national.unitedway.org
Mattresses Donation
Butterfly Bin
2920 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
www.butterflybin.org
Crisis Assistance Ministry
500-A Spratt Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 371- 3001
www.crisisassistance.org
United Family Services
200 N. Sharon Amity Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28211
(704) 332-9034
Medical Supplies Donation
MedAssist of Mecklenburg
5516 Central Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28218
(704) 536-9766
www.ncfreeclinics.org
(unexpired, unopened
prescriptions)
Pet Supply Donations
Humane Society of Charlotte
2700 Toomey Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28203
(704) 377-0534
www.clthumane.org
School Supplies Donation
Classroom Central
(704) 377-1740
2116 Wilkinson Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
United Family Services
200 N. Sharon Amity Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28211
(704) 332-9034
36
Vehicle Donations
RECYCLING
American Cancer Society
Charlotte, NC
1-888-227-5500
Items acceptable at the drop
centers or at residential
curbside pickup are:
Butterfly Bin
2920 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
www.butterflybin.org
(operational vehicles only)
•
•
Charlotte Rescue Mission
901 W. 1st Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 334-4635
www.charlotterescuemission.
org
Goodwill Industries
2122 Freedom Drive
Charlotte, NC 28266
(704) 372-3434
www.goodwillsp.org
Kidney Foundation
5950 Fairview Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28210
800-356-5362
www.nkfnc.org
•
•
•
Paper and Cardboard
Glass food or beverage
containers
Aluminum, steel, tin or bimetal cans
Spiral paper cans
Plastic soda bottles –#1
and #2
Plastics labeled with numbers
3,4,5,6 or 7 are not collected
for recycling at the County
operated drop centers
Audio Visual Film and Tape
Recycling
Environmental Recycling
Alternatives
Greg Meurs
High Point, NC
(336) 869-8785
Salvation Army
501 Archdale Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 332-1171
www.salvationarmysouth.org
Regal Asset Recovery
Bruce Sciotto/ Tommy Robbins
12777 Suite A East
Independence Blvd.
Mathews, NC 28105
(704) 882-9061
Volunteers of America
246 Stoneridge Drive
Columbia, SC 29210
1-800-948-1414
(803) 779-6465
www.carshelpingpeople.org
(In any condition)
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
Southern Resources, Inc
Michael Sordi
3826 Raleigh St, P.O.Box 220885
Charlotte, NC 28222
(704) 342-1696
TWC, Inc
William Tung
2128 Eastway Drive
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 536-8321
Rechargeable Battery
Recycling
Battery Service
200 W 24th Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 331-0695
(Also takes alkaline and sealed
rechargeable nickel cadmium)
Carolina Industrial Products,
Inc. Deka Industrial Batteries
3140-B Piper Lane
Charlotte, NC
(704) 357-0797
(will take Ni-cad, but there is a
charge)
Cleanlites Recycling
Dennis Olsen
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 503-9900
www.cleanlites.com
(any kind of battery)
Ecoflo, Inc.
Lila Richards
8440 Byrum Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 357-9299
(West Mecklenburg Recycling
Center)
Environmental Recycling
Alternatives
Greg Meurs
High Point, NC
(336) 869-8785
Haz-Mart Transportation &
Disposal, Inc.
Jack Holder
221 Dalton Ave. P.O. Box 37392
Charlotte, NC 28237
(704) 332-5600
37
Heritage Environmental
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
Southeast Recycling
Technologies, Inc
Steve Barnett
906 Chase Drive
Johnson City, TN 37604
(800) 592-3970
recycled@preferred.com
www.recyclebulbs.com
US Battery Corp
2525-A North Graham St.
Charlotte, NC
(704) 334-6815
(will take anything except Ni-cad)
Batteries From Any Motorized
Machinery
Advanced Auto Parts
Please look in the phone book for
your nearest store
(Also accepts used oil)
Auto Zone
Please look in the phone book for
your nearest store
Battery Service
200 W. 24th Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 331-0695
(Also takes alkaline and sealed
rechargeable nickel cadmium)
Battery & Ignition Auto Parts
3631 Tryclan Drive
Charlotte, NC
(704) 525-5335
Battery Service & Supply Co
“Stan the Battery Man”
4032 Old Pineville Rd.
Charlotte, NC
(704) 522-1956
Exide Technologies
Tommy Tice
648 Griffith Rd, Suite G
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 521-9225
Carolina Industrial Products, Inc.
Deka Industrial Batteries
3140-B Piper Lane
Charlotte, NC
(704) 357-0797
(will take Ni-cad, but there is a
charge)
Haz-Mart Transportation &
Disposal, Inc.
Jack Holder
221 Dalton Ave. P.O. Box 37392
Charlotte, NC 28237
(704) 332-5600
Cleanlites Recycling
Dennis Olsen
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 503-9900
www.cleanlites.com
(any kind of battery)
Heritage Environmental
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
Industrial Battery & Charger
5831 Orr Road
Charlotte, NC
(704) 597-7330
Ecoflo, Inc.
2750 Patterson St.
Greensboro, NC 27407
(800-999-6510)
Environmental Recycling
Alternatives
Greg Meurs
High Point, NC
(336) 869-8785
Interstate Battery of Charlotte
5615 Cannon Drive
Monroe, NC
(704) 289-8166
North State Battery, Inc.
3853 Patterson Ave.
Winston Salem, NC 27105
336-661-1774
Batteries contain
chemicals and heavy metals and are
considered to be hazardous.
The following batteries are subject to special disposal
requirements:
• Nickel-cadmium
• Small sealed lead acid
• Mercury oxide
• Large lithium (over 9 volts)
• Silver oxide batteries
• Lead-acid (auto) batteries
All of the above batteries (except lead-acid) must either be
managed as a hazardous waste or recycled as prescribed by
Federal Universal Waste Rules (40CFR 273). Lead acid (wet
cell) batteries are those used in most motor vehicles.
Because they contain toxic substances, it is illegal to dispose of
lead acid batteries with your regular garbage.
38
Batteries, cont’d
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
US Battery Corp
2525-A North Graham St.
Charlotte, NC
(704) 334-6815
(will take anything except Ni-cad)
Heritage Environmental
Kyle Mitchell
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
Heritage Environmental
Kyle Mitchell
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
Noble Oil Services
1-800-662-5364
5617 Clyde Rhyne Drive
Sanford, NC 27330
Onyx Industrial Services
Sales Department
125 Commercial Rd.
Mooresville, NC
(704) 660-1490
Chemicals
Onyx Industrial Services
Sales Department
125 Commercial Rd.
Mooresville, NC
(704) 660-1490
Here are some markets for several
categories of chemical waste. Refer
to the links below (p2pays.
org) for a more comprehensive
listing or list your chemicals on
ncwastetrader.org
Pace Recycling
Bob Lambert
1947 Charles Raper Jones Hwy
Mount Holly, NC 28120
(704) 827-1985
(Auto Gas Tanks)
Auto Fluids Recycling
Carolina BG
Adam Thomas
624B Mathews-Mint Hill Rd
Mathew, NC 28106
(704) 847-8840
MA:
P.O. Box 1200
Environmental Recycling
Services Alternative
Greg Meurs
116 Marywood Drive
High Point, NC 27265
(336) 869-8785
Garco
Greg Russel
2503 North Fayetteville Street
Asheboro, NC 27203
(336) 683-0911
Haz-Mart Transportation &
Disposal, Inc.
Jack Holder
221 Dalton Ave. P.O. Box 37392
Charlotte, NC 28237
(704) 332-5600
Parts Cleaning Technologies
Corp.
(Formerly Detrex)
Tim Connelly/ Bob Benson
3114 Cullman Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 372-9280
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
USFilter Recovery Services
Frank Baldwin
2115 Speedrail Ct.
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 455-1333
Dry Cleaning Waste Recycling
Clements
2415 Winterbrook Drive
Mathews, NC 28105
1-800-841- 5808
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
Solvents Recycling Chemical Process Solutions, Inc.
John Brady
200 Westminister Dr.
Greenville, SC 29605
(864) 271-0700
Clements
2415 Winterbrook Drive
Mathews, NC 28105
1-800-841- 5808
Environmental Recycling
Services Alternative
Greg Meurs
116 Marywood Drive
High Point, NC 27265
(336) 869-8785
Heritage Environmental
Kyle Mitchell
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
Onyx Industrial Services
Sales Department
125 Commercial Rd.
Mooresville, NC
(704) 660-1490
39
Parts Cleaning Technologies
Corp. (Formerly Detrex)
Tim Connelly/ Bob Benson
3114 Cullman Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 372-9280
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc.
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
USFilter Recovery Services
Frank Baldwin
2115 Speedrail Ct.
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 455-1333
Other Chemicals Recycling
Chemical Process Solutions
John Brady
200 Westminister Dr.
Greenville, SC 29605
(864) 271-0700
Clement Industries
Jeff Henderson
2415 Winterbrooke Dr.
Matthews, NC 28105
(704) 841-7226
Environmental Recycling
Services Alternative
Greg Meurs
116 Marywood Drive
High Point, NC 27265
(336) 869-8785
Heritage Environmental
Kyle Mitchell
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
Onyx Industrial Services
Sales Department
125 Commercial Rd.
Mooresville, NC
(704) 660-1490
USFilter Recovery Services
Frank Baldwin
2115 Speedrail Ct.
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 455-1333
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
Electronics Recycling
Cleanlites Recycling
Dennis Olsen
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 503-9900
www.cleanlites.com
Computel
John Rhinehardt
1500 N. Graham St.
Charlotte, NC 28206
704-376-1116
Environmental Recycling
Alternatives
Greg Meurs
High Point, NC
(336) 869-8785
Foil’s
Mike Torrence
2283 NC Highway 49 North
P.O. Box 296
Harrisburg, NC 28075
(704) 455-5134
L. Gorden Iron & Metal Co.
Louis Gorden
1300 Salisbury Rd.
Statesville, NC 28687
(704) 873-9004
LDS, Inc.
Joe Brusnighan
2015 Kaufelt St.
Greensboro, NC 27407
(336) 398-8888
Lionheart e-Services
E-Waste Recycling
6123 Sweat Rd
Wallace, SC 29596
Kim L. Morgan -Contact
843-921-6719
lionheart_esvc@bellsouth.net
O.C. Stafford Electronics
Ozzie Stafford
Service & Development
408 Banner Ave
Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 274-9917 Recycle America Alliance
(Formerly Waste Mgmt Asset
Recovery Group)
Kathy Smith
7700 Kempwood Dr.
Houston, Texas 77055
(336) 413-1085
Regal Asset Recovery
Tommy Robbins/ D. Bruce
Sciotto
12777 Suite A, East
Independence Blvd.
Mathews, NC 28105
704-882-9061
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
Simputer USA (non-profit)
Roger Deora
Hickory Grove Business Park
6630 East Harris Blvd, Suite J
Charlotte, NC 28215
704-535-4774
cell (704) 277-6049
roger@simputerusa.org
simputerusa@carolina.rr.com
www.simputerusa.org
Southeast Recycling
Technologies, Inc
Steve Barnett
906 Chase Drive
Johnson City, TN 37604
(800) 592-3970
recycled@preferred.com
www.recyclebulbs.com
40
Electronics, cont’d
Southern Resources, Inc
Michael Sordi
3826 Raleigh St, P.O.Box 220885
Charlotte, NC 28222
(704) 342-1696
TECHNOLOGYRECYCLER.NET Raleigh, NC 27614
(919) 488-3416
www.technologyrecycler.net
TWC, Inc
William Tung
2128 Eastway Drive
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 536-8321
Food - Cooking Oil Recycling
Carolina Bi-Products
(Division of Valley Proteins)
Paul Humphries
5533 S. York Rd
Gastonia, NC 28052
(800) 849-2254
Oilmatic of the Carolina’s
Robert Chiappetta
521 Eagleton Downs Drive,
Suite A
Pineville, NC 28134
(704) 588-9828
Restaurant Grease and Meat
By-products Recycling
Carolina Bi-Products
(Division of Valley Proteins)
Paul Humphries
5533 S. York Rd
Gastonia, NC 28052
(800) 849-2254
Ecosolve
Ralf Rogers
4408 Northpointe Industr. Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 399-4000
Environmental Biotech of
Charlotte
Sales Department
Charlotte, NC
(704) 821-4000
Liquid Waste, Inc.
Sales Department
8531 Old Dowd Rd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 391-2392
Stanley Septic & Drain
Service
Sales Department
Charlotte, NC
(704) 596-3353
Valley Proteins
Mike Boling
P.O. Box 718 , Hwy 52
Wadesboro, NC 28170
(704) 694-3701
Mercury containing devices/
Lamps & Lights Recycling
Devices containing mercury
must be recycled in the
appropriate manner as
mercury is a hazardous waste.
Cleanlites Recycling
Dennis Olsen
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 503-9900
www.cleanlites.com
(lamps & lights-all kinds)
Fluorescent Light Tubes and
Ballasts Recycling
Cleanlites Recycling
Dennis Olsen
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 503-9900
www.cleanlites.com
(capacitors also)
Ecoflo, Inc.
2750 Patterson St.
Greensboro, NC 27407
(800-999-6510)
Environmental Recycling
Alternatives
Greg Meurs
High Point, NC
(336) 869-8785
Haz-Mat Transportation &
Disposal, Inc.
Jack Holder
221 Dalton Ave. P.O. Box 37392
Charlotte, NC 28237
(704) 332-5600
Heritage Environmental
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
Southeast Recycling
Technologies, Inc
Steve Barnett
906 Chase Drive
Johnson City, TN 37604
(800) 592-3970
recycled@preferred.com
www.recyclebulbs.com
Metals
Metals may include scrap
steel, aluminum, copper and
other metals and alloys. These
metals may take the form of
appliances, automotive parts,
entire vehicles, aluminum and
steel cans, gutters, etc. 41
The following metal recycling
companies accept a variety of
metal types. Contact one or
more of them to find out what
they accept and what services
they may provide. You can also
drop-off metals at the County’s
four full-service Recycling
Drop-off Centers and at our
Rozzelles Ferry Rd. (704-3921063) location. Aluminum cans
can be delivered to selected
Recycling Drop-off Centers.
Beverage Containers from
the vending machines or
canteen areas can be recycled
through the County operated
drop centers or, in the case of
aluminum cans, be sold to a
local recycling vendor.
The Charlotte Fire Department
also collects aluminum cans,
with revenues benefiting burn
victims. Charlotte Fire Fighters
(704)336-8376. www.ffbcf.org
In addition, many fire stations
collect aluminum cans to
benefit the Children’s Burn
Hospital. Contact your
local fire station for more
information.
Amity Metals
Sales Department
2915 Providence Rd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 364-2970
Atlantic Scrap & Processing
John Deshenes
419 Atando Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 375-5937
Bruce’s Iron and Metal, Inc.
Bruce Wofford
4604 S. York Rd.
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 864-3671
C & C Scrap Iron & Metal Inc.
Sales Department
157 Bethlehem Rd.
Kings Mountain, NC
(704) 563-0453
CMC Steel South Carolina
310 New State Rd.
Cayce, SC, 29033
(803) 936-3700
www.smi-sc.com
Consolidated Alloys
Ross Gathings
2214 N. Graham Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 334-8049
D. H. Griffin Companies
David H. Griffin Sr.
4700 Hilltop Road
Greensboro, NC 27407
704-331-9400 (Charlotte Office)
336-855-7030
www.dhgriffin.com
Federal Waste Paper
Rodney Faust
1763 W. Webb Avenue
Burlington, NC 27215
(336) 228-0692
(Aluminum cans only)
Foil’s
Mike Torrence
2283 NC Hwy 49 North
P.O. Box 296
Harrisburg, NC 28075
(704) 455-5134
Future Steel & Iron
Sales Department
Charlotte, NC
(704) 583-1805
Global Recycling
Sales Department
2800 N. Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28262
(704) 376-2370
(Engine Motors also)
Heritage Environmental
Sales Department
4132 Pompano Road
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
(metals from hazardous
material only)
L. Gordon Iron & Metal Co.
Louis Gordon
1300 Salisbury Rd
Statesville, NC 28687
(704) 873-9004
Mars Recycling & Shredding,
Inc
Marvin Stallworth
P.O. Box 561121
Charlotte, NC 28256
(704) 549-8409
Maslo
Kay Rogers or Crystal
Balesandro
1200-B Tarheel Road
Charlotte, NC 28208
704-398-9895
Mobile: 704-488-3257
Metal Recycling Services
Sales Department
1306 Coakley Street
Monroe, NC 28110
704-598-2474
Morris Scrap Metal
Sales Department
2045 Shelby Rd
Shelby, NC
(704) 739-3869
Pace Metal Recycling & Waste
Hauling Inc
Bob Lambert
1789 Stanley Hwy
Mount Holly, NC 28120
(704) 827-1985
Plyler Paper Stock
Rita Plyler
800 Gesco Street
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 372-8787
42
Metals, cont’d
Steel Drum Recyclers
Pallets Recycling
Smith Metal & Iron Co
Sales Department
101 Glenn Hope
Rock Hill, SC
(704) 332-5191
803-324-5353
Industrial Container Services Jim Cooper
3212 Campus Ridge Rd.
Matthews, NC 28106
(704) 821-7635
P.O. Box 1217
Accu-Pak Systems, Inc
Sales Department
Charlotte, NC
(866) 662-2336
Southern Metals Co., Inc.
Robert Helbein
2200 Donald Ross Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 394-3161
Industrial Container Services
Dan Bartley
2900 West Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 392-5386 ext. 3 Southern Resources
MIchael Sordi
3826 Raleigh Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 342-1696
McManus & Son Drum Co.
Tom Lewis
5631 Racine Ave
Charlotte, NC 28269
(704) 598-2224
Stateline Scrap Metal
Brett Busha
5401 York Hwy
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 864-9001
Tallent Drum Co
Sales Department
1129 Lowell Spencer Mountain
Rd
Lowell, NC 28098
(704) 824-1807
P.O. Box 675
TWC, Inc
William Tung
2128 Eastway Drive
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 536-8321
United Scrap
Buddy Fisher
3600 Primrose Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28266
(704) 399-6318 Weyerhauser Paper Co.
Shannon Anderson
201 East 28th Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 334-5222 ext. 1132
(Aluminum cans only)
Wise Aluminum
John Stewart
2001 Wilkinson Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 343-9387
West Drum Company
Mary E. West
6949 Goldhill Rd
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 786-3446 Winston Container Co, Inc.
Sales Department
1 Winston Container Rd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 394-0176
Pallets, Wooden Crates
Wood pallets can be returned
to the shipper for reuse. These
items are often similar in how
they are processed into end
products (usually mulch or
compost).
Custom Pallet & Crating, Inc.
Doug Reiner
5104 N.Graham St.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 921-1100
Edwards Wood Products, Inc
Sales Department
2215 Old Lawyers Rd
Marshville, NC
(704) 624-5098
First Alliance Logistics Mgmt
Sales Department
5000 Nations Crossing Rd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 522-0233
Gamble Pallet & Crating Co.
Cheryl Gamble
701 Johnson Rd. P.O. Box
217034
Charlotte, NC 28221
(704) 375-9301
IFCO Systems
Kent Wilburn
4101 S. I-85 Service Rd
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 391-2227
L.A. Brick Pallet Recycling
Leroy Lewis
5405 South Minister Lane
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 458-4718
cell (980) 721-7005
Neal’s Pallet Company
Neal Sparrow
8808 Wilkinson Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28214
(704) 393-8568
43
Pallets & Such
Sales Department
1004 Damron Rd
Bessemer City, NC
(704) 629-4551
(704) 629-3653
Pallet Lady The, Inc.
Sales Department
1342 Sugar Hollow Drive
Charlotte, NC
(704) 392-9392
Piedmont Distribution
Centers
Sales Department
14260 Carowinds Blvd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 588-2820
RJ Brewer Grinding Service
Ron Brewer
3733 Kidd Lane
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 399-5500
Simpson Wood Products
Melvin Simpson
524 Atando Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 374-1850
Starnes Pallet Service
Tommy Starnes, Jr.
P.O. Box 5371
4000 N. I-85 Service Rd
Charlotte, NC 28229
(704) 596-9006
Statesville Pallet Co Inc
351 Old Mountain Rd
Hiddenite, NC
1-800-459-2621
Tree Brand Packaging, Inc.
Sales Department
7971 Graham Rd
Denver, NC 28037 (704) 483-0719
Workman’s Pallet Services
Sales Department
Rockhill, SC (803) 366-0283
Wood Crates Recycling
- Wood must be untreated,
unpainted and unstained.
Foxhole Landfill
17131 Lancaster Highway
Charlotte, NC (704) 341-4962
Hours: M-F, 7:00 am-4:00 pm;
Sat., 7:00 am-3:00 pm
Hwy. 49 C&D Landfill &
Recycling Center
2105 Speedrail Court
Harrisburg, NC 28025
(704) 455-1561
Neal’s Pallet Company
8808 Wilkinson Blvd.
Charlotte, NC
(704) 393-8568
RJ Brewer Grinding Service
Ron Brewer
3733 Kidd Lane
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 399-5500
Paper
Paper may include office paper,
colored paper, computer paper,
envelopes, manila file folders,
newspaper, magazines, phone
books, corrugated cardboard
etc. Some companies require
separation and some companies
will take a mixed blend of all paper
types. Each company will explain
their requirements and costs.
Paper Shredding
If you have confidential papers,
but still want to recycle, contact
one of the companies that
shred paper and then recycle it.
Paper & Cardboard Recyclers
Legend
cc = corrugated cardboard
op = office paper
Caraustar
Joe Cippoletti
2426 Chamberlain Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 333-5488
(trailer-load quantities only)
cc, op
Carolina Fiber Corp
Carol Becker
1901 Trox Street
Greensboro, NC 27416
(336) 275-4047
(trailer loads & 30-40yds)
op Iron Mountain Secure
Shredding
Paula Dockery
10525D Granite Street
Charlotte, NC 28273
(704) 372-1231
(65gal, 95gal, console=4’x3’)
op
Mars Recycling & Shredding,
Inc.
Marvin Stallworth
P.O. Box 561121
Charlotte, NC 28256
(704) 549-8409
(35gal, 64gal, 96gal, 100lb
secure console)
Maslo
Kay Rogers
Sylvia Dixon
1200-B Tarheel Road
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 398-9895
(704) 488-3257 cell
(desk bins to tractor trailers)
cc, op
Planet Recycling
Brian Couture
P. O. Box 3484
Matthews, NC 28106
(704) 849-6363
(64gal, 96gal, 6-8yd dumpsters)
cc, op
44
Paper Shredding, cont’d
Plyler Paper Stock Co.
Rita Plyler
800 Gesco St.
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 372-8787
(95gal, 6yd)
cc, op
Pratt Industries (formerly
Visy)
201 East 28th Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 332-3900
(8yd dumpster)
cc, op
Recover, Inc.
Jim Mobley
1200 Woodruff Road, A-3
Greenville, SC 29607-5732
(864) 213-2141, ext. 1420
(baled, full truckload quantities
preferred)
Signature Waste Systems
Joe Swinford
660 Westinghouse Blvd. Suite
106
Charlotte, NC 28273
(704) 714-9400
jswinford@signaturewaste.com
(all sizes for the office, 4yd, 8yd,
rolloffs, front end)
cc, op
Sonoco Paper Stock Dealers
Rusty Anderson
3901 Barringer Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 525-8728
(trailer loads only)
cc, op
Southern Resources
MIchael Sordi
3826 Raleigh Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 342-1696
TransGlobal Waste Services
Donna Hawkins
Charlotte, NC
(704) 222-4879 cell
866-573-7667 toll free
dhawkins@transglobalwaste.
com
(trailer-load & compactor
quantities only)
op, cc
US Green Fiber
Larry Taylor, Bob Young
1007 Amble Road
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 509-5151
(trailer loads only)
op + Phone Books
Weyerhaeuser Paper
Company
Paige Denton
201 East 28th St.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 334-5222 ext. 1137
(65gal, 95gal; shredding=35gal
& 96gal)
cc, op
Garbage Collection & Paper/
Cardboard Hauling
All-Points Waste
Michael Locklear
P. O. Box 2458
IndianTrail, NC 28079
(704) 821-5424
cc, op
(BFI) Charlotte Motor
Speedway Landfill, LLC
Drew Neal, Charles Gillian
5105 Morehead Rd.
Concord, NC 28027
(704) 393-6900
cc, op
Container Corp. of Carolina
Sales Dept.
3358 Highway 51 North
Fort Mill, SC 29715
(704) 377-0161
cc, op
Republic Waste Services
Andy Braman
5516 Rozzelles Ferry Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28214
(704) 596-2077
cc, op
Waste Management of
Carolinas, Inc.
Mark Stack
2712 Lowell Rd.
Gastonia, NC 28054
(704) 824-2011
cc, op
Paint Recycling
Environmental Recycling
Services Alternative
Greg Meurs
116 Marywood Drive
High Point, NC 27265
(336) 869-8785
(Recycles paint & Disposal)
Heritage Environmental
Kyle Mitchell
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
(Proper Disposal only)
Parts Cleaning Tech. Corp.
(Formerly Detrex)
Tim Connelly/ Bob Benson
3114 Cullman Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 372-9280
(Proper Disposal only)
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc.
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
(Proper Disposal only)
45
Society of Plastics Industry’s (SPI) Plastics Coding System
Full Name
Typical Products
Features
PETE
Polyethylene
terephthalate
Bottles: (soft drink-with or
without Code 1 symbol), honey,
liquor, dish detergent, antacid,
cold medicine, some food trays,
peanut butter jars.
High
Transparent with
strength, high high gloss; clear or
resistance
colored; no seams;
injection molding nub
on bottom or opaque
with dull finish.
Tough; highly resilient,
slick surface; semi-rigid;
hard to scratch; sinks in
water.
HDPE natural
(without color)
High density
polyethylene
Jugs: milk, cider, distilled water
and spring water; bottles: juice
(not clear), rubbing alcohol, large
vinegar, grocery bags.
Chemical
and moisture
resistant:
tough
Translucent matte
finish (not shiny)
Slightly waxy to touch;
semi-rigid to flexible; does
not crack when bent;
scratches to some degree;
floats in water.
HDPE
(colored)
High density
polyethylene
Bottles: laundry and dish
detergent, fabric softener, saline
solution, bleach, motor oil and
antifreeze.
Chemical
and moisture
resistant;
tough
Opaque matte finish
(not shiny)
PVC
Polyvinyl
chloride
Bottles: imported mineral
water, salad dressing, salad
and vegetable oil, floor polish,
mouthwash, liquor, some
translucent pharmaceutical
bottles; bottle liners and cap
coatings, blister pack “bubble”
for batteries, tile and drainage
pipes.
Hardy;
chemical
resistant
Can be transparent,
translucent, or
opaque (colored,
usually high gloss);
bottles have
seams; clear bottles
sometimes have faint
blue tint; bottom has
blow molding smile.
Tough; very smooth
surface; forms opaque
white line when bent;
semi-rigid; scratches
easily; sinks in water.
LDPE
Low density
polyethylene
Usually appears in flexible film
bags for dry cleaning, bread,
produce, trash, etc.; also some
rigid items such as food storage
containers and flexible lids;
coatings, and recycling bins.
Good optics;
tough;
lightweight;
flexible
Can be nearly
transparent (e.g.,
dry cleaning bags)
or opaque: can be
colored; low to high
gloss.
Slightly waxy to touch;
flexible; stretches before
tearing when pulled;
scratches easily; floats in
water.
PP
Polypropylene
Battery cases, medical
containers; oil additive
containers, some dairy tubs;
cereal box liners; bottle caps;
rope and strapping; combs;
snack wraps; bags; some yogurt
cups and lids (those that do not
crack easily when bent).
Hard, good
tensile
strength
Transparent,
translucent, or
opaque; clear or
colored; can have
shiny or low gloss
finish.
Smooth surfaces; semirigid; tough; cannot
scratch; floats in water.
Some yogurt cups and tubs;
cookie and muffin trays; clear
carry-out containers; vitamin
bottles; most fast food cutlery;
waste baskets; VCR cassettes.
Good optics;
stiff flexible
Transparent or
opaque; clear or
colored; high gloss;
only wide mouthed
containers (no
bottles)
Slick, smooth surface;
cracks easily when bent;
brittle to semi-rigid; hard
to scratch; sinks in water.
EPS
Expanded
(or foamed)
polystyrene
Carry-out containers (clamshells,
etc.); meat and produce trays;
hot cups; egg cartons; packing
peanuts.
Lightweight;
heat resistant;
buoyant
Opaque only; smooth
to grainy finish;
foamed, thick walled.
Smooth surface; cracks
easily when bent;
lightweight and fluffy;
easily scratches; floats in
water.
Other
Varies
Plastics other than the six
most common or made of
multiple layered resins, blends,
or different parts (i.e.: water
cooler bottles; microwavable
serving ware; most snack
bags; squeezable bottles for
condiments, etc.)
Varies
Varies
Varies
PS
Polystyrene
Appearance
Physical Properties
Slightly waxy to touch;
semi rigid to flexible; does
not crack when bent;
scratches to some degree;
floats in water.
SPI Code
1
PETE
2
HDPE
2
HDPE
3
V
4
LDPE
5
PP
6
PS
6
PS
7
OTHER
46
Plastics
Plastics take many forms,
from rigid bottles to flexible
stretch wrap. Only number
1 and number 2 plastics can
be recycled at the County
Recycling Drop-off Centers.
Visit the list of plastics markets
on the website for recyclers of
other plastics.
Identify the various types of
plastic by locating the SPI
coding imprint on either
the bottom or the side of
the container. The recycling
triangle with a number in the
center is the imprint to locate.
Amity Metals
Sales Department
2915 Providence Rd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 364-2970
(tractor trailer quantities)
#1,#2,#4 & #5
An American Recycling
Company of NC
Bruce S. Spaziani
1128 Waynewood Drive
Waxhaw, North Carolina
www.aarc-nc.com
b.spaziani@aarc-nc.com
704-843-0519
#2 & #4
Blue Ridge Recycling
Monty Thompson
420 Seaboard Drive
Mathews, NC 28104
(704) 821-4482
(post industrial scrap)
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Bromley Plastics Corp.
David Katterman
P.O. Box 550
Fletcher, NC 28732
(828) 651-8737
#5
Custom Polymers
700 Tuckaseegee Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
704-332-6070
40,000 lb. quantities, or tractor
truckload quantities minimum
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Environmental Recycling
Alternative
Greg Meurs
116 Marywood Drive
High Point, NC 27265
(336) 869-8785
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Enviroplastic
Rejan Arsenault
2501 Ashcroft
Monroe, NC 28110
(514) 352-6060
#2
ERC2
Peter Suttoni
1011 Woodward Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 358-6700
Baled, truckload qty’s only
#2
Federal Waste Paper
Rodney Faust
1763 W. Webb Avenue
Burlington, NC 27215
(336) 228-0692
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Harmony Industry Inc.
David Pendlebury
1411 Progress Rd.
High Point, NC 27260
(336) 886-7225
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Mars Recycling & Shredding,
Inc.
Marvin Stallworth
PO Box 561121
Charlotte, NC 28256
(704) 549-8409
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Plastic Recy-color, Inc
Debbie Smith
4955 Indiana Ave
Winston- Salem, NC 27116
(336) 924-3353
MA: P.O. Box 11288 #1,#2,#4 & #5
Plastic Tubing
Kenny Poole
Roseboro, NC 28382
(800) 752-5237
#2
Plastics Reclaim, Inc.
Richard Roche
P.O. Box 8674
Greenville, SC 29604
(864) 421-0078
(Brokers)
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Garco
Greg Russel
2503 North Fayetteville Street
Asheboro, NC 27203
(336) 683-0911
#2,#4 & #5
Polymer Recovery (Layman
Plastics)
Bill Layman
1127 Tarheel Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 391-2470
#2 & #5
Guilford Molding, Inc.
Barry Appelget
1308 Benjamin Parkway
Greensboro, NC 27498
(336) 288-5117
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Poly Reps, Inc
Sales Department
2501 Ashcraft Ave.
Monroe, NC
(704) 238-9949
#2,#4 & #5
47
Plastics, cont’d
Pro-Poly Enterprises, Inc.
(Formerly Gilmore Assoc/
Visda)
Steve Barnhart
521 Townsend Ave
High Point, NC 27263
(336) 434-2178
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Recover, Inc.
Carmen Edwards
1200 Woodruff Rd. #A-3
Greenville, SC 29607
(864) 213-2141
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Re-Use It Plastics, Inc.
Barbara Canter
Mooresville, NC 28211
(704) 799-1881
#1
Rutherford Sales and
Recovery Co.
Dewey Stroud
P. O. Box 347
Forest City, NC 28043
(828) 245-6060
#1,#2,#4 & #5
(post-industrial #1-7, tractor
trailer quantities, mixed loads
okay)
Sonoco Paper Stock Dealers
Rusty Anderson
3901 Barringer Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28217
704-525-8728
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Southern Resources
MIchael Sordi
3826 Raleigh Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 342-1696
#1,#2,#4 & #5
TransGlobal Waste Services
Donna Hawkins
Charlotte, NC
(704) 222-4879 cell
866-573-7667 toll free
dhawkins@transglobalwaste.com
(trailer-load & compactor
quantities only)
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Styrofoam Peanuts Recycling
TWC, Inc.
William Tung
2128 Eastway Drive
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 536-8321
TWCINC@yahoo.com
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Polyester Recycling
Wellmark, Inc.
Darren Lynch
355 Waketa Drive
Asheboro, NC 27203
(336) 498-1881
#1,#2,#4 & #5
Expanded Polystyrene
(Styrofoam) Recycling
An American Recycling
Company of NC
Bruce S. Spaziani
1128 Waynewood Drive
Waxhaw, North Carolina
www.aarc-nc.com
b.spaziani@aarc-nc.com
704-843-0519
International Cushioning Co.
Rick Brademeyer
536 N. Generals Blvd.
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 735-3932 ext. 350
Modern Polymers Inc.
Jean Boyd
901 West Academy
Cherryville, NC 28201
704-435-5825, ext 23
(1/2 to full trailer loads only)
jean@modernpolymers.com
www.modernpolymers.com
Peanut Hotline #
1-800-828-2214
UPS Store Manager
all stores Charlotte, NC
(704) 342-1950
Custom Polymers
700 Tuckaseegee Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
704-332-6070
40,000 lb. quantities, or tractor
truckload quantities minimum
Sonoco Paper Stock Dealers
Rusty Anderson
3901 Barringer Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28217
704-525-8728
Nylon Carpet Recycling
An American Recycling
Company of NC
Bruce S. Spaziani
1128 Waynewood Drive
Waxhaw, North Carolina
www.aarc-nc.com
b.spaziani@aarc-nc.com
704-843-0519
Custom Polymers
700 Tuckaseegee Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
704-332-6070
40,000 lb. quantities, or tractor
truckload quantities minimum
Harmony Industry Inc.
David Pendlebury
1411 Progress Ave
High Point, NC 27260
(336) 886-7225
Sonoco Paper Stock Dealers
Rusty Anderson
3901 Barringer Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28217
704-525-8728
48
Polypropylene Carpet
An American Recycling
Company of NC
Bruce S. Spaziani
1128 Waynewood Drive
Waxhaw, North Carolina
www.aarc-nc.com
b.spaziani@aarc-nc.com
704-843-0519
Blue Ridge Recycling
Monty Thompson
420 Seabaord Drive
Mathews, NC 28104
(704) 821-4482
Custom Polymers
700 Tuckaseegee Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
704-332-6070
40,000 lb. quantities, or tractor
truckload quantities minimum
Vinyl Recycling
An American Recycling
Company of NC
Bruce S. Spaziani
1128 Waynewood Drive
Waxhaw, North Carolina
www.aarc-nc.com
b.spaziani@aarc-nc.com
704-843-0519
Custom Polymers
700 Tuckaseegee Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
704-332-6070
40,000 lb. quantities, or tractor
truckload quantities minimum
Harmony Industry Inc.
David Pendlebury
1411 Progress Ave
High Point, NC 27260
(336) 886-7225
Reily Recovery
Kevin Reily
1200 Galilean Trail
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(919) 933-3611
Sonoco Paper Stock Dealers
Rusty Anderson
3901 Barringer Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28217
704-525-8728
National Container Services
Sales Department
1209 Tarheel Rd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 393-9050
TWC, Inc.
William Tung
2128 Eastway Drive
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 536-8321
TWCINC@yahoo.com
Tallent Drum Co
Sales Department
1129 Lowell Spencer Mountain Rd
Lowell, NC 28098
(704) 824-1807
Vinyl Reclaiming Company, Inc.
Richard Dnniss
2650 Bennett Rd.
Ft. Mill, SC 29175
(803) 548-0721
Plastic Drums Recycling
Custom Polymers
700 Tuckaseegee Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28208
704-332-6070
40,000 lb. quantities, or tractor
truckload quantities minimum
General Steel Drum Co
Sales Department
4500 South Blvd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 525-7160
Industrial Container Services
Sales Department
2900 West Trade Street
Charlotte, NC
(704) 392-5386
Industrial Container Services
3212 Campus Ridge Rd.
Mathews, NC 28106
(704) 821-7635
P.O. Box 1217
McManus & Son Drum Co.
Tom Lewis
5631 Racine Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28269
(704) 598-2224
TWC, Inc.
William Tung
2128 Eastway Drive
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 536-8321
TWCINC@yahoo.com
West Drum Company
Mary West
6949 Gold Hill Rd
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 786-3446
Winston Container CO, Inc
Sales Department
1 Winston Container Rd
Charlotte, NC
(704) 394-0176
Toner Cartridge Recycling
Toner cartridges can be recycled
locally or, in some cases, returned
to the manufacturer with prepaid shipping by UPS. You can
save 40-60% of the cost of new
cartridges when you purchase
remanufactured cartridges
Advance Laser Services
Bill Smith
129 Park Arbor Lane
Apex, NC 27502
(704) 333-9590
Carolina Cartridge Systems, Inc.
Sherry Dills
2506 Lucena Rd
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 529-5550
49
Cleanlites Recycling
Dennis Olsen
Spartanburg, SC
(864) 503-9900
www.cleanlites.com
Duraline
975 Walnut St. Suite 218
Carry, NC 27511
704-525-3725
Evergreen Recycling Group
Charlie Sistare
10810 Southern Loop Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28134
(704) 588-5722
charlie@evergreenrecycling.net
(company will make charitable
donation for each toner cartridge
bought or recycled)
Laser Labs
Ken Rowell
4404-B Stuart Andrew Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28217
704-529-1187
(will pick up empty cartridges)
Recycling for Education
800-748-2100
(For each cartridge collected, a
donation is made to support
the delivery of technology
resources to CMS students.)
Regal Asset Recovery
Bruce Sciotto/ Tommy Robbins
12777 Suite A East Independence
Blvd.
Mathews, NC 28105
(704) 882-9061
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
Tone Tech
Cathy Chauncy
920 West Tremount
Charlotte, NC 28203
(704) 377-4001
tonetech@bellsouth.net
Tyvek Envelopes Recycling
Dupont Tyvek Recycle
Shirly Simburg
1-800-222-5676
2400 Elliham Ave, #A
Richmond, VA 23237
www.tyvekenvelopes.com
X-Ray Film Developing Waste
Recycling
Clements
2415 Winterbrook Drive
Mathews, NC 28105
1-800-841- 5808
Harmony Industry, Inc.
David Pendlebury
1411 Progress Ave
High Point, NC 27260
(336) 886-7225
Heritage Environmental
Kyle Mitchell
4132 Pompano Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704) 392-6276
Onyx Industrial Services
Sales Department
125 Commercial Rd.
Mooresville, NC
(704) 660-1490
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc
Brian Brownlee
2320 Yadkin Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 375-0098
Yard Waste Recycling
Compost Central
5631 West Blvd
(704) 588-9070
Monday-Friday 7-5pm
Saturday 7-3pm
Foxhole Recycling Center 17131 Lancaster Highway
(704) 341-4962
Monday - Friday, 7a.m. - 4p.m.,
Saturday 7a.m. - 3p.m.
Hensons’ Inc Mulch & More
13011 Lancaster Hwy (704) 543-9952
8719 Old Dowd Rd
(704) 399-7300
Trees, branches, limbs and stumps
only
Hickory Grove Recycling Center 8007 Pence Road
(704) 535-3781
Tuesday - Saturday; 7am - 3pm
North Mecklenburg Recycling
Center
12300 N. Statesville Rd.
(US Highway 21 north of Harris
Blvd.)
(704) 875-1563
Tuesday - Saturday; 7am - 3pm
Other Materials
Aerosol cans
Empty and dry aerosol cans (no
liquids or remaining pressure) are
exempt from hazardous waste
rules. Cans may be recycled with
other steel cans at drop-off center
or with metal recycler.
Reduction Tip:
To reduce or eliminate aerosol
can waste, consider purchasing
products in bulk and using
reusable or non-aerosol pump
applicators. When applying paints,
use a brush or consider a paint gun
instead of aerosol cans, or consider
electrostatic painting.
Please see
www.wipeoutwaste.com
for current vendors.
50
APPENDIX C
Recycling Drop-Off Centers
51
Business Recycling at Mecklenburg County Drop-Off Centers
Items Accepted At Commercial Drop-off Centers @ No Charge (All Quantities):
•
•
Mixed Office Paper – newspaper, magazines, catalogs, telephone books, junk-mail, white & colored paper.
Flattened Cardboard
Items Accepted At Self Service Drop-off Centers @ No Charge (All Quantities):
•
•
•
•
•
Mixed Office Paper – newspaper, magazines, catalogs, telephone books, junk-mail, white & colored paper.
Flattened Cardboard
Mixed Glass Jars & Bottles
#1 & #2 Plastic Bottles
Aluminum & Steel Cans
Items Accepted from Businesses At The Four Full Service Centers* @ No Charge (All Quantities):
•
•
•
•
•
Mixed Office Paper – newspaper, magazines, catalogs, telephone books, junk-mail, white & colored paper.
Flattened Cardboard
Mixed Glass Jars & Bottles
#1 & #2 Plastic Bottles
Scrap Aluminum & Metal
Quantity to Be Determined:
Acceptance of materials listed below is dependent upon several factors (i.e. number and/or quantity of items
to recycle, method of packing a material, etc.). Also, on occasions, several additional items may be eligible for
recycling at a Full-Service Center. As a result, businesses are requested to review the County’s wipeoutwaste.com
website and click on the drop-down option “Find A Recycling Drop-Off Center?” or call (704) 336-7759.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Motor Oil, antifreeze/transmission fluid & oil filters – 5-gallon limit per visit
Passenger Tires (off rims) – (5) tire limit per visit
Batteries – lead acid (car), household, Ni-Cad, rechargeable – up to 12’ trailer
Foam rubber (carpet padding) - unlimited
Electronics – computers (Small Businesses Located @ Home Only, limit 2 per visit)
Fire Extinguishers (empty / completely discharged)- unlimited
Items Accepted at “Metals & Tire Recovery Center” @ No Charge (All Quantities):
5740 Rozzelles Ferry Road, Charlotte, NC 28208 - Open Monday thru Friday from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
•
•
Appliances
Scrap Tires (off rims) (with proper NC Scrap Tire Certificate Form)
The list of items accepted from Individual Residents at the Full Service Recycling Centers is different.
APPENDIX D
52
Wipe-Out-Waste
Small Business Recycling Drop-Off Program
The Drop-off program is a network of convenient drop-off recycling locations for Mecklenburg County businesses
that generate a small amount of recyclable items. The collection program includes; cardboard boxes, white and
colored paper, computer/copy paper, drawing paper, blueprints, legal pads, stapled paper, file folders, envelopes,
fax paper, post-it notes, index cards, brochures, magazines, newsprint, phone books, magazines and catalogs. All
of these materials can be placed in the same container. Container locations are convenient for the public and
accessible for service. Businesses are requested to host a recycling center for at least one-year period of time.
Drop-Off Center Containers
Business owners will be offered a choice of 8, 20 or 30 cubic yard containers. Sites generally will contain a single
container in order to equitably distribute containers throughout the county.
1. The drop-off may utilize a 20 or 30 cubic yard closed top roll-off style container. Recyclable materials
will be deposited through openings on the side of the container. The container will be painted red, and
display the Wipe Out Waste logo, recycling symbol, anti-trash statement, and description of recyclable
items. To minimize wear on asphalt surfaces, it is recommended that this container be placed on a
concrete surface.
2. The drop-off may utilize an 8 cubic yard closed top front-end loader style container. Recyclable materials
will be deposited through openings on the side of the container. The container will be provided by a
local recycling vendor and appropriately designated as a recycling container.
Collection
Collection service will be provided for a minimum one-year period by Mecklenburg County or its designated
representative. An evaluation of service will then be conducted after a one-year period to determine site viability,
cost effectiveness, contamination levels, container usage and permanent location status designation. Upon
analysis, containers may be moved to other locations, if productivity is unacceptable. Request for termination
of services by drop-off center host prior to the one-year service must be submitted in writing to Mecklenburg
County Solid Waste Department.
The County reserves the right to terminate the program at any time do to safety or operational concerns.
Drop-Off Center Maintenance
To ensure the continued cleanliness and safety of drop-off center sites, drop-off center hosts are responsible for
the on-going maintenance of collection centers.
Education and Information
Mecklenburg County Solid waste and drop-off center host will notify potential users about the location and
availability of drop-off centers. The following educational tools and advertisement are available:
•
•
•
•
•
Container signage
Information flyers for surrounding businesses
Web site advertisement
Drop-off center flyers
Advertisement in local media
Program Cost
Mecklenburg County assumes responsibility of container and container collection cost.
Call Mecklenburg County Solid Waste Reduction, 704-336-8393 or 704-336-3461, to request a recycling drop-off
center for businesses in your area.
APPENDIX E
Sources for Recycling Containers
Sources and Kinds of Recycling Storage Units
A recycling service provider may furnish external storage for collected recyclables. Depending on the size of
the business and the possibilities for commingling, a business could use anything from a small dumpster to
large rolling carts to simple small trash cans.
For rolling carts or recycling bins, may have to work directly with a cart vendor – a few of the major ones are
listed below. Local janitorial supply companies may also be able to provide collection containers, especially in
smaller quantities. Note that a simple Web search may be the best way to find a wide array of different cart and
bin products.
Name
Phone
Web Site
Amick Equipment
800-922-3795
http://www.amickequipment.biz/diakon1.asp
Busch Systems
800-565-9931
http://www.buschsystems.com/
IPL
http://www.ipl-plastics.com/ec-environ.html
Mid-Point Intl
888-646-4246
http://www.midpoint-int.com/listing.mv?c=5
Otto
800-227-5885
http://www.otto-usa.com/en/products_rc.asp
Recycling Products
800-875-1735
http://www.recyclingproducts.com/
Rehrig Pacific
800-421-6244
http://www.rehrigpacific.com/
Rubbermaid
800-347-9800
www.rubbermaidcommercial.com
Schaefer Systems Intl
704-944-4500
www.ssi.schaefer-us.com
SCL A-1 Plastics Ltd.
800-777-0979
www.scla1.com
Toter, Inc.
800-772-0071
http://www.toter.com/
Ultra-Cart
800-899-7856
http://www.ultracart.net/
Zarn
501-951-2045
http://www.zarn.com/
Local hardware and home improvement stores also have recycling containers. If you do not need to order
large quantities, they may offer the simplest way to acquire bins and toters.
Another Idea!
Use five gallon buckets for internal handling in certain key locations inside. Businesses that serve
food may have ready access to these buckets from incoming foodstuffs or janitorial supplies, they
can also be purchased. Non-returnable shipping crates, boxes or other types of packaging that can
be used for internal storage of recyclables.
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APPENDIX F
Just Say No To Junk Mail
Not only does junk mail clog the postal system and create a nuisance for you, it also uses up valuable natural
resources and contributes to pollution and litter problems. For every ton of paper generated in the form
of junk mail, 17 trees are destroyed. Tons of junk mail are going to landfills around the country every day,
depleting precious landfill space.
How did I get on these mailing lists?
Every time you provide your name and address to receive a product or service, there’s a good chance you are
being added to one or more mailing lists. When you buy a car, have a baby, make a purchase from a catalog,
give money to a charity or fill out a product registration card, your name will likely be entered into a computer
database.
How do I get off these lists?
This Web site http://www.p2pays.org/main/optoutlinks.asp includes some really great links to let you start
reclaiming your privacy and to stop the deluge of unwanted junk mail, spam and telemarketing calls.
Tried-and-True Methods For Reducing Junk Mail At The Source
Contact the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Mail Preference Service http://www.dmaconsumers.
org/consumerassistance.html to get off their mailing list. DMA is the oldest and largest trade
association for the users and suppliers in the direct, database and interactive marketing field. Sending
a request to DMA to have your name and address removed from their mailing list can significantly
reduce your junk mail load. If you wish, you may use DPPEA’s Junk Mail Terminator Cards. You will
need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Reader 5, you can
download it for free. http://www.p2pays.org/search/pdfframe.asp?pdfurl=/ref/07/06570.pdf
Contact the major credit bureaus to request your name to be removed from mailing lists for preapproved credit cards. The major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, Inc., Innovis, and Trans Union Corp.
can be reached at one telephone number:
888-567-8688.
Fill in and return opt-out privacy cards from financial organizations. Financial organizations are now
required to provide customers with opt-out privacy cards so you can request that your name be
removed from their bulk mailing lists.
Call those “800” numbers provided on catalogs and other bulk mailings to request your name to be
removed from mailing lists.
Avoid giving your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to businesses if possible. They
may use the information to put you on another mailing list and will oftentimes sell it to other bulk
mailers.
This information has been compiled by the N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance to help
you to get off mailing lists and to stop unwanted telemarketing calls and e-mail “spam.”
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR)
1639 Mail Service Center • Raleigh NC 27699-1639 • (919) 715-6500 • (800) 763-0136
North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA)
APPENDIX G
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Resources and Links
Mecklenburg County Land Use & Environmental Services Agency
Solid Waste Department
700 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
www.wipeoutwaste.com
Mecklenburg County Solid Waste Services:
Business Recycling Technical Assistance
Business Source Separation Ordinance Enforcement
Business Recognition Program
City/County Building Recycling
CMS School Recycling Program
Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful - Litter Prevention and Education Program
Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling
Back Yard Composting & County Residential Recycling
Residential Waste Reduction and Composting Residential Waste Reduction and Recycling
704-432-3200
704-336-5420
704-336-3777
704-432-1772
704-432-0399
704-432-1970
704-432-1970
704-432-3466
Charlotte Solid Waste and Recycling
Town of Cornelius Recycling:
Town of Davidson Recycling:
Town of Mint Hill Recycling: Town of Huntersville Recycling:
Town of Pineville Recycling: Town of Matthews Recycling: 311
704-892-6031 or 1-800-927-8362
704-892-7591
704-545-9726
704-875-6541 or 1-800-927-8362
704-889-2291
704-847-4411
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR)
North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA)
1639 Mail Service Center • Raleigh NC 27699-1639 • (919) 715-6500 • (800) 763-0136
http://www.p2pays.org/
N.C. Recycling Markets Directory - Find outlets for recyclable materials
http://www.p2pays.org/DMRM/start.aspx
Environmentally preferable procurement
Learn how to plan and implement a successful buy recycled program http://www.p2pays.org/epp/
N.C. Recycled Products Directory
A reference for public and private sector buyers to purchase products from companies that either distribute,
manufacture or sell recycled products in North Carolina. http://www.p2pays.org/ref/06/05987.pdf
North Carolina Manufacturers of Recycled Products
A directory of recycled products made in North Carolina. p 46 of http://www.p2pays.org/ref/03/02333.pdf
NC WasteTrader, North Carolina’s marketplace for discarded or surplus materials and products. This waste
exchange service is designed to divert recoverable materials from disposal while providing feedstocks and
supplies to potential users. http://www.ncwastetrader.org/home.aspx
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Electronics
Identify methods to properly manage old electronic products and safely divert them from disposal
http://www.p2pays.org/electronics/
Compost
Get information on North Carolina’s composting and organics recycling industry
http://www.p2pays.org/compost/
Environmental Management Systems
Learn about environmental management systems and how they can help your organization
http://www.p2pays.org/iso/
Environmental Stewardship Initiative
Learn how your organization how can be ecognized for its environmental accomplishments
http://www.p2pays.org/esi/
Fats, oil and grease programs
Learn how to properly manage residual fats, oils and greases from residential, institutional and commercial
food service establishments http://www.p2pays.org/food/
Recycling Guidebook for the Hospitality and Restaurant Industry
http://www.p2pays.org/ref/05/04032.pdf
Food for Thought: Waste Reduction in the Restaurant Industry
This handbook offers suggestions for how restaurants can become more environmentally sustainable through
source reduction, recycling and energy conservation programs. http://www.p2pays.org/ref/03/02905.pdf and
http://www.p2pays.org/ref/03/02368.pdf
Slide Presentations to download and use for your business presentation:
• Waste Reduction for the Food Service Industry: Tips for food service vendors on how to save green by
going green.
• http://www.p2pays.org/ref/14/13004_files/13004_files/frame.htm
• Waste Issues Spotlight: Restaurants, Bars and Food Service Operations. This slide presentation offers
pollution prevention (p2) techniques for food vendors. http://www.p2pays.org/ref/12/11824.pdf
• The Waste Reduction Resource Center provides pollution prevention technical support to the states
in EPA Regions III and IV. WRRC is a member of the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx)
network of regional centers. http://wrrc.p2pays.org
Waste Reduction Partners, a team of highly experienced volunteer engineers, architects, and scientists,
provides Western North Carolina businesses and industries with no-cost waste and energy reduction
assessments and technical assistance. http://www.landofsky.org/wrp/
GreenBiz is the leading information resource on how to align environmental responsibility with business
success. http://www.greenbiz.com
APPENDIX H
N.C. Recycling Legislation
B-2 – SESSION LAW 2005-362, HOUSE BILL 1465
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA, SESSION 2005
SESSION LAW 2005-362, HOUSE BILL 1465 AN ACT to prohibit the disposal of Motor vehicle oil filters, rigid plastic containers, wooden
pallets, and oyster shells in landfills.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 130A 290 reads as rewritten:
Ҥ 130A 290. Definitions.
(a)
Unless a different meaning is required by the context, the following definitions shall apply throughout this Article:
(17a) “Medical waste” means any solid waste which is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings
or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals, but does not include any hazardous waste
identified or listed pursuant to this Article, radioactive waste, household waste as defined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations §
261.4(b)(1) in effect on 1 July 1989, or those substances excluded from the definition of “solid waste” in this section.
(18) ‘Motor vehicle oil filter’ means a filter that removes impurities from the oil used to lubricate an internal combustion engine in a
motor vehicle.
…(44a) ‘Wooden pallet’ means a wooden object consisting of a flat or horizontal deck or platform supported by structural
components that is used as a base for assembling, stacking, handling, and transporting goods.”
SECTION 2. G.S. 130A 309.10(f ) reads as rewritten:
“(f )
No person shall knowingly dispose of the following solid wastes in landfills:
(1)
Repealed by Session Laws 1991, c. 375, s. 1.
(2)
Used oil.
(3) Yard trash, except in landfills approved for the disposal of yard trash under rules adopted by the Commission. Yard trash that is
source separated from solid waste may be accepted at a solid waste disposal area where the area provides and maintains separate yard
trash composting facilities.
(4)
White goods.
(5)
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol).
(6)
Aluminum cans.
(7) Whole scrap tires, as provided in G.S. 130A 309.58(b). The prohibition against landfilling on disposal of whole tires in landfills
applies to all whole pneumatic rubber coverings, but does not apply to whole solid rubber coverings.
(8)
Lead acid batteries, as provided in G.S. 130A 309.70.
(9)
Motor vehicle oil filters.
(10) Recyclable rigid plastic containers that are required to be labeled as provided in subsection (e) of this section, that have a
neck smaller than the body of the container, and that accept a screw top, snap cap, or other closure. The prohibition on disposal
of recyclable rigid plastic containers in landfills does not apply to rigid plastic containers that are intended for use in the sale or
distribution of motor oil.
(11) Wooden pallets, except that wooden pallets may be disposed of in a landfill that is permitted to only accept construction and
demolition debris.
(12)
Oyster shells.”
SECTION 4. This act becomes effective 1 October 2009.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 23rd day of August, 2005.
Appendix H contains some of the NC Recycling laws. For a comprehensive listing see www.enr.nc.us/html/rules/
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NC. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance
ABC Permit Recycling
A Guide for Permit Holders
Background
During the 2005 legislative session, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 1518 (Session Law 2005-348)
requiring holders of certain Alcoholic Beverage Control permits to separate, store and recycle all recyclable beverage
containers. The bill affects only holders of on-premises malt beverage, on-premises unfortified wine, on-premises fortified
wine and mixed beverages permits. Furthermore, recycling is only required for those containers that are sold at retail for
on-premises consumption. House Bill 1518 becomes effective Jan. 1, 2008. The legislation directs the ABC Commission
to work with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to develop a “model recycling program” to guide
permit holders in implementing recycling. This fact sheet describes the basic components of a model program to help
permit holders begin recycling efforts.
Provisions of the Law and Materials Affected
As stated in H1518, effective Jan. 1, 2008: “Holders of on-premises malt beverage permits, on-premises unfortified wine
permits, on-premises fortified wine permits, and mixed beverages permits shall separate, store, and provide for the
collection for recycling of all recyclable beverage containers of all beverages sold at retail on the premises.” The bill then
further bans the containers from disposal effective on the same date. H1518 is viewable at: http://www.p2pays.org/
ref/38/37334.pdf.
In effect, the main types of containers affected by the legislation are glass bottles, aluminum cans and plastic bottles.
Through previous legislation, aluminum cans were banned from disposal in North Carolina, and House Bill 1465, also
enacted in 2005, bans the disposal of plastic bottles by October 2009. For most ABC permit holders, glass bottles will be
the majority of the materials generated for recycling, especially by weight, followed by aluminum and then plastic.
Recycling markets exist for all of these materials. Making new containers and other products from used materials saves
energy and resources, creates jobs and provides valuable feed stocks to North Carolina manufacturers.
Most, if not all, ABC permit holders who initiate container collection efforts will access markets through one or more
of three types of collection service provides: a solid waste hauler, a recycling services company or a local government
recycling program. There will likely be some cost associated with the first two options, but below the costs may be at least
partially offset by reduced solid waste services and disposal fees.
Case Studies and Other Information
For more information or assistance on recycling beverage containers under House Bill 1518, please contact the N.C.
Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance at (919) 715-6500 or (800) 763-0136.
Your community’s local recycling, solid waste or public works office may also be able to provide assistance. If you have
trouble finding a contact through local telephone directories or other means, please use the search mechanism at: http://
www.p2pays.org/localgov/PAYT/ncwaste.asp or call the DPPEA at the numbers listed above.
Finally, for information on ABC permit holders in North Carolina who have successfully implemented recycling programs
for beverage containers, see: http://www.p2pays.org/BannedMaterials/ABCcontainer/CaseStudies.asp.
The North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance provides free, non-regulatory technical
assistance and education on methods to eliminate, reduce, or recycle wastes before they become pollutants or require disposal.
Telephone DPPEA at (919) 715-6500 or (800) 763-0136 for assistance with issues in this fact sheet or any of your waste reduction
concerns.
GLOSSARY
baler – A machine in which materials are compacted to reduce volume and transportation costs. Balers
are used often on newspapers, plastic, corrugated cardboard and other sorted paper products
bin – A bin is the intermediate recycling or garbage container, located at a convenient distance to a
number of employees.
biodegradable – Capable of being broken down by bacteria into basic elements and compounds.
bleaching – The process of chemically treating paper pulp to alter its color so
that the pulp has a higher brightness.
boxboard or chipboard – The paperboard used for fabricating boxes (e.g. cereal, envelope, shoe boxes)
chlorofluorocarbons – Chlorine-based compounds used commonly as aerosol propellants,
as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioning, in fire extinguishers, in solvents, and in the production
of insulating foam packaging. CFCs contribute to destruction of the protective ozone layer in the
stratosphere.
commercial waste – The waste, including trash and garbage, generated by businesses.
commingled – Recyclable wastes that are mixed together for collection purposes. Commingled material
is not recyclable unless separated after collection.
compactor – Any power-driven mechanical equipment designed to compress waste materials.
compactor truck – Large truck with an enclosed body that has special hydraulic equipment for loading,
compressing and distributing waste within the body.
composting – Natural breakdown of organic matter such as leaves and yard waste into humus, a soil-like
product rich in slow-release nutrients.
conservation – Activities designed to increase the efficiency of using a resource or to protect it; may refer
to material, energy, and water conservation, or wildlife protection.
contaminant – An unwanted or undesirable component of a product or process that diminishes its
recyclability or utility.
corrugated – Corrugated cardboard paper products made from stiff pasteboard formed into fluted
ridges and grooves, including kraft paper with ruffled inner liner. Corrugated does not include
paperboard such as cereal boxes
cost avoidance – The money saved by not disposing of solid waste: includes landfill tipping fees and
hauler pickup and pulling charges.
cullet – Glass that has been processed for reuse by crushing into small pieces and removing paper and
metal contamination.
deinking – The removal of ink and filler from recycled paper as part of the pulping process. After
deinking, the pulp is reused to make new paper products.
densification – Processing of materials to make them more dense, such as compacting trash, crushing
glass, and baling paper.
disposables – Consumer products, items, and packaging used once or a few times and discarded.
disposal – Discarding of materials, waste, or environmentally controlled material that has no significant
recyclable value.
diversion – The redirection of materials from disposal by reduction, reuse, recycling and composting
programs.
diversion rate – The percent of waste diverted from landfills or incineration via reduction, reuse,
recycling or composting.
drop-off recycling center – A facility that accepts recyclable materials where the generator transport the
material to the center. (for a list of Mecklenburg County Drop Off Centers see appendix C).
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dumpster – A dumpster is the metal storage container, typically 4, 6, or 8 yard capacity, used to hold
consolidated material for collection by the hauler.
ecosystem – A self-sustaining and self-regulating community of organisms interacting with each other and
the environment.
energy recovery – A process in which waste material is burned, reducing the volume of the waste and
producing steam for heating or generating electricity.
environment – Combination of external conditions influencing the life of an individual or population.
environment-friendly products – Products that do not have a negative impact on the environment; should
include consideration of production, packaging, use, and disposal.
environmental labelling – A distinct mark, writing, or symbol that helps consumers identify products that are
energy efficient, use recycled or recyclable materials, and minimize use of hazardous substances. Examples are
recycled or recyclable marks, and the Blue Angel, Green Seal,and EcoMark certification labels.
expanded polystyrene – A polystyrene foam commonly known by the trade name StyrofoamTM. It is very
light and bulky, therefore more difficult to recycle unless compacted.
fiber – The unit cell of vegetable growth derived from wood, cotton, and so on. Usually many times longer
than its diameter. The basic physical unit of paper pulps.
food waste – All animal and vegetable solid wastes arising from food facilities, or from residences, that result
from the storage, preparation, cooking, or handling of food.
front loader – A refuse truck that has power-driven loading equipment at the front of the vehicle.
gayloard – A cardboard box with 1.3 cubic yard capacity, often used to store recyclables.
grades – Different qualities or types of a similar material (ex. Different grades of plastic or paper).
green consumerism “Green” is a term coined in Europe to refer to environmentally conscious politics and
lifestyle. Green consumerism involves making purchasing decisions based on environmental concerns, and
implies a rejection of wasteful consumption.
greenseal – A U.S. product labeling initiative to identify environmentally friendly products, set standards, and
certify products that meet established criteria for low life cycle impact.
hauler – A transporter of material from one location to another (for example, recyclable material from a
collection site to a recycling facility or trash to the landfill).
hazardous waste – Waste material in a form and quantity which may pose a hazard to human health or the
environment and therefore, has been classified as a hazardous waste by an applicable regulatory agency.
Hazardous wastes are subject to special handling, recycling and disposal requirements.
high-density polyethylene – A type of plastic commonly used to make milk jugs and other rigid, plastic
bottles.
hydrochlorofluorocarbons - One of the replacement chemicals for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs); ozonedepleting potential only a fraction of CFC-12.
incineration – The process of waste volume reduction by combustion.
industrial wastes – Waste material that is generated at a manufacturing or production facility, which has
not been designated by an applicable regulatory agency as hazardous. However, its form and quantity may
pose a hazard to human health or the environment and is therefore subject to special handling, recycling and
disposal requirements.
integrated solid waste management – The process for managing solid waste and materials diverted from
solid waste through a combination of several complementary components, such as source reduction, reuse,
recycling, composting, energy recovery, incineration, and landfilling.
kraft – A process for making virgin fiber by a chemical digestion process, used in the manufacture of “kraft”
products such as grocery bags, corrugated boxes, and milk cartons.
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landfill or landfilling – Disposal of a waste material in or on the land at a designated or licensed location,
where it is permitted to dispose of non-hazardous waste.
low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – A type of plastic commonly used in plastic wraps.
life cycle analysis – An analytical process that quantifies environmental impact (including resources and
energy used and released to the environment) for the entire life of a package or product, starting with raw
materials and including all processing and transportation, as well as product use and disposal.
mandatory recycling – Programs which by law require the separation of trash so that some or all recyclable
materials are not dumped in landfills but rather are recovered for recycling.
market – An outlet for recyclable material; can include a buy-back center, mill, intermediate hauler, end use, or
processor of the material.
material recovery facility – A solid waste facility which sorts or separates solid wastes or materials for the
purposes of recycling, reuse or composting.
mixed paper – A variety of waste paper that has not been separated by type and does not contain food waste
or other major contaminants. It can include unsorted office papers, newspapers, magazines, envelopes, direct
mail items, and so on.
multi-resin – A multilayer product consisting of several layers of plastic.
municipal solid waste (MSW) – All the garbage your community has to handle.
non-recyclable waste – Waste not included in the categories of hazardous, industrial, special,
or recyclable, which is generated by a facility and cannot readily be recycled in a given geographic area. This
includes, but is not limited to, garbage, food waste, cafeteria waste, and mixed packaging.
ozone (stratospheric) – Layer of gaseous ozone in the stratospheric atmosphere that protects life on earth by
filtering out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
ozone (tropospheric) – A chemical oxidant and major component of photochemical smog. Ozone at this
layer can seriously affect the human respiratory system. Ozone in the troposphere is produced through
complex chemical reactions of nitrogen oxides, which are among the primary pollutants emitted by
combustion sources.
ozone-friendly products – The term industry uses for products no longer containing ozone destroying
CFCs. Chemicals substituted for CFCs may still deplete the ozone layer or have other negative environmental
properties.
packaging – Materials such as plastic, foam, corrugated board, molded pulp, and paper that are used to
contain, protect, and transport products.
pallet – A platform used in connection with a forklift for moving shipments, bales, or other large items. (Also
known as a “skid”).
polyethylene terephthalate PETE – A type of plastic commonly used in transparent plastic soda bottles.
polystyrene – A plastic composed solely of hydrogen and carbon atoms, which is made from a by-product of
the petroleum and natural gas distillation process. It is formed as a solid glass-like resin that can be made into
a transparent sheet, containers, or formed into shapes (also see Expanded Polystyrene).
post-consumer materials – Recovered materials from a consumer-oriented recycling collection system or
drop-off center.
pre-consumer materials – Recovered materials obtained from manufacturers.
precycle – The act of buying products in packaging that can be recycled.
product life cycle – Complete product cycle including manufacture, packaging, transportation, use and
disposal.
RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, federal legislation governing the treatment, storage,
handling, disposal, and overall management of solid and hazardous waste.
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recovery rate – The percent of usable recycled materials removed from the waste stream in a specific
area or by a specific business.
recyclable – A material that can be readily remanufactured into a new useable product either the same
or different from it’s original form.
recyclable wastes – Waste generated by a facility, not included in the categories of hazardous, industrial,
or special recyclable, which can be readily recycled. It includes, but is not limited to, paper, plastic,
corrugated cardboard, wood, glass, and metal.
recycle – The process in which discarded materials are separated, collected, processed and
remanufactured into new products.
resin - Additives which transform a polymer into a plastic resin include colorants, flame retardants, heat
or light stabilizers, antioxidants, and lubricants in addition to plasticizers. A plastic type such as PET/PETE.
resource recovery – The extraction and use of materials and energy from the waste stream. Materials are
used in manufacturing new products or converted into some form of fuel or energy.
reuse – Using an item again for its original purpose or for a new purpose, rather than throwing it away
without any treatment or modification.
roll-off containers – A 10 to 50 cubic yard steel box for collection of solid waste. The container is rolled
onto and off of a truck hydraulically.
sanitary landfill – A method of disposing of refuse on land that is designed to minimize hazards to
public health and safety.
Scientific Certification System – A U.S. product labeling initiative that certifies the environmental claims
of manufacturers and identifies environmentally friendly products.
separation – The sorting of mixed recyclable materials. See source separation.
solid waste – Any garbage, refuse, trash, dry sludge, or material that is discarded or abandoned and is
intended for disposal.
solid waste management – The systematic administration of activities that provide for the collection,
source separation, storage, transportation, transfer, processing, treatment, and disposal of solid waste.
source reduction – Any action that prevents the generation of solid waste, such as purchase or
production of items in just the quantity needed, and items that use less material, have a longer life and
can be readily recycled.
source separation – The segregation of various potentially recyclable materials from the waste stream,
usually at the point of waste generation or at a materials recovery facility (MRF) or transfer station.
special recyclable waste – Waste which requires special handling in order to be recycled. This includes,
but is not limited to, toner, developer, CRUs, photoreceptors, and nonserviceable parts.
sustainable development – Defined by the International Chamber of Commerce as meeting the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
tipping fee – The charge to waste transporters to dispose of solid wastes at landfills or other solid waste
facilities. The trucks “tip” their garbage into the landfill.
toxic substances – Substances that can cause serious harm, injury, impairment, illness, or even death.
virgin materials – Resource materials as they are extracted from the earth, mined, grown, refined, and/or
synthesized for the first time.
waste assessment – An analysis of a company’s processes, waste stream, and disposal costs to produce
detailed information on the solid waste management system.
waste minimization – Reducing the volume of waste generated at the site of manufacturing. It is
accomplished by product or input substitution, process modification, and on-site and off-site recycling
and reuse. The primary focus has been to reduce hazardous wastes produced in industrial processes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Mecklenburg County Land Use & Environmental Services Agency
Solid Waste Department
Waste Reduction and Recycling Services Division
700 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
www.wipeoutwaste.com
Mecklenburg County Solid Waste is a division of Land Use and Environmental Services Agency (LUESA). The Waste
Reduction and Recycling Section is a part of Solid Waste Division. Waste Reduction and Recycling has several
components: Commercial Recycling, Business Recognition Program, Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful - Litter Prevention and
Awareness, Residential Recycling, Backyard Composting, Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling, City-County
Office Building Recycling, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System Recycling.
Waste Reduction and Recycling Services:
Business Recycling Technical Assistance
Business Source Separation Ordinance Enforcement
Business Recognition Program
City/County Building Recycling
Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System Recycling Program
Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful - Litter Prevention and Education Program
Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling
Residential Waste Reduction and Composting Residential Waste Reduction and Recycling
704-432-3200
704-336-5420
704-336-3777
704-432-1772
704-432-0399
704-432-1970
704-432-3466
To learn more about these programs please call for a copy of the Wipe Out Waste Guide or visit www.wipeoutwaste.com.
Resources:
NCDENR - North Carolina Division of Environment and Natural Resources
DPPEA - Department of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance
Publications and Website www.p2pays.org
Green Guardian Website Minnesota http://greenguardian.com
EPA Environmental Protection Agency Website www.epa.gov
Mecklenburg County Publications & Website www.wipeoutwaste.com
Montgomery County Business Regulation Handbook – Montgomery County MD
Recycling: It’s not a choice. It’s the Law – Handbook for New York City Businesses, NY, NY
When Less is More – Hamilton County Environmental Services, Cincinnati, Ohio
A Recycling Handbook – Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Prepared By:
Mecklenburg County Solid Waste
Waste Reduction & Recycling Programs
Designed By:
Fresh Paint Creative www.freshpaintcreative.com
Published By:
Turnkey Media www.turnkeymedia.com
Printed January 2007 on 100% Recycled Content Paper
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