Household Waste Disposal Practices
Municipal Solid Waste Generation
What is this?
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), or trash, is made up of household items that people
commonly use and then throw away or recycle. MSW essentially includes all trash besides
industrial, hazardous or construction waste. MSW trends over the past 50 years nationwide were
used as a basis for measurement. When considering this indicator and how this translates into
evaluating the Triangles abilities to connect people with nature, trends, disposal programs,
economic benefits and disposal legislation issues were examined.
Why is this important?
MSW is an important factor to consider in an analysis of the state of the Triangle’s ability
to connect people with nature because waste reduction and recycling trends, programs and
legislation demonstrate the extent to which Triangle citizens take an active approach to protecting
the environment.
Did You Know?
Quick Facts about MSW Generation:

On average nationally, each person generates 4.50 pounds of solid waste a day.

Recycling rates have increased from 10 percent of MSW nationwide in 1980 to 33
percent of MSW nationwide in 2008.

Waste disposal to landfills has decreased from 89 percent of MSW generated in
1980 to 54 percent in 2008 of MSW generated.
What Does this Measure Show?
MSW Trends
When looking at MSW trends an assessment can be made on waste reduction rates and
recycling program development across the country. The graph below demonstrates that since
1960, total MSW generation has gone up nationwide. Though this is not surprising, it does not
present the entire picture. Upon closer examination, recycling has increased: from 69.4 million
tons in 2000 to 82.9 million tons in 2008, while trash production is decreasing slightly: from
169.7 million tons in 2000 to 166.7 million tons in 2008.
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Millions of Tons
300
Nationwide Municipal Solid
Waste
Trash
250
200
Recycling
150
100
TTL MSW Generation
50
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
Triangle Waste Disposal Programs
An examination of trash disposal programs and recycling programs in the Triangle
demonstrate the best practices, or lack thereof, of waste disposal throughout the region. A survey
of each county’s services was completed to understand the state of the triangle waste collection, a
key part of the indication of the triangles capabilities to connect people with nature through
environmentally friendly waste disposal practices. To complete this survey number of recycling
centers, the availability of curbside recycling, number of convenience centers, landfills and other
waste disposal practices were examined by county and by municipality.
County
Number of
Recycling
Centers
Curbside Recycling?
Number of
Convenience
Centers
Number of
Landfills
Other Waste Disposal Practices
Chatham
County: 12
County: No
County: 12
County: 1
- Hotline for illegal waste disposal
Municipal: 2 (Public: Haw
River, Siler City)
- Environmental Enforcement Program
- Recycling Fee to Collect: Yard Waste,
Inert Debris
- Recycling No Fee- Tires, Scrap Metal
and Appliances, Motor Oil and Filters,
Propane Tanks, Electronics, Car Batteries,
Pesticide Containers.
- Small Business Recycling Centers
- Swap Shop
- Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Center
- Solid Waste Advisory Committee
2
Durham
County: 4
County: Yes
County: 4
County: 1
- Household Hazardous Waste Center
- Roll Off Container Rental Services
- Swap Shop
- No stationary container services
Johnston
County: 12
County: No
Municipal: 2
(Benson,
Smithfield
Municipal: 4 (Public: Pine
Level, Princeton
County: 12
County: 1
- Disposal Services: Tire, Appliance,
Batteries, Waste Motor Oil
County: 6
County: 1
- House Hold Hazardous Waste Centers
Private: Clayton, Selma:)
Lee
County: 6
County: No
Municipal: 1 (Private:
Sanford)
- School Recycling Programs
- Stop Junk Mail Program
- Swat-A-Litterbug Program
Orange
County: 10
County: Yes
County: 5
County: 1
- Recycling Services: Tire, Electronics,
Scrap Metal, Appliance, Construction and
Demolition Waste
- Mulch and Compost Sales
- Hazardous Waste Collection
- Disposal for Household Garbage
Recycling
- Salvage Sheds
- 24 hour drop off sites
Wake
County: 15
County: No
County: 12
Municipal: 12 (Public: Apex,
Cary, Garner, HS, Knighdale,
Raleigh, Wake Forest,
Zebulon
County: 1
- School Recycling Programs
- Roadside Litter Clean Up Programs
- Household Hazardous Waste Centers
- Backyard Compositing Program
Private: FV, Morrisville,
Rolesville, Wendell)
- Electronics Recycling
All counties in the Triangle offer multiple recycling centers, convenience centers
(otherwise known as dumps) and a landfill with public access for the disposal of specific goods.
Based off this table, it is apparent that throughout the Triangle region there are several different
combinations of public and private MSW disposal services. When it comes to curbside waste pick
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up, only Orange and Durham counties offer this service, while Chatham, Johnston, Lee and Wake
offer private and public services. There are seven municipalities that contract private disposal
services and 12 municipalities offering public curbside recycling in the region. Interestingly
enough though, every municipality that has contracted services has curbside recycling as well.
Private curbside recycling programs are voluntary and higher costs are incurred by the individual
than if the program was public. This creates a disincentive to recycling in these municipalities.
Evaluating if a county has public recycling centers or curbside pick up, and subsequently and
evaluation at the municipal level should recycling not be offered at the county level, is interesting
because it demonstrates the allocation of priorities and resources for recycling programs in each
county Triangle wide.
Economic Benefits from Recycling
It is commonly stated that recycling costs more than disposal, but this is a myth. After
full cost analysis of recycling versus disposal is completed, it is apparent that operating a
recycling program can cost less than a solid waste collection and disposal program. Additionally,
the higher the recycling rate, the more likely that recycling program operations will be less
expensive than solid waste collection and disposal.
Waste Disposal Legislation
Effective October 1, 2009 the state of North Carolina has banned all rigid plastic
containers from landfills. This legislation developed in 2005, with its main focus on the recovery
of plastic bottles identified as number “1”. On top of implementing this ban, the state will be
inspecting landfills for these plastic bottles. In addition, there are several items that have been
banned from disposal at landfills via legislation: used oil, yard trash, white goods, antifreeze,
aluminum cans, tires, lead-acid batteries, beverage containers, motor vehicle oil filters, wooden
pallets and oyster shells. Legislation banning these items is accompanied by the implementation
of county facilities for environmentally safe disposal of these items. Statewide legislation such as
this positively affects the capabilities of the Triangle to promote environmentally friendly waste
disposal practices.
North Carolina Solid Waste Management Plan
The Goals of the North Carolina Solid Waste Management Plan: 2003-2013
1. Ensure long-term environmental protection by improving future landfill technology and
addressing public health and environmental concerns associated with closed landfills.
2. Substantially increase the amount of waste recycled and composted.
3. Reduce litter and illegal disposal by 50 percent from 2003-2004 levels.
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4. Implement policies and procedures to provide information to the public and ensure public
participation throughout the decision-making process regarding waste management facilities.
5. Create and continually maintain 20 years of landfill capacity in the state.
Conclusions?
Throughout the Triangle, waste disposal practices by county and municipal governments
demonstrate the extent of the Triangles commitment to creating progressive and environmentally
friendly behavior in waste disposal. National MSW trends show that environmentally friendly is
being promoted nationwide as tonnage of trash is decreasing while tonnage of recycling is
increasing. Though the numbers are not available for the entire Triangle, it is obvious that waste
disposal practices in the Triangle could be more environmentally friendly as recycling practices
Triangle wide show that county and municipal priorities are not necessarily promoting best
recycling practices. Recycling practices is essential to this assessment because it is proven that
when full cost analysis is performed, recycling programs are actually cheaper than waste disposal
programs, concluding that there are environmental and economic benefits to recycling.
Region wide information on trash disposal versus recycling disposal rates, broken down
by county, is needed for a complete assessment on the full extent of the Triangle’s capabilities to
promote and create progressive and environmentally friendly behavior in waste disposal. As the
information demonstrates currently, the Triangle is on the right track offering a variety of
recycling services in each county, yet it has not reached the true extent of its capabilities to
connect people with nature by participation in environmentally friendly waste disposal behavior.
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