NHC officials say only 11% of residents recycle; landfill to reach capacity
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — As Plastic Free July continues, New Hanover County officials are encouraging residents to recycle more, saying it could significantly extend the life of the county landfill.
According to the county, only about 11% of residents currently recycle. Officials say that leaves a large amount of recyclable material ending up in the landfill each year.
Joe Suleyman, director of Recycling and Solid Waste for New Hanover County, said a recent waste audit found that much of what is thrown away could be diverted.
“There’s a lot of single-use plastics, things like straws and cups that get used once and get thrown away,” Suleyman said.
He said the audit found about 70% of the landfill’s waste was either recyclable or compostable.
“Even if you take out the compostable fraction, let’s say half of that material is what is filling up our landfill today,” Suleyman said.
County officials estimate that if waste continues to be disposed of at the current rate, the landfill could reach capacity in about 30 years. Suleyman said reducing waste and increasing recycling could extend its lifespan by several decades.
“Whether it’s through waste reduction or recycling, we could extend the life of the landfill additional 30, 40 or even 50 years,” he said.
During Plastic Free July, the county is reminding residents to recycle paper products, including magazines, printer paper and construction paper. Officials also encourage residents to recycle cardboard instead of throwing it away.
When it comes to plastics, the county accepts No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 plastics, including items such as plastic bottles, milk jugs and yogurt containers.
“If we just focus on those few items we can really make a huge impact,” Suleyman said.
Suleyman said the department has also requested outside solid waste consultants to evaluate the landfill and recommend additional strategies to divert more waste through recycling and reuse.
“We want to get a fresh perspective on programs and initiatives we could implement to help divert more waste to either recycling or reuse,” he said.
Residents can find more information about what can be recycled in New Hanover County on the county’s recycling resources.
