Recycling on the rise

By Gracie Hart
Review Staff Writer

Published: December 24, 2008

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 75 percent of all household waste to be recyclable. With millions of homes set to create a spike in trash production Thursday, that’s food for thought.
Orange County’s recycling program is gaining momentum. According to Pat Woodward at the Orange County Solid Waste Disposal, Orange is meeting the state requirement for recycling.
“The state requires that we recycle 15 percent of all refuse taken in,“ she said. “Last year, we did 21 percent.“
Recycling is essentially a three-step process: buy items that can be recycled, separate them from regular garbage and transport them to the appropriate recycling center. As part of the recycling program, Orange County has a contract with Efficient Recycling, a company that picks up the recycling from the various county locations and delivers it to a recycling center. Throughout the county, there are five recycling locations in addition to recycling containers at Orange Elementary School and Orange County High School. The recycling locations in Orange County are at the landfill on Porter Rd.; on Rt. 33 in Barboursville; behind Pro Auto Body on Rt. 15 south; in Lake of the Woods on Shoosmith Rd.; and in Locust Grove on Rt. 611.
“Recycling is easy once you get started. Add something new every week and eventually you’ll have no trash,“ Orange County Litter Control Committee member Laura Carter said. “It makes a big difference in your waste if you recycle.“
However, not everything that looks recyclable is. Within the county, glass food and beverage containers can be recycled, providing they are rinsed and the lids are removed. However, window glass, dishes and light bulbs cannot be recycled. Aluminum or metal food and beverage cans can be recycled once they are empty, rinsed and have been flattened. Aluminum foil, pie plates, paint or hazardous material cannot be recycled. Cardboard boxes and cartons can be recycled once they are empty, all staples have been removed and they are flattened. Paperboard products, like cereal boxes, cracker boxes, etc., cannot currently be recycled within the county. Magazines and newspapers, including inserts, can be recycled but telephone books cannot.
Plastics are tricky, with each type of plastic labeled with a number. Currently, the county accepts soft drink, milk and water bottles labeled numbers one and two at all of their recycling locations. The caps must be taken off and the bottles must be rinsed and flattened. Plastics marked numbers one through seven are taken at Orange Elementary and Orange County High schools providing they follow the same regulations of having no caps and being rinsed before being flattened. However, the other sites only accept plastics labeled 1 or 2.
Larger things can also be recycled by taking them to the landfill. Antifreeze, motor oil, automotive and household batteries, tires that are off the rims, and appliances, like refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers and air conditioners, are all recyclable at the Orange County Landfill on Porter Rd.
Some items even yield revenue when recycled. According to Woodward, the county gets about $5 for each ton of newspaper and cardboard that is recycled.
A few months ago, four Bridges residents created a recycling business in which they place aluminum can receptacles in willing businesses.
According to Bridges employment training specialist Rachel Reno, they get about 44 cents for every pound of cans that they recycle at Wise Recycling in Culpeper. Wise also pays money for metal scraps.
Litter Control Committee member Ellen Pitera takes a load of scrap metal to Wise every now and then and leaves with money in her pocket.
“We took a pick-up load of stuff once and came home with $60,“ she said. “You can bring all kinds of metals.“
With the ease and availability of recycling locations, recycling is catching on within the county.
“We have very much seen an increase in recycling over the years,“ Carter said. “The first few years that I was on the litter control committee were all about litter prevention. Over six years, that has changed to recycling.“
According to Carter, seven schools within the county are involved in recycling. The hope is that the project will expand to include all of the schools in the future.
“At the schools, they also recycle office paper-anything that rips,“ Pitera said. “The program is going well [and we’re] trying to dig around to find more money [for containers] so all the schools can recycle.“
Many area businesses are also recycling including Dr. Robert Bodendorf’s dental office. According to Bodendorf, they recycle all of their plastic and cardboard, dropping it off at the appropriate collection facility within the county.
“Recycling benefits the county and environment,“ he said. “It saves space at the landfill and is an important part of our resource use. It is cheaper for the county because it’s less waste and they make a small profit. I don’t know why people don’t do it.“
As fears over the state of our planet gain worldwide recognition, recycling will hopefully continue to progress.
“In a nut shell, things are moving ahead for Orange,“ Pitera said. “I’m happy that kids are getting involved and educated much more than they used to and that will be good for the county in the long run.“
For more information on recycling and which things should be taken where, call the Orange County Landfill at 540-672-9315.