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County And Municipality Recycling Numbers Show 5 Percent Increase From Last Year

Last Updated on June 11, 2018 11:39 am

Raleigh, NC – The state’s Recycling and Materials Management Section today released recycling numbers for all 100 counties and municipalities, showing a 5.3 percent increase in paper and container recycling as compared to the previous year. Local recycling programs collected more than 1.7 million tons of traditional and non-traditional materials last year.

“Recycling collection in North Carolina has expanded alongside increasing demand for recyclable material by in-state manufacturers,” said Wendy Worley, Recycling and Materials Management Section chief in the Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service. “Counties and municipalities are targeting much more than paper, cans and plastics. There are so many more materials that can be recycled, like construction debris, wood and electronics, and kept from going into the landfill. This puts value-added material back into the North Carolina economy and preserves the state’s important natural resources.”

Recovery of paper and metal also has continued to rise. North Carolina recovered almost 27,000 more tons of paper than the previous year and 8,000 more tons of metal. Plastics and glass tonnages remained essentially unchanged. Counties that ranked higher have implemented programs to collect non-traditional materials, like asphalt singles, scrap metal, construction debris, electronics and wood waste.

Counties are ranked in two different ways: their total recycling of all materials and recycling of common household recyclables. In each case, data on the recovery of yard waste and tires is excluded from the totals because tire and yard waste generation can vary widely from year-to-year and by region.

The Recycling and Materials Management Section collects recycling and disposal data from local governments through an annual reporting cycle each year. It is used to profile public recycling efforts and measure the per capita recycling rates for each county in the state. The per capita recovery rate for common household recyclables helps compare the relative effectiveness of residential recycling services, while total recycling measures broader community efforts. Counties are then ranked based on their program performance.

A copy of the rankings for FY 2016-17 list is provided below.

The FY 2016-17 North Carolina Division of Waste Management Consolidated Annual Report,  https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/waste-management/sw/data/annual-reports, contains information on recycling and solid waste disposal throughout North Carolina.

Total Public Recycling Per Capita Recovery

Common Household Recyclables Per Capita Recovery

Rank

County Lbs./person

Rank

County Lbs./person

1

IREDELL COUNTY 488.95

1

CATAWBA COUNTY 269.44

2

CATAWBA COUNTY 482.55

2

DARE COUNTY 226.31

3

PITT COUNTY 389.65

3

ORANGE COUNTY 220.74

4

ORANGE COUNTY 323.83

4

PITT COUNTY 196.61

5

MACON COUNTY 320.98

5

CURRITUCK COUNTY 188.60

6

BRUNSWICK COUNTY 303.78

6

WATAUGA COUNTY 177.00

7

DARE COUNTY 263.64

7

CABARRUS COUNTY 165.43

8

CUMBERLAND COUNTY 260.08

8

GUILFORD COUNTY 162.60

9

NEW HANOVER COUNTY 253.71

9

PAMLICO COUNTY 158.54

10

PASQUOTANK COUNTY 238.75

10

MECKLENBURG COUNTY 149.49

11

CURRITUCK COUNTY 238.56

11

MACON COUNTY 145.10

12

WATAUGA COUNTY 201.22

12

MCDOWELL COUNTY 143.41

13

FORSYTH COUNTY 194.97

13

BRUNSWICK COUNTY 138.40

14

ALEXANDER COUNTY 192.29

14

DURHAM COUNTY 137.28

15

MECKLENBURG COUNTY 183.29

15

CRAVEN COUNTY 136.49

16

SWAIN COUNTY 182.03

16

BUNCOMBE COUNTY 134.82

17

PAMLICO COUNTY 180.00

17

HAYWOOD COUNTY 128.53

18

CABARRUS COUNTY 174.89

18

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY 128.32

19

GUILFORD COUNTY 170.93

19

ONSLOW COUNTY 124.37

20

BUNCOMBE COUNTY 161.50

20

WAKE COUNTY 121.84

21

HAYWOOD COUNTY 161.48

21

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY 121.48

22

CRAVEN COUNTY 155.04

22

ALLEGHANY COUNTY 120.65

23

MCDOWELL COUNTY 153.03

23

MOORE COUNTY 120.59

24

JACKSON COUNTY 150.37

24

SWAIN COUNTY 113.95

25

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY 148.84

25

JACKSON COUNTY 109.62

26

GRANVILLE COUNTY 146.77

26

FORSYTH COUNTY 109.23

27

DURHAM COUNTY 146.04

27

NEW HANOVER COUNTY 107.33

28

MOORE COUNTY 144.62

28

POLK COUNTY 104.23

29

WAKE COUNTY 143.09

29

DAVIE COUNTY 101.41

30

ALLEGHANY COUNTY 139.38

30

LEE COUNTY 97.81

31

ONSLOW COUNTY 135.12

31

CHOWAN COUNTY 97.41

32

CAMDEN COUNTY 132.61

32

HENDERSON COUNTY 92.64

33

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY 130.63

33

ALAMANCE COUNTY 90.93

34

MADISON COUNTY 128.65

34

PENDER COUNTY 90.44

35

HENDERSON COUNTY 124.74

35

GASTON COUNTY 89.52

36

WILSON COUNTY 124.01

36

TYRRELL COUNTY 86.43

37

ASHE COUNTY 122.94

37

ALEXANDER COUNTY 85.98

38

CHOWAN COUNTY 122.32

38

MADISON COUNTY 85.65

39

POLK COUNTY 120.88

39

CARTERET COUNTY 80.38

40

LEE COUNTY 120.56

40

UNION COUNTY 79.96

41

LINCOLN COUNTY 113.73

41

PASQUOTANK COUNTY 79.59

42

DAVIE COUNTY 109.29

42

NASH COUNTY 76.65

43

CARTERET COUNTY 108.29

43

CUMBERLAND COUNTY 73.06

44

PENDER COUNTY 105.40

44

MARTIN COUNTY 69.95

45

ALAMANCE COUNTY 104.65

45

SURRY COUNTY 67.93

46

MARTIN COUNTY 104.08

46

CAMDEN COUNTY 67.66

47

PERQUIMANS COUNTY 101.01

47

CHATHAM COUNTY 67.09

48

GASTON COUNTY 99.21

48

GRANVILLE COUNTY 66.40

49

MITCHELL COUNTY 98.35

49

WILSON COUNTY 65.86

50

CHATHAM COUNTY 96.47

50

PERSON COUNTY 65.11

51

HYDE COUNTY 93.67

51

ASHE COUNTY 64.63

52

CLEVELAND COUNTY 93.29

52

PERQUIMANS COUNTY 64.55

53

NASH COUNTY 91.66

53

YADKIN COUNTY 63.89

54

TYRRELL COUNTY 91.25

54

IREDELL COUNTY 61.61

55

AVERY COUNTY 90.79

55

MITCHELL COUNTY 61.25

56

WAYNE COUNTY 90.56

56

SCOTLAND COUNTY 61.09

57

UNION COUNTY 86.76

57

HYDE COUNTY 60.13

58

PERSON COUNTY 83.31

58

DAVIDSON COUNTY 59.63

59

SURRY COUNTY 81.40

59

MONTGOMERY COUNTY 57.85

60

RUTHERFORD COUNTY 80.92

60

CLEVELAND COUNTY 57.67

61

CLAY COUNTY 78.91

61

WARREN COUNTY 57.66

62

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY 77.78

62

RUTHERFORD COUNTY 56.19

63

YADKIN COUNTY 76.18

63

FRANKLIN COUNTY 54.16

64

CALDWELL COUNTY 75.70

64

CALDWELL COUNTY 52.06

65

DAVIDSON COUNTY 75.18

65

WILKES COUNTY 49.32

66

FRANKLIN COUNTY 74.23

66

ROWAN COUNTY 47.71

67

SCOTLAND COUNTY 72.33

67

WAYNE COUNTY 47.57

68

HERTFORD COUNTY 70.26

68

RANDOLPH COUNTY 46.99

69

YANCEY COUNTY 68.54

69

SAMPSON COUNTY 45.37

70

STANLY COUNTY 67.46

70

STANLY COUNTY 42.94

71

BLADEN COUNTY 64.88

71

BEAUFORT COUNTY 42.90

72

LENOIR COUNTY 64.01

72

YANCEY COUNTY 40.59

73

MONTGOMERY COUNTY 62.12

73

AVERY COUNTY 39.86

74

WARREN COUNTY 61.79

74

CLAY COUNTY 39.22

75

GATES COUNTY 59.56

75

LINCOLN COUNTY 38.28

76

BEAUFORT COUNTY 59.18

76

HALIFAX COUNTY 37.04

77

SAMPSON COUNTY 57.62

77

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY 36.57

78

JOHNSTON COUNTY 56.45

78

JOHNSTON COUNTY 36.52

79

RANDOLPH COUNTY 53.42

79

GATES COUNTY 35.15

80

WILKES COUNTY 52.46

80

HERTFORD COUNTY 32.86

81

ROWAN COUNTY 50.53

81

LENOIR COUNTY 32.32

82

DUPLIN COUNTY 49.90

82

STOKES COUNTY 31.42

83

BURKE COUNTY 47.91

83

CHEROKEE COUNTY 31.22

84

HARNETT COUNTY 46.47

84

BLADEN COUNTY 30.08

85

STOKES COUNTY 43.67

85

EDGECOMBE COUNTY 28.14

86

CHEROKEE COUNTY 41.55

86

DUPLIN COUNTY 28.03

87

HALIFAX COUNTY 41.25

87

VANCE COUNTY 27.94

88

VANCE COUNTY 40.08

88

BURKE COUNTY 27.30

89

GRAHAM COUNTY 39.55

89

GRAHAM COUNTY 22.37

90

HOKE COUNTY 35.65

90

HARNETT COUNTY 21.46

91

ROBESON COUNTY 33.75

91

HOKE COUNTY 20.44

92

EDGECOMBE COUNTY 32.24

92

ROBESON COUNTY 19.65

93

RICHMOND COUNTY 29.89

93

GREENE COUNTY 16.27

94

COLUMBUS COUNTY 27.61

94

WASHINGTON COUNTY 14.71

95

WASHINGTON COUNTY 22.12

95

COLUMBUS COUNTY 14.48

96

GREENE COUNTY 19.69

96

RICHMOND COUNTY 9.68

97

ANSON COUNTY 19.00

97

JONES COUNTY 8.62

98

CASWELL COUNTY 14.12

98

CASWELL COUNTY 8.01

99

BERTIE COUNTY 11.95

99

BERTIE COUNTY 6.98

100

JONES COUNTY 10.84

100

ANSON COUNTY 5.38

 

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