RALEIGH – Gov. Roy Cooper proclaimed that Friday is America Recycles Day in North Carolina.
The proclamation is to promote recycling and recognize the habits of North Carolinians that improve quality of life and support a clean, economically vibrant and sustainable environment, his office announced.
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“For many North Carolinians, recycling is a way of life,” said Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan in a statement. “By putting the right items in the recycling bin, we can all conserve our natural resources for future generations while we support the thriving recycling industry that employs more than 16,000 people in our state.”
A national initiative of Keep America Beautiful, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting recycling. Many communities in the state are celebrating America Recycles Day with educational workshops and community events. Check with local recycling office for events, or visit the America Recycles Day website for a searchable event database. .
North Carolinians recycle 1.6 million tons of material annually in their community’s recycling programs. Through daily actions, residents reduce waste, compost, reuse products, donate unwanted items to charity or purchase goods made with recycled products.
Residents can follow the steps below to recycle more efficiently and prevent contamination of the recycling bin:
- When in doubt, throw it out!
- Do not put plastic bags, cords, hoses and other string-like items in the recycle bin as they can tangle around rotating equipment.
- Do not bag your recyclable items.
- Visit your community’s website to know what goes in the recycling bin.
- Recycle only the items on your local recyclables list.
North Carolina’s Recycling Program in DEQ’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service provides grants and technical assistance to recycling businesses and local governments that help build North Carolina’s recycling economy.
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This fall, the state Recycling Program helped 224 local governments and municipalities encourage better recycling habits through its Recycle Right NC campaign.
