Public Notices

Almost 10 million plastic bags are used worldwide per minute! If tied together, they’d go around the world seven times every hour! They may take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Say no to that plastic bag. Bring your own!

Plastic water bottles are one of the 10 most common items found littering beaches. Plastic waste kills as many as 1 million sea birds and 100,000 sea mammals a year. Say no to that single-use water bottle, and bring your own reusable one!

Your disposable coffee cup is NOT recyclable. Think how many get thrown away every day. The solution: reject that single-use cup! Bring your own mug wherever you go.

Single-use plastics (including utensils) are among the top 10 items collected on beaches during coastal cleanups. Bring your own spork, straw and napkin wherever you go to save our sea life and our beaches!

Packaging and containers make up almost 1/4 of the waste stream in the United States, which is about 39 million tons per year. Put a dent in that number by bringing your own takeout and food storage containers!

YARD WASTE

State law prohibits the disposal of yard waste and vegetative debris in sanitary landfills.

Alternative Disposal Options: backyard composting, controlled burning, or contract with a private hauler.

SPECIAL WASTES

Some types of wastes cannot be disposed of at the Convenience Centers, or can only be disposed of in limited quantities. Disposal arrangement for large quantities of waste can be made with the Sampson County Landfill (910.525.4132).

While you are out and about at our beautiful beach, please remember the Clean Swell app.

Anywhere you find litter and dispose of it in the correct way, you can be enter it  this app, to provide researchers and policy makers the information that they need to provide solutions to the issues on litter.

The data is collected globally by the Ocean Conservancy.

The app allows you to:  Track the total distance cleaned.

• Record the trash you collect.
• Keep a record of your efforts.
• Share your results with friends via Facebook, Twitter, and email
• Help identify trends that are useful in finding solutions.
• Learn scientific facts about the impact of trash on ocean animals and what you can do to help. For more information on the program, visit the Ocean Conservancy   https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/

Last fall Pender County Solid Waste joined the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and NC communities and to spread a statewide Recycle Right NC message about what belongs in the trash and what items to recycle correctly.

This campaign gave us a great opportunity to engage our residents and educate them about recycling.

We found that there was a great deal of confusion about what belongs in the bin and a lack of confidence. Confused residents often try to do the right thing by placing as much as they can in the recycling bin.

But that kind of wishful recycling hinders recycling efforts increases the cost of sorting and degrades the materials that are truly recyclable.

Cardboard, paper, plastic bottles, metal cans, glass bottles, plastic jars, tubs, jugs and jars are recyclable.

Paper Holiday Cards can and should be recycled, Cards printed on photo paper should be trashed.

Glitter and foil make things sparkly – but wrapping paper and items with this as a decoration should not go in your recycling.

Cardboard packing, gift boxes and cards can be recycled. Flatten boxes first!

Bows are not recyclable! Reuse or throw them in the trash.

Residential Household Items and Construction debris – Once a day small louds under 200lb of residential household items, furniture and a mattress & construction debris can be disposed to C&D bins at the convenience centers in Burgaw, Rocky Point, Willard and Transfer Station Scale House in Hampstead.

For Burgaw, Willard and Rocky Point Convenience Centers Sticker must be attached to windshield of vehicle.

Transfer station scale house is for all Pender county residents, ID or Driving license is requested. If not provided Out of County disposal fee will be charged.

This service is for Individuals residential disposal only.

If you see an illegal dumper in action, do not risk your personal safety by approaching them. Instead, contact the law enforcement officials at 910 259-1212. If you can do so without endangering yourself, please try to get the following information. ( pictures by cellphone)

• Specific location
• Time of day
• License plate number (if applicable)
• Color, make, model and/or name of business on vehicle