State Solid Waste and Materials Management Plan
The Solid Waste Management Act of 1989 established policies and goals to promote methods of solid waste management that are alternatives to disposal in landfills and to assist units of local government with solid waste and materials management. The law requires the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (Department) to develop a comprehensive statewide solid waste and materials management plan with the collaboration of local government, regional planning agencies, and the public, and periodically update that plan (G.S. 130A-309.06(a)(1)). The law also requires that owner/operators of industrial solid waste facilities develop individual plans for management of the waste they generate (G.S. 130A-309.09D(c)). Copies of the statewide plan updates from prior years and the industrial solid waste and materials management plans can be found below.
A North Carolina plan is in development for the 2024 – 2034 cycle. Feedback is being solicited to develop an action-based, achievable, and inclusive plan. One significant step toward achieving this goal is to survey the various stakeholders of North Carolina on elements of the proposed plan, keeping in mind that the North Carolina General Statutes require the plan to focus on education, public participation, and waste reduction goals. Stakeholder input is a key element to the success of this development process.
The NCDEQ Division of Waste Management (DWM) and Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS) conducted a stakeholder survey that closed on January 31, 2024, and are taking the responses into consideration as they draft the plan.
Projected Plan Update Development Steps and Schedule:
- Spring 2024: NCDEQ meets with stakeholders and the public via regional meetings to review Plan draft.
- Summer 2024: NCDEQ incorporates public input into Plan draft and adopts the 2024 – 2034 Plan.
- January 2025: NCDEQ begins implementing the plan.