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 |
|