RALEIGH – State environmental officials joined businesses and organizations yesterday at the Grifols facility in Clayton for the first Recycling Roundtable. Twenty-five attendees signed a pledge to work together to identify solutions to create a more resilient recycling system that grows the economy and creates jobs while protecting the environment.
“North Carolina has a thriving recycling economy with more than 670 recycling businesses and 16,000 jobs for people across this great state,” said DEQ Chief Deputy Secretary John Nicholson. “From citizens recycling at home to businesses working to send zero waste to the landfill, recycling is an important part of our efforts to protect North Carolina’s natural resources.”
Recycling prevents pollution, saves energy and resources, and stimulates local economies. It also plays a critical role supporting North Carolina’s manufacturing industry. Many North Carolina manufacturers that have committed to operating zero-waste-to-landfill facilities, setting new standards for sustainable manufacturing and embracing recycling as a smart business decision.
Thursday’s roundtable brought together businesses, manufacturers and recycling industry representatives for an in-depth discussion of the importance of supporting and growing recycling markets, achieving broad environmental goals, and building more resilient communities and businesses. With ever-evolving markets, sustainability and recyclability are growing concerns for many North Carolina businesses and manufacturers.
Last week, Governor Roy Cooper recognized November 15 as America Recycles Day in North Carolina to encourage people to recycle the right way by knowing what can and cannot go into the recycle bin. North Carolinians recycle 1.6 million tons of material annually in local recycling programs.
North Carolina’s Recycling Program in DEQ’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service helps create a robust recycling infrastructure and advises businesses and local governments on managing successful recycling programs. The division provides grants and technical assistance to recycling businesses and local governments that help build North Carolina’s recycling economy.
For more information about recycling in North Carolina, go to: https://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling.
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