Versatility Key to Wood Waste, C&D Debris Recovery

In 1999, solid waste officials in Orange County, North Carolina, estimated that their construction and demolition (CD) debris landfill would be full by autumn 2002. The Board of Orange County Commissioners (BOCC) created a Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Task Force in September 1999 to help develop plans, policies, and programs for reducing CD debris. The task force, together with county solid waste staff, decided to regulate specific materials instead of setting a percentage goal for recycling waste. Before a building permit may be issued anywhere in Orange County, a Recyclable Materials Permit must be obtained after declaring the types of waste expected from a project and where it will be disposed. The ordinance regulates an estimated 9,000 tons, or 30%, of the approximately 30,000 tons of CD materials disposed of annually in Orange County.