Solid Waste Issues

Electronics Waste

State provides new electronics recycling options.

Discarded electronics has become a large waste problem across the country.  The disposal of electronics is a growing problem in North Carolina, however, a solution has not been easy to identify. A majority of the problem lay in the disposal of equipment with cathode ray tubes (CRT's).  These appliances have been shown to have large amounts of lead and other compounds that would potentially leach from a landfill. At the present all non-household disposal of CRT's are banned from the state's landfills, but the proportion of household disposal of CRT's is growing.  Efforts to deal with this problem on the local level include programs to collect and recycle these components. This is an expensive undertaking, and many local governments are unable to provide this service because of the cost.  Efforts to tackle the problem on the state level are underway and have included introduced legislation on advance disposal fees.  Other actions on the state level include a state contract for CRT recycling that local government could take advantage of. A draft RFP has been distributed and should be finalized early this year.

The League has been involved in discussions about electronics waste strategies with the Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance and the Division of Waste Management , and will continue the advocate on behalf of local government autonomy for solid waste management decisions.

State Solid Waste Plan

General Statute130A, otherwise known as The Solid Waste Management Act of 1989 regulates the management of solid waste in North Carolina, requiring local governments to look into the future and become proactive, rather than reactive, solid waste planners. Long range planning is essential if local governments are to achieve an adequate and cost-effective solid waste management system.

The law assigns primary responsibility for solid waste planning and management to local governments, either individually or in cooperation with other units of local government. Each unit of local government is required to develop a 10-year comprehensive solid waste management plan. The Plan is a publicly endorsed working document that keeps control of solid waste issues in local government's hands and provides a framework for budget preparation by anticipating future needs.

The initial 10-year Plan was due June 30, 1997. Three Year Solid Waste Management Plan Updates are mandatory revisions that are due, at a minimum, within three years of the last update. The revisions must update all relevant and out-dated information in the most recent Plan.

To see the Division of Waste Management planning web-site click here.

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