America Recycles day is this Wednesday the 15th! What are you doing to celebrate? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Did you know that plastic bags and film CAN be recycled, just not in your curbside bin? You can bring your used grocery bags, Ziplocs, bread bags, case wrap, or any other clean, dry, stretchy plastic film to any participating grocery store with a collection bin. This Wednesday the Duke Coastal Society is hosting a Plastic Bag Collection at Environmental Hall on Duke Campus. They’ll be giving away free reuseable tote bags to everyone who brings at least 10 plastic bags or one bag full of film! Find more information on the Facebook event page. You can also read up on why plastic bags are so devastating for our environment.
Participating stores like Harris Teeter provide recycling bins for plastic film.
Our own signature event for America Recycles Day is going to be a tour of the Sonoco Recycling Facility this Friday the 17th! This large facility services the City of Raleigh, City of Durham, Orange County, Chatham County, as well as some additional smaller communities and several private haulers. As you can imagine, they receive a lot of trash! Get the skinny on what is and is not accepted by your local recycling program, as well as the reasons why. You might be putting items in your bin that are dangerous for the facility workers, or maybe even not recycling everything you could! Spots for tour will fill up fast, so please register on our website. If you can’t make the tour, consider organizing your own! Just contact Sonoco for more information.
A mountain of recycling at the Sonoco Recycling Facility.
On Friday evening in Durham Central Park, our friends from The Durham Originals and Don’t Waste Durham are hosting a documentary screening of REUSE! Because You Can't Recycle the Planet. The film follows Reuse Pro Alex Eaves' cross-country adventure to the 48 contiguous U.S. states. On his journey, he finds endless reuse solutions for our waste problem that are not only sustainable, but many of which are easy and fun! And he learns just how reuse truly benefits "people, planet, and wallet." There will be food trucks, a reuse apparel popup shop, and a Q + A with the director himself! We’ll be there too, so come hang out with us! Watch the film trailer here, and find more details on the Facebook event page.
Lastly, get a jump on your sustainable seasonal shopping at the Multiple Choices Holiday Market this Saturday the 18th! Don’t Waste Durham will be present with some clever zero-waste gift options, along with several other amazing vendors. You can also find some other zero-waste gift ideas here.
If you'd like to learn more about recycling, including what more YOU could be recycling at home, check out Keep America Beautiful. Change happens when people like you get involved by organizing recycling events, educating friends and family about the importance of recycling, and being an ambassador for waste reduction. #getrecycled