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FROM PASSE !A WASTE materials such as shoes, textiles and diapers were diverted, Ralph estimated. In contrast, an organic waste collection program would need to generate at least 25,000 tons per year for infrastructure in- vestments like biogas produc- tion to be viable, Ralph said. Orange County, the towns and university already do sever- al things well: yard waste col- lection, commercial food waste composting, recycling, and solid waste drop -off centers. The county kept 17,150 tons of yard waste and food waste from even entering the landfill last year, through programs like leaf collection and commercial food waste collection. All told, recycling and com- posting have cut Orange Coun- ty's per- capita waste 64 percent from the 1991 -92 base year used for measuring progress. Residents visit solid waste drop -off centers an average of 10 times per year, and can drop off their own compostable waste at the Walnut Grove Church Road center. What does this mean for enhancing organic waste recov- ery? Ralph suggested increasing the number of drop -off sites for household food waste, enrolling more businesses and schools in food waste -to- compost pro- grams (a "no- brainer," she said), or even doing a detailed feasibility study of the costs and benefits of curbside organic waste pick -up. Pooling resources with anoth- er entity might also make re- newable energy production more feasible, Ralph said. OWASA Sustainability Man- ager Pat Davis said he attended the presentation to learn more about biogas production at wastewater treatment plants more feasible. One way is to add food waste fats, oils, and greases -which could be col- lected curbside. "One of the possibilities that our board of directors is looking at is how do we beneficially use all of the biogas that we pro- BO RADER KRT As the ground begins to thaw next spring, many gardeners will begin' preparing soil for planting by adding organic materials lil<e compost. Did you know? Orange County operates recycling programs for the commercial sector. Call 919 -968 -2788 to find out if your business is eligible for the commercial recycling program or organics collection program. .................................................................................. ............................... ............... duce at the wastewater treat- ment plant," Davis said. TREADING NEW GROUND With SWAG still formalizing its partnership with the uni- versity and UNC Hospitals, Jacobs couldn't predict when SWAG will take its next steps. But Ralph said SWAG's ex- ploration of organic waste re- covery makes Orange County a pioneer - as a relatively low generator of waste, based in the South, and not legally mandat- ed to recover organic waste. "To be quite frank, to have the community considering what they want to do with di- verting food waste and organics ... it's being somewhat ahead of the curve," Ralph said. "You're treading new ground." Most U.S. municipal or state organic waste diversion pro- grams are based in larger cities on the west coast or in the Northeast, she said. Many pro- grams are driven by high land- fill tipping fees or shortage of landfill space - and North Car- olina faces neither of these constraints. So why explore diverting organic waste? It's still a cost consideration, as well as as a moral one, Jacobs said. "For every pound of waste you divert, you don't have to pay for fees for hauling ... it's cheaper, as well as environ- mentally more sound ... (that's) the closest thing we have to a `driver, "' Jacobs said. Jacobs also acknowledged the fraught history of landfills in Orange County. The Orange Regional Landfill, located in the historically black, working -class Rogers- Eubanks neighborhood, opened in 1972, despite com- munity protest, and remained open until 2013, placing Orange County at the center of a debate over environmental racism. "(That history) affects every- thing," Jacobs said. "I think we're highly sensitive to siting issues, and to the broadest possibilities of govern- ment responsibility." Waste- reduction efforts could also help-prevent the possibility of ever opening a new Orange County landfill, Jacobs said. "We're just trying to get as far to the front of waste- reduc- tion technology as possible," he said. "And to do it in a cost - effective way, and an envi- ronmentally just way."