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DRAFT <br />Solid Waste Advisory Group Meeting Summary <br /> <br />DATE: March 20, 2025 <br /> <br />LOCATION: Solid Waste Administration Training Room/Teams <br />____________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />MEMBERS PRESENT: Jamezetta Bedford, Orange County Commissioner, Marily Cart, Orange County <br />Commissioner, Randee Haven-O’Donnel, Carrboro Council Member, Barbara Foushee, Carrboro Mayor, <br />Melissa McCullough, Chapel Hill Council Member, Adam Searing, Chapel Hill Council Member, Mark Bell, <br />Hillsborough Mayor <br /> <br />MEMBERS ABSENT: Meaghun Darab, Hillsborough Commissioner <br /> <br />STAFF PRESENT: Rober Williams Solid Waste Director, Cheryl Young, Orange County, Lance Norris, <br />Chapel Hill Public Works Director, Dustin Hill, Hillsborough Public Works Manager, Kevin Belanger, <br />Carrboro Public Works Director, Wendy Simmons, Chapel Hill Public Works, Kristin Benoit, Carrboro <br />Public Works, Amy Eckenberg, Orange County, Orange County Staff: Bruce Woody, Jason Dunn, Rachel <br />Potts, Tata Wright, Robbie Raper, and Wanda McCain <br />____________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Call to Order <br /> <br />Approval of April 29, 2024, Meeting Summary <br /> <br />Path to Zero Waste Presentation <br /> <br />Carter states that the chart is very helpful to visualize the opportunities of materials in the waste stream. <br />Williams states that 35% of material is recyclable if reducing by half, we are getting significant tons of <br />recyclable material. Cheryl will identify other areas we can focus on. <br />McCullough states that food waste can be reduced by redirecting surplus items—such as overflow from <br />buffets—to homeless shelters, which decreases the amount of food requiring composting. Is that part of <br />the education and programing? <br />Young states that it’s part of the hierarchy. Reducing is the first thing. Reuse is next. The last thing is <br />recycling and composting is natures recycling. <br />McCullough when you look at education to get people to reduce, do you think of the life cycle analysis of <br />things such as the difference between a paper cut that gets thrown away and a Styrofoam cup that gets <br />thrown away which produces a lot of pollutants when it manufactured. <br />Young states that again it starts with reduce. If you have a cup, don’t get another one. <br />Bell asks what the sample size for the analysis was. <br />William states that Cheryl will talk about that in her presentation. <br />Carter states that some paper products are coded with PFAS materials. Where does that come in the <br />conversation? <br />Williams states that Producers can make it, ultimately, it’s the local governments that handle and find a <br />plan. <br /> <br />2025 Waste Characterization Study <br /> <br />Haven-O’Donnel asks about the status of the Glass on The Side program. One of the key issues is the <br />mixing of glass that could be separated out. <br />Young states that glass that is collected on the side about 95% of it makes it into the stream. About 30% <br />to 35% is lost in breakage. We don’t want to deter people from putting it in the recycling carts because <br />that is still better than throwing it in the trash. <br />Searing asks about the approach over time to the composting of food waste. Is it better to focus on the <br />group efforts or Town-wide efforts to collect it? Can we subsidize individual production efforts?