For the second year in a row Orange County has surpassed it goals for waste reduction.

A total of 69,438 tons of waste were landfilled that originated from Orange County in the fiscal year 2014-15, according to the Waste Management Division of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

This results in an annual landfilling rate of 1,000 pounds per person

“Recycling resources not only improves the environment but creates jobs throughout North Carolina and nationally,” said Earl McKee, chair of the Board of Orange County Commissioners.

Compared with the baseline year of 1991-92 when 2,720 pounds per person were sent to landfills, there has been a 64% reduction in the rate of landfilling.

“While recycling markets are currently weak they are cyclical and will improve again,” McKee said. “The current market conditions are no reason to stop recycling or working on reducing the amount of waste disposed. Reducing waste reduces both landfill costs and the amount we dump on other communities.”

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