According to Joe Suleyman, director of New Hanover County Recycling and Solid 黑料网, only about 11% of New Hanover County residents recycle. He wants to see that number climb. A 2025 report from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality found that more than half of what ends up in landfills could have been recycled. With Plastic-Free July underway, county officials are focusing on simple ways residents can cut waste.
Suleyman said recycling does more than reduce trash; it cuts pollution, conserves limited resources, supports jobs and helps extend the life of the landfill. 鈥淗ere in New Hanover County, it takes about 25,000 tons out of the waste stream every year,鈥� Suleyman said. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 keeping it out of the landfill essentially, keeping it out of the roads as litter, keeping it out of our waterways, things like that, so it does have an impact.鈥�
He says recycling one aluminum can, for example, saves enough energy to power a TV for about two hours. Suleyman said a straightforward rule of thumb can help residents get started: if it鈥檚 paper, it can go. That includes magazines and cardboard, and residents do not need to peel off stickers; the machinery can handle them.
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Author: Reyna Crooms, WECT