Mecklenburg County Considering Recycling Requirements for Construction Sites


Will you have to keep one of these on your job site?

Mecklenburg County is considering changes to its Source Separation Ordinance (SSO) that would remove a Temporary Site exemption and begin requiring recycling on all construction and demolition sites. This change could add significant time and cost to the construction and land development process, and REBIC is working to make sure the interests of the industry are protected.

Elimination of the Temporary Site exemption was proposed in the most recent update of the county’s Solid Waste Management Plan, as a way to capture the estimated 7,600 tons of corrugated cardboard and 4,200 tons of wooden pallets the county believes now passes through local construction sites each year. According to an NAHB Research Center study quoted by the County, the average 2,000 SF home generates approximately 600 lbs of corrugated cardboard during its construction.

If approved, residential construction sites that contract for the pickup of at least 8 cubic yards of trash per week (determined by how often a 30-cubic-yard container is emptied) would be required to establish a process for collecting all recyclable material from their job sites, separating that material from the normal waste flow, and hiring a private company to haul it to a county recycling center. For more information on the proposed rule changes, check out the county’s Source Separation website.

REBIC is advocating to maintain the Temporary Site exemption, or at least to establish high minimum thresholds for compliance. We are also encouraging Mecklenburg County to enact an incentive-based pilot program to encourage builders to take steps to voluntarily recycle on their job sites.

If your company already has an on-site recycling program in place, we’d like to know the details. Also, how would the current proposal impact your business? Please e-mail us at [email protected].

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