Bluegreen |

The Outer Banks Voice recently ran a story written by Willo Kelly, a representative of BlueGreen Outer Banks, that points out some great facts about recycling on the Outer Banks. Did you know you can get free crushed glass to use in landscaping?…freelicious! The list of facts is below, and at the end of the list is a link to a survey about recycling on the OBX…the survey takes less than five minutes.

Outer Banks recycling facts:

It is illegal to put aluminum cans, plastic water bottles/other plastic containers and oyster shells in North Carolina landfills.
Establishments that sell alcoholic beverages are mandated by state law to recycle all of their glass.
Dare County is the only North Carolina county that has its own glass crusher. The crushed glass can be picked up free and used for landscaping, driveway surfaces, etc. Look at the sparkling entrance to Jockey’s Ridge.
Out of 100 North Carolina counties, Dare County ranked No. 1 last year for per-capita recycling. This ranking is somewhat skewed because it is based on the weight of recyclables per year-round resident and does not count seasonal population numbers.
Recycling is the easiest way to reduce waste in our landfills. Considering the environment of the Outer Banks, you might wonder why recycling is not mandatory. The Towns of Duck and Southern Shores provide curbside recycling service. Other Dare County towns have recycling “centers” and have contracted with a vendor to provide curbside service to those who voluntarily pay for it.

There is still so much more we can do to increase and improve recycling on the Outer Banks and your help is needed. BlueGreen Outer Banks – Tomorrow Matters Inc. has worked with East Carolina University’s Center for Sustainable Tourism to develop a survey to find out what Outer Banks residents and visitors think about recycling.

The BlueGreen Recycling Survey – click here.

Outer Banks BlueGreen Logo

Blue Green Outer Banks is a non profit organization promoting the preservation of the environment, particularly the local Outer Banks environment.

The organization believes that we all play a vital role in the relationship between the shore, the ocean, and the sound. “Earth plus sky plus water is what defines our region” said Willo Kelly, director and founder of Blue Green Outer Banks in a recent interview with The Outer Banks Voice. “Green is so thirty-five years ago,” a reference to the overuse of the phrase in product lines, advertising and “pop environmentalism.” BlueGreen’s mission statement is to “coordinate, support and enhance sustainable community initiatives through educational outreach, marketing and community collaboration.” BlueGreen seeks to facilitate organic economic development.

Kelly felt the responsibility to care for the environment since she was a freshmen in high school when she entered a school science fair with her model of a flat solar panel-powered house. Her interests were sparked again during the energy crisis of the 1970s, and now for a third time with BlueGreen Outer Banks. “BlueGreen Outer Banks can become synonymous with an environmentally friendly coastal community and can become a model for others,” Kelly said.

BlueGreen was closely involved with the recent St. Patrick’s Day parade on the Outer Banks.

You can find more information at: http://www.bluegreenouterbanks.org/