The addition of thirty (30) recycle containers to the Granville Athletic Park (GAP) in Oxford will help keep the area clean and educate the public about the importance of recycling.
The bins were funded through a grant from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and are being paired with existing outdoor trash containers. With a recycling message on each bin, the goal is to provide collection sites for plastic water bottles and aluminum cans for visitor use at the GAP, which is one of the largest public spaces in Granville County. The GAP is currently used by thousands of walking enthusiasts, high school sports leagues, traveling sports teams, day cares (playground equipment) and families who meet for local gatherings, competitions and for exercise.
“That’s thousands upon thousands of bottles and cans that have gone to one of two places at the GAP – in the trash can or on the ground,” says Granville County Recycling Coordinator Teresa Baker. “We hope that these new containers will prompt park visitors to choose recycling over garbage disposal, and will remind them to keep our park ‘green and clean.’”
Before the installation of the new containers, the GAP had only two outdoor athletic bins that housed six 96-gallon recycle carts. Located near the baseball tournament fields, these bins filled up quickly in just one weekend – and even more often during tournament season. It is expected that the addition of thirty more containers throughout the 69-acre site will positively impact waste collection. Baker notes that a tracking system will be put into place to monitor the waste stream and that an increase in tonnage recovered by Waste Industries is expected, decreasing input in the local landfill, as well as the associated costs that come with solid waste disposal.
Over the last seven years, a renewed effort has been made to address the litter issue in Granville County. According to Baker, progress has been made as there has been a push to increase the county’s recycling yield. Granville County has grown from having one of the lowest collection rates in the state to being among the top 30 counties with high recycling yields in North Carolina.
As the GAP works towards an eleven-acre expansion, recycling efforts will become even more significant as a targeted recycling program will carry over into the newest phase.
“The county must be a leader in recycling to encourage residents to be better environmental stewards,” Baker adds. “We want to remind park visitors to keep their trash off the ground and to put it in an appropriate location.”
These new recycling containers have a life cycle of 8 to 10 years and are placed in high-traffic locations throughout Granville Athletic Park. To learn more about recycling efforts in Granville County, contact Baker at (919) 725-1417.
Pictured is Granville County’s Recycling Coordinator Teresa Baker with one of the new bins at Granville Athletic Park.