North Carolina Department of Transportation's primary mission is to provide safe
movement of people and goods in all modes of transportation. The department is
responsible for infrastructure, improvement projects, education, and enforcement
over all modes of transportation in the state of North Carolina. The Department
of Transportation (DOT) has implemented waste reduction, recycling, and buyrecycled
programs in response to the passage of the 1989 Solid Waste Management
Act.
P2 Application:
Administration
Office practices were changed to reduce the amount of supplies needed for daily
work. These practices included printing and photocopying on both sides of the
paper, making notepads from wastepaper, and reusing file folders and envelopes.
Most offices also recycle office paper, aluminum cans, corrugated cardboard,
newspaper, magazines, telephone books, laser toner cartridges, and typewriter
ribbons. Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
In addition to the activities listed above, the DMV reduced over 50 percent of
paper waste by automating the Drivers License procedures. Renewal notices
mailed to drivers are now printed on much smaller sized cards, and computergenerated
forms reduce both paper waste and the processing time required to renew
a driver's license. Ferry Division
The Ferry Division incorporates several waste reduction activities in their
operations. One of these operations includes an oil-water separator that cleans
dirty water from ferry bilges and culls dirty oil for recycling. The shipyard has a
state contract to recycle recovered bilge oil and used engine oil. Brass, copper, steel
and other metals are also separated and recycled at the shipyard. At the Cherry
Branch Ferry Landing, recycled plastic pilings are replacing treated wood pilings to
reduce creosote leaching into the water. Rail Division
Winner of several environmental awards, this division runs a very clean operation.
Some waste reduction activities at the rail division include on-board passenger
recycling of aluminum cans, glass, and newspapers; and recycling of lead acid
batteries, oil filters, and used oil during maintenance work. At the rail yard in
Raleigh, oil-water separators are used for runoff generated while washing
locomotives, and diapers are laid between the tracks in the yard to collect any
drippings from trains before and after maintenance. Division of Highways
Repair and reuse activities have been incorporated in the design, building, and
maintenance of 77,000 miles of roads and bridges in North Carolina. These
practices include: storing of scrap wood in shops to build shelves and cabinets;
using old crushed concrete as fill material; reusing guardrail posts; stripping of old
street signs to make new; refilling of paint buckets; and composting of wood waste
for shoulder material.
In response to Senate Bill 111, House Bill 133, and the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the NC DOT established a Recycled
Products and Solid Waste Utilization Task Force. This task force examines the use
of recycled products/solid wastes in its construction and maintenance operations.
Since 1989, twenty-three projects have been selected to incorporate recycled
materials, including: over 4 million chipped scrap tires; 26,000 tons recycled glass;
42,000 tons of fly ash; 14,000 tons of post-industrial asphalt shingles; various
products made from recycled plastics, recycled polymer resins, poultry and hog
waste, municipal sludge, clearing debris, and recycled concrete. "No-burn" policies
have been included in construction contracts to prohibit the contractor from
burning or landfilling the clearing debris and to encourage the recycling of wood
waste. Special provisions have been written to prevent the contractor from
landfilling removed concrete pavement, encouraging the reuse of the material by
beneficial means. All construction contracts include a solid waste provision
encouraging the contractor to incorporate recycled materials/solid wastes into the
project, by sharing 50 percent of resulting cost savings. Equipment Maintenance
NC DOT operates equipment shops to maintain the large equipment fleet needed
for DOT operations. At these shops, the following waste reduction activities take
place. Old antifreeze removed from vehicles is filtered and used for topping off
radiators or for use as a counterweight in heavy equipment tires. Old lead-acid
batteries and used motor oil are recycled through state contracts. Equipment and
vehicle tires are re-treaded when worn down to a tread depth of 3/32 inch. Gulf
Coast filters installed on parts washers extend the working life of mineral-based
solvents used in routine maintenance of off-road vehicles. Roadside Environmental Unit
This unit uses products bound for the landfill to amend soils and enhance
moisture protection and weed control alongside roads in the state. Diverted
material includes municipal sludge, clearing and demolition debris, and Hurricane
Fran storm debris. Rest Areas
In response to Executive Order #8, recycling facilities were installed at all rest areas
and welcome centers. Roadside Cleanup
More than 6000 Adopt-A-Highway groups have adopted approximately 13,000
miles of state-maintained highways. In Jackson County, all roadside litter is taken
to a sheltered workshop where recyclables are removed from the collected litter. Cooperative Repair and Reuse Program
NCDOT and the Department of Correction created a program to train inmates at
the Yanceyville prison to repair electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic tools. Inmates
receive college credit from Piedmont Community College upon successful
completion of a tool repair training program. Prior to this program, broken small
tools used by DOT were thrown away and replaced by new tools. Now, DOT pays
only for parts and transportation to have small tools repaired.
Total Cost Savings: $467,544.00
Comments: NCDOT was recognized for Significant Achievement in the Government Category
of the 1997 Governors Award for Excellence in Waste Reduction competition.
Details of Reductions
Bilge oil
Comments: The Ferry Division incorporates several waste reduction activities in their
operations. One of these operations includes an oil-water separator that cleans
dirty water from ferry bilges and culls dirty oil for recycling. The shipyard has a
state contract to recycle recovered bilge oil and used engine oil.
Oil
Comments: Raleigh, oil-water separators are used for runoff generated while washing
locomotives, and diapers are laid between the tracks in the yard to collect any
drippings from trains before and after maintenance.
4,218.0 - Tons of
Solid Waste
Comments: NCDOT recycled and composted a total of 4,218 tons, approximately 21% of the
total waste stream generated in the course of operations during the 1996-97 fiscal
year. The recycling and waste reduction programs earned net savings of $467,544
from avoided disposal costs and the sale of the recyclables.
