Reidsville, NC

Plastic Bottles are Banned in North Carolina.

Really? That actually might be a good thing but, no, not quite. Plastic bottles are however, banned from landfills in the state.

What’s being banned? All rigid plastic containers. This includes any bottles with a neck smaller than the container itself.

The goal of the ban is to keep our 288 million pounds per year of soda containers, milk jugs and detergent bottles out of the landfills and into recycle centers. Another goal? The creation of jobs. We already have companies that recycle plastics such as Envision Plastics & Plastic Revolutions here in Reidsville.

Clear Path Recycling is building another facility in Fayetteville to recycle more than 280 million pounds annually, or about 5 billion bottles. When completed, the operation will have a capacity of 280 million pounds making it the largest recycling operation in North America.

Recycled plastic bottles become many things including new bottles, plastic shopping bags, carpet, fabrics and clothing. Right now, China buys up to 1/2 of the plastic bottles the US recycles.

So, are you going to have to worry about the plastic bottle police? No, state inspectors will be mostly watching landfills and trash haulers.

Also banned are oil filters and wooden pallets, both in demand by recyclers. A lot of items are already banned from North Carolina landfills such as aluminum cans which have been banned since the 1990’s.

What's happening in your state? Did you know that it takes 17 million barrels of oil per year to make all the plastic water bottles used in the U.S. alone. That's enough oil to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year.

How can you stop using plastic bottles? Don't forget, April 22nd is Earth Day!

Okay all of the equestrian businesses, farms, ranches, and everyone even interested in horses listen up.

In 2004 Rockingham County retained a long time equestrian center manager and a show promoter and sponsor to take a look and do a feasibility study on building an equestrian center in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina. The study showed great interest and even some other facts like within a 60 mile radius of the Piedmont Triad there is in excess of 30,000 horses. On top of that fact with the central location in the state and the easy access and closeness to Virginia a site in Rockingham County near Reidsville, North Carolina is perfect.

The economic impact could be excellent for the area. The land for the park over 150 acres is already purchased. The Board has been raising money and I just heard from one of the board members that they almost have all the money to complete the project. This project will be well run from the start since they refuse to strap the local municipal budgets and will not break ground until they have ALL the funds necessary to finish the project.

The Park will have one large indoor show arena, a covered schooling/show ring, 400 permanent stalls with the capability to expand that to 700 stalls. Parking for exhibitors and spectators, Vendor areas, an administration building that will house a banquet hall, restrooms, conference rooms, showers, and offices. They will have parking spots for campers, shop locations for permanent tack and tack repair shops, Equine art and gifts, and then of course maintence facilities.

This is a very exciting development for the Triad and I personally cannot wait. Oh did I mention that my next post will be a 30 acre farm with practically new barn and 3 bedroom home with gardens and 3 fenced pastures only approximately 8 miles from where this facility is to be constructed!

So check it out for yourself at the offical Rockingham County website.

http://www.co.rockingham.nc.us/equestrian.htm