On October 1, North Carolina became the third state in the union to ban plastic bottle from landfills, as provisions to a state law on solid waste management took effect..

Plastic bottles, whole scrap tires, motor vehicle oil filters and wooden pallets are no longer allowed in the landfill.

The law doesn’t impose a burden on residents and doesn’t cost the landfill any additional money, but it does put the spotlight on the need for residents to recycle non-biodegradable items so that landfills last longer, said Steve Edge, who manages the Robeson County landfill.

“Our screening process will just include the new prohibited items,” Edge said. “We’ll look for large numbers of plastic bottles, oil filters, tires, and wooden pallets — the new items included in the new law.

“This just adds to the list of prohibited items. We won’t incur any additional costs.”

The landfill, with an annual budget of $3 million, serves all of the county’s municipalities.

State law already prohibited used oil, yard trash, household appliances, antifreeze, aluminum cans, lead-acid batteries, and beverage containers from establishments with liquor permits, which by law are required to recycle bottles or have their liquor license revoked.

The state mandates that landfills inspect 20 percent of the loads that come into the landfill, Edge said. Most other states have a similar requirement, and North Carolina’s has been in effect for at least 15 years.

Beginning in January 2011, computer equipment and televisions will also be banned from the state’s landfills.

When a landfill is filled, local governments have to close the facility and find a new one. Edge pointed out that by 2045, when Robeson County’s landfill is expected to reach capacity, technology may deal with garbage differently. But at this point, it would be a matter of finding another place to put it.

“The remaining life expectancy of the landfill as of July 1 is about 35 years,” said Edge, who has been director for more than four years. “Any recycling will reduce the amount of tonnage received at the landfill, which will obviously extend the lifespan of the facility.”

Robeson County ranked third worst in the state for recycling plastic bottles in 2008. Each Robeson County resident only recycled an average of .11 pounds of plastic bottles.Recycling in Robeson County is free, with 10 collection sites throughout the county.

Red Springs offers a location to recycle newspaper, carboard, platics, and aluminum cans.

The collection center times are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to noon.

The Robeson County landfill collects recyclables at no charge from the following locations: 1935 Morgan J Road in Shannon; 66 Datstrom Drive in Maxton; 41 Sand Rock Road in Fairmont; 61 Prospect Road in Pembroke; and 528 North Chicken Road, 3141 Lowe Road, 248 Sanchez Drive, 182 Lamb Road, and 191 Hammonds Road in Lumberton.