Rene Flores and Jack Whitehead show off the new, blue recycle bins.




Ocracoke Island Realty maintenance supervisor, Jack Whitehead, has been working very hard to make Ocracoke Island greener! For the past several months he has done loads of research, gone to seminars and talked to many people to get as much information as possible to start a recycling program.

Ocracoke Island Realty is offering this service to our homeowners as an "opt-out" program. Most of them are participating and are glad to do so. Other homeowners and businesses on the island will be participating as well.

The recycling program is part of an ongoing effort to lighten the trash load on Ocracoke. Many residents and businesses were not in agreement with the Pay As You Throw program that we feared would be implemented this year. Fortunately that did not happen this year but if we want to avoid it in the future we need to offer pro-active solutions to deem it unnecessary. Recycling will be a big step in the right direction. Plus, it's the right thing to do.

Many of our visitors are used to recycling where they live and work so it should come naturally for them. There will be information posted in each house pertaining to what is recyclable (plastics, glass, metal, paper and cardboard) and there will be a blue recycle bin at each house to dispose of the items. The bins will be emptied on turnover days (Saturday and Sunday). The service will begin in May.

So...if you visit Ocracoke Island in the future....please use these blue bins to dispose of your recyclable items. If you can't find a blue bin you can deposit your recyclables in the large bins next to the sheriff's office on Highway 12.

HOORAY for a greener Ocracoke!!