Announcing the Fall October 17, 2026 Annual FHA/Green Scene 3-in-1 Community Recycling Event

 FOR FEARRINGTON AND GALLOWAY RIDGE RESIDENTS ONLY.

FHA In Partnership with The GREEN SCENE
Saturday, October 17, 2026  Only Between 9:00am and Noon
3 Events — 1 Day: Gathering Place Parking Lot.  

THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY THE FHA.

1. FREE SHREDDING

Have your confidential documents destroyed on-site, free of charge. Watch as Shimar Recycling Inc. shreds your documents.
Guidelines:Bound paper stacks one inch thick or more need to be separated 

• Remove rubber bands and heavy banker's paper clips from papers
• Paper should not be in binders or heavy plastic.
• In addition to the bulleted items listed above, If you bring paper in Banker’s Boxes or file storage boxes (both of which are size 24x12x10) to be shredded, NOTE that there is a limit of such paper content from ONLY up to a maximum of 5 (five) such boxes that will be accepted for shredding.

                        

2. PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE DISPOSAL

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Department will be available to safely dispose of all your old, unused, or expired prescription medications safely and legally.

All you need to do is leave them in the original packaging and hand them to the sheriff deputy on duty at the Gathering Place. No liquid medication or "sharps" (needles) are accepted. Remember: NEVER FLUSH medicines as they cause environmental issues.  

AN ALTERNATIVE TO THROWING AWAY YOUR CURRENT UNUSED, UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES: consider donating them to Chatham Cares Community Pharmacy [CCCP] in Siler City, a non-profit community-based organization operated by a licensed pharmacist and committed to reducing health disparities by providing access to quality pharmacy services to the low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents of Chatham County. Read all about it here.

3. FIRE EXTINGUISHER CHECK Spring 2026 Information -- Stopping Fires In Your Home With Smoke Alarms And Fire Extinguishers. 

The mission of the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department is to protect lives, property and the community environment from the destructive effects of fire, disaster or other life hazards by providing public education, incident prevention and emergency response services. The department will have staff and firefighters on hand at the event to check your fire extinguisher and to advise on how to safely use it. 
_____________________________________

REMEMBER that we are no longer able to accept Household Hazardous Waste at our events; however, the County Will Accept Such Waste on This Same Day.

One of Chatham County’s next 2026 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Events will be held on (November 21, 2026) at the County’s Main Recycling Facility approximately 13 miles from Fearrington Village, at [click the address for a MAP] 28 County Services Road, (which is just 6 miles west of Pittsboro, off Hwy 64), between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm on four of scheduled dates.

After the County's November 2026 event, there will be no more REMAINING 2026 COUNTY HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENTS. They will begin again on March 20, 2027.

(Chatham County Residents Only). No decal is required. Must show ID at HHW events.

The remaining COUNTY’S HOUSEHOLD Hazardous Waste (HHW) events for 2026 will be on the following Saturdays:

• October 17 (the same day as our October community recycling event)
• November 21 On the November date, the Sheriff's Office will be on-site during these HHW events to conduct a medicine take back. Learn more details below.

Decals are now required to use HHW events, except for residents who live in the town limits of Cary, Pittsboro, and Siler City. All residents will also be asked to show a driver’s license or item with the address of where the waste is coming from.
HHW events are from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm across from the Main Facility at 28 County Services Road, Pittsboro. 

No business waste and no trash will be accepted at any HHW Recycling Event.
Note that household fire extinguishers must be recycled at one of these scheduled Hazardous Waste Collection Events and cannot be recycled at the County regional Collection Centers. If it is from a business it will NOT be accepted at HHW events. Businesses need to contact a private company for disposal options.

At HHW events, the county accepts such items as oil-based paints, solvents, stains, bleach, aerosols, cleaners, pesticides, brake fluid, fluorescent light bulbs, propane tanks, etc. Residents can bring 20 gallons of latex paint cans per HHW event. If you have a 1-gallon paint can that has half a gallon of paint in it, it will count as 1 gallon. Latex paint can be safely dried out and put in with your regular trash.

For a complete list, please visit the www.chathamcountync.gov/hhw or contact the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at 919-542-5516 or recycle@chathamcountync.gov.

For information on what items are accepted by the County's HHW program, be sure to visit their website.

Jason Welsch, Green Scene Moderator
Fearrington Green Scene

Contact: 914-806-4852 ( Cell Phone )

After Action Report For the October 18, 2025 3-in-1 Community Recycling Event

A big thank you to all our 14 amazing volunteers—Stephen Boyd, Tony Carroll, Tony Daniels, Jon Darling, Jess Fearrington, Spring Jackson, Randy James, Art Lituchy, Mike Petruska, Eddie Price, Marilyn Racine, Karin Ritter, Maarten Simon-Thomas, and Maggie Tunstall! Thanks to their efforts, we processed 215 vehicles—more than one per minute—and managed to handle an impressive 4,080 pounds of paper, more than two tons! This paper is now on its way to being recycled into toilet paper at a production facility in Georgia. I would also like to acknowledge the financial support of the FHA Board in funding the Shimar Recycling Shredding Truck.

Recycled paper is proven to save trees and other resources: Recycling two tons (4,080 lbs) of paper has a significant positive impact on the environment. It can save 34 trees, 760 gallons of oil, 6 cubic yards of landfill space, 8,000 kWh of energy, and 14,000 gallons of water. Additionally, the 34 trees preserved can absorb about 500 lbs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, while burning that same ton of paper would release 3,000 lbs of carbon dioxide. Overall, recycled paper generates 74% less air pollution compared to paper made from raw materials.

The North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department sent three members, who did a much appreciated job checking fire extinguishers, as well as sharing fire prevention tips.

The Chatham County Sheriff's Department collected just over 20 pounds of no longer needed medications during this event, which is a lot of medicines that won't end up polluting nearby water sources including Jordan Lake—our source of drinking water. The medications go to an approved commercial incineration facility for environmentally sensitive disposal.

The numerical statistics are one measure of the success of the event.  Another, equally   -  if not MORE IMPORTANT measure   -   is the huge number of  "Thank Yous"  that I heard from our fellow residents as I greeted them upon their arrival. This is a very popular program, that our fellow residents very much appreciate.   

THANK YOU, again, for your enthusiastic participation !     

Planning ahead, consider circling the third Saturday in May (May 16, 2026) on your calendar, when we will have the opportunity to replicate and perhaps expand the yield of our fall 2026 community recycling efforts.

Jason Welsch

Moderator, Fearrington Green Scene

Announcing the FHA/Green Scene Fall October October 18, 2025 Recycling Event

FOR FEARRINGTON AND GALLOWAY RIDGE RESIDENTS ONLY.

FHA In Partnership with The GREEN SCENE

Saturday, October 18, 2025  Only Between 9:00am and Noon

3 Events — 1 Day: Gathering Place Parking Lot.  

THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY THE FHA.

1. FREE SHREDDING

Have your confidential documents destroyed on-site, free of charge. Watch as Shimar Recycling Inc. shreds your documents.

Guidelines:

• Bound paper stacks one inch thick or more need to be separated 
• Remove rubber bands and heavy banker's paper clips from papers 
• Paper should not be in binders or heavy plastic.

• In addition to the bulleted items listed above, If you bring paper in Banker’s Boxes or file storage boxes (both of which are size 24x12x10) to be shredded, NOTE that there is a limit of such paper content from ONLY up to a maximum of 5 (five) such boxes that will be accepted for shredding.   

2. PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE DISPOSAL

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Department will be available to safely dispose of all your old, unused, or expired prescription medications safely and legally.

All you need to do is leave them in the original packaging and hand them to the sheriff deputy on duty at the Gathering Place. No liquid medication or "sharps" (needles) are accepted. Remember: NEVER FLUSH medicines as they cause environmental issues.  

AN ALTERNATIVE TO THROWING AWAY YOUR CURRENT UNUSED, UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES: consider donating them to Chatham Cares Community Pharmacy [CCCP] in Siler City, a non-profit community-based organization operated by a licensed pharmacist and committed to reducing health disparities by providing access to quality pharmacy services to the low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents of Chatham County. Read all about it here.

3. FIRE EXTINGUISHER CHECK Fall 2024 Information -- Stopping Fires In Your Home With Smoke Alarms And Fire Extinguishers. 

The mission of the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department is to protect lives, property and the community environment from the destructive effects of fire, disaster or other life hazards by providing public education, incident prevention and emergency response services. The department will have staff and firefighters on hand at the event to check your fire extinguisher and to advise on how to safely use it. 

_____________________________________

REMEMBER that we are no longer able to accept Household Hazardous Waste at our events; however, the County Will Accept Such Waste on This Same Day.

One of Chatham County’s 2024 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Events will be held on this same day (October 18, 2025) at the County’s Main Recycling Facility approximately 13 miles from Fearrington Village, at [click the address for a MAP] 28 County Services Road, (which is just 6 miles west of Pittsboro, off Hwy 64), between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm on the following schedule:

After the County's May event, there will be six more REMAINING 2025 COUNTY HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENTS scheduled for the following Saturdays 

(Chatham County Residents Only) 

New starting July 2025: Decals are nowrequired to use HHW events, except for those residents who live in the town limits of Siler City. All residents will also be asked to show a driver’s license or item with the address of where the waste is coming from. Residents of the town limits of Apex, Cary, Goldston, and Pittsboro that do not have a decal, are not allowed to use the HHW facility.

 

The September Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) will be Saturday, SOctober 18th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. HHW events are a way for residents to dispose of hazardous materials safely, such as oil-based paints, stains, bleach, cleaners, aerosols, batteries, propane tanks, etc. Residents can bring 20 gallons of latex paint cans per event. Latex paint can be safely dried out and put in with your regular trash.

For a complete list of accepted items visit:   www.chathamcountync.gov/hhw or contact the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at 919-542-5516 or recycle@chathamcountync.gov.

HHW events are the third Saturday each month through November.

• March 15
• April 12* (second Saturday due to Easter)
• May 17
• June 21
• July 19*
• August 16
• September 20
• October 18 (same day as our community recycling event) 
• November 15*

*The Sheriff’s Office will be on-site during these HHW events to conduct a medicine takeback. Learn more details below.

No business waste and no trash will be accepted.

Note that household fire extinguishers must be recycled at one of these scheduled Hazardous Waste Collection Events and cannot be recycled at the County regional Collection Centers. If it is from a business it will NOT be accepted at HHW events. Contact a private company for disposal options.

At HHW events, the county accepts such items as oil-based paints, solvents, stains, bleach, aerosols, cleaners, pesticides, brake fluid, fluorescent light bulbs, propane tanks, etc. Residents can bring 20 gallons of latex paint cans per HHW event. If you have a 1-gallon paint can that has half a gallon of paint in it, it will count as 1 gallon. Latex paint can be safely dried out and put in with your regular trash.

For a complete list, please visit the www.chathamcountync.gov/hhw or contact the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at 919-542-5516 or recycle@chathamcountync.gov.

For information on what items are accepted by the County's HHW program, be sure to visit their website.

Announcing the 2024 FHA/GREEN SCENE Annual Fall Recycling Event

 FOR FEARRINGTON AND GALLOWAY RIDGE RESIDENTS ONLY.

FHA In Partnership with The GREEN SCENE

Saturday, October 19, 2024  Only Between 9:00am and Noon

3 Events — 1 Day: Gathering Place Parking Lot.  

THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY THE FHA.

1. FREE SHREDDING

Have your confidential documents destroyed on-site, free of charge. Watch as Shimar Recycling Inc. shreds your documents.

Guidelines:

• Bound paper stacks one inch thick or more need to be separated 
• Remove rubber bands and heavy banker's paper clips from papers 
• Paper should not be in binders or heavy plastic.

• In addition to the bulleted items listed above, If you bring paper in Banker’s Boxes or file storage boxes (both of which are size 24x12x10) to be shredded, NOTE that there is a limit of such paper content from ONLY up to a maximum of 5 (five) such boxes that will be accepted for shredding.   

2. PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE DISPOSAL

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Department will be available to safely dispose of all your old, unused, or expired prescription medications safely and legally.

All you need to do is leave them in the original packaging and hand them to the sheriff deputy on duty at the Gathering Place. No liquid medication or "sharps" (needles) are accepted. Remember: NEVER FLUSH medicines as they cause environmental issues.  

AN ALTERNATIVE TO THROWING AWAY YOUR CURRENT UNUSED, UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES: consider donating them to Chatham Cares Community Pharmacy [CCCP] in Siler City, a non-profit community-based organization operated by a licensed pharmacist and committed to reducing health disparities by providing access to quality pharmacy services to the low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents of Chatham County. Read all about it here.

3. FIRE EXTINGUISHER CHECK Fall 2024 Information -- Stopping Fires In Your Home With Smoke Alarms And Fire Extinguishers. 

The mission of the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department is to protect lives, property and the community environment from the destructive effects of fire, disaster or other life hazards by providing public education, incident prevention and emergency response services. The department will have staff and firefighters on hand at the event to check your fire extinguisher and to advise on how to safely use it. 

_____________________________________

REMEMBER that we are no longer able to accept Household Hazardous Waste at our events; however, the County Will Accept Such Waste on This Same Day.

One of Chatham County’s 2024 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Events will be held on this same day (October 19, 2024) at the County’s Main Recycling Facility approximately 13 miles from Fearrington Village, at [click the address for a MAP] 28 County Services Road, (which is just 6 miles west of Pittsboro, off Hwy 64), between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm on the following schedule:

After the County's May event, there will be six more REMAINING 2024 COUNTY HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENTS scheduled for the following Saturdays 

(Chatham County Residents Only). No decal is required. Must show ID at HHW events.

• May 18
• June 15
• July 20*
• August 17
• September 21
• October 19
• November 16*

*The Sheriff’s Office will be on-site during these HHW events to conduct a medicine takeback. Learn more details below.

No business waste and no trash will be accepted.

Note that household fire extinguishers must be recycled at one of these scheduled Hazardous Waste Collection Events and cannot be recycled at the County regional Collection Centers. If it is from a business it will NOT be accepted at HHW events. Contact a private company for disposal options.

At HHW events, the county accepts such items as oil-based paints, solvents, stains, bleach, aerosols, cleaners, pesticides, brake fluid, fluorescent light bulbs, propane tanks, etc. Residents can bring 20 gallons of latex paint cans per HHW event. If you have a 1-gallon paint can that has half a gallon of paint in it, it will count as 1 gallon. Latex paint can be safely dried out and put in with your regular trash.

For a complete list, please visit the www.chathamcountync.gov/hhw or contact the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at 919-542-5516 or recycle@chathamcountync.gov.

For information on what items are accepted by the County's HHW program, be sure to visit their website.

Green Scene June 12, 2024 Meeting Program

 Large Room at The Gathering Place, 11:00 AM till Noon

Email Questions, Replies, and/or Comments to: janemcw@aol.com

Topic: Screening & Discussing the Feature Length Environmental Documentary Film Gardening for the Planet

Come along and be prepared for an eye-opening experience!

Note As Each Year, There Will Be No Summer July & August Meetings.

In May 2023, our neighbor from Briar Chapel, Jerilyn Maclean, a locally recognized authority on native plants, gave a presentation at our monthly Green Scene meeting. Jerilyn’s enlightening and enthusiastic program turned out to be the spark of inspiration for a talented Fearrington Village filmmaker, Joanne Hershfield, to explore the possibility of producing a feature-length documentary about the importance of native plants in the ecology of the world in general, and North Carolina in particular. 

The result was the production of Gardening for the Planet, an approximately one-hour film that had its world premiere at the Longleaf Film Festival at Raleigh’s North Carolina Museum of History on May 11, 2024. The film contains a variety of experienced plant, animal, and environmental authorities, along with stunning visual scenes, to convey an important message about the current and future well-being of our world.     

We will be screening Gardening for the Planet, and Joanne Hershfield will be on hand to participate in a Q&A session at the conclusion of the film.

Planning Ahead  -  note that on Saturday, October 19, 2024 from 9:00 AM until Noon, at The Gathering Place parking lot, we will be having our FHA/Green Scene 3-in-1 Fall Event (see the complete details on this link).  This will be your next convenient opportunity to take advantage of free paper shredding, un-needed pharmaceuticals disposal, and picking up some fire prevention information.

Mark your calendars, and spread the word !

All are welcome to this ( free ) educational presentation.

Jason Welsch, Moderator
Fearrington Green Scene
Cell Phone: 914-806-4852
Email Questions, Replies, and/or Comments to: janemcw@aol.com

After Action Report FHA / GREEN SCENE SPRING EVENT, Saturday, October 21, 2023

We had 223 vehicles come through and those residents dropped off:

• 8,400 pounds of confidential paper which was shredded and will later be bundled and sent to be recycled at a Georgia Pacific Company toilet tissue factory in Savannah, Georgia. 

• Recycled paper is proven to save trees and other resources: 8,400 pounds of recycled paper can save approximately 71 trees, 13 cubic yards of landfill space, 41,600 kilowatts of electricity, 240 pounds of pollutants, 31,200 gallons of water, and the energy equivalent of 495 gallons of gasoline!

• Using less tree fiber, less fresh water, less energy, and producing less waste than traditional virgin fiber paper. Those trees can remain in the ground if we widely and effectively increase our use of recycled paper.

• 26.10 pounds of medications, which is a lot of chemical stuff that won’t be flushed down the toilet and end up in wastewater discharge, lakes, and rivers where it could be dangerous for fish, birds, and other wildlife.

The North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department provided important fire safety information for residents. For those who brought their rechargeable extinguishers, they checked the pressure gauge on top to assure it was in the green safe zone, and loosened any content that had settled on the bottom by using a hard rubber mallet to pound on the bottom of the extinguisher, and explained how to use the extinguisher to put out a fire.

The department is not equipped to recharge, refill, and tag any extinguishers and explained that as long as the gauge is in the green zone and the content is loosened, no recharging of a private home's extinguisher is required by NC fire code. Annual recharging is required only for buildings where there is group assembly, group educational, group institutional, residential care and long term care facilities, and hotels/motels. 

I suspect that the blast email alert that our FHA Communications Director sent out to the entire community earlier that week played a very positive role in the impressive turnout numbers. Apparently, having two lanes approaching the paper shredding truck - along with the dedicated efforts of the volunteer helpers in that area - made that process a good deal smoother and more efficient than our experience in the past. 

Some might also credit the increased participation to the friendly, welcoming demeanor of the parking lot "Greeters" Wendy Snodgrass and Jon Darling.

Obviously, the success of this event depended primarily on the dedicated efforts of the volunteers who put in the HOURS of effort to make it happen. The other volunteers included: Gene Rogers, Maarten Simon Thomas, Maggie Tunstall, Cheri Derosia, Bil Rosenfeld, Mark Costenbader, and Jim Kasprzac.  THANK YOU, once again, for your time and talents !  And CONGRATULATIONS on a job well done !

Planning ahead, consider circling the third Saturday in MAY 2024 (May 18, 2024) on your calendar, which is when we will have the spring seasonal opportunity to replicate or surpass our recent efforts.

Sincerely,

Jason Welsch, Moderator

Fearrington Green Scene

Annual Fall 2023 3-in-1 Recycling Event Sponsored by the FHA and Green Scene

 FOR FEARRINGTON AND GALLOWAY RIDGE RESIDENTS ONLY.

FHA In Partnership with The GREEN SCENE

Saturday, October 21, 2023  Only Between 9:00am and Noon

3 Events — 1 Day: Gathering Place Parking Lot.  

MASKS OPTIONAL DURING THE EVENT

This event is sponsored by the Fearrington Homeowners Association (FHA) providing the financial support and the Fearrington Green Scene providing the dedicated volunteers who do the physical work. 

Saturday, October 21, 2023 we will be hosting our semi-annual "3-in-1" paper shredding, fire extinguisher safety check (provided by the North Chatham Fire Department), and pharmaceutical disposal event from 9:00 AM until Noon in The Gathering Place parking lot. With the evolution in the market place toward the increased availability of very affordable "single use" extinguishers, we have decided that paying a vendor to come and provide a service of dwindling interest is an activity that we will step away from at this time.

1. FREE SHREDDING

Have your confidential documents destroyed on-site, free of charge. Watch as Shimar Recycling Inc. shreds your documents.

Guidelines:

• Remove hard covers from any book-like bound paper stacks and dispose of the covers elsewhere. Covers cannot be shredded.
• Remove rubber bands and heavy banker's paper clips from papers 
• Paper should not be in binders or heavy plastic.
• Please remove papers from folders or files, as those items can go in your recycling bin and do not need to be shredded.

2. PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE DISPOSAL

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Department will be available to safely dispose of all your old, unused, or expired prescription, and over-the-counter medications safely and legally.

All you need to do is leave them in the original packaging and hand them to the sheriff deputy on duty at the Gathering Place. No liquid medication or "sharps" (needles) are accepted. Remember: NEVER FLUSH medicines as they cause environmental issues.  

AN ALTERNATIVE TO THROWING AWAY YOUR CURRENT UNUSED, UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES, consider donating them to Chatham Cares Community Pharmacy [CCCP] in Siler City, a non-profit community-based organization operated by a licensed pharmacist and committed to reducing health disparities by providing access to quality pharmacy services to the low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents of Chatham County. Read all about it here.

3. FIRE EXTINGUISHER CHECK Fall 2023 Information -- Stopping Fires In Your Home With Smoke Alarms And Fire Extinguishers. 

The mission of the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department is to protect lives, property and the community environment from the destructive effects of fire, disaster or other life hazards by providing public education, incident prevention and emergency response services. The department will have staff and firefighters on hand at the event to check your fire extinguisher and to advise on how to safely use it. 

___________________________________________

REMEMBER that we are no longer able to accept Household Hazardous Waste at our events; however, the County Will Accept Such Waste on This Same Day.

One of Chatham County’s 2023 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Events will be held on this same day (October 21, 2022) at the County’s Main Recycling Facility approximately 13 miles from Fearrington Village, at [click the address for a MAP] 28 County Services Road, (which is just 6 miles west of Pittsboro, off Hwy 64), between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm on the following schedule:

There will be two more REMAINING 2023 CHATHAM COUNTY HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENTS scheduled for Saturdays, October 21st, and November 18th.

For information on what items are accepted by the County's HHW program, be sure to visit their website.