What to know about recycling in North Carolina this America Recycles Day

Short answer, it varies community to community.  But there are some things that are accepted by almost all recycling facilities, including:

• Steel & aluminum cans
• Plastic bottles & jugs
• Cardboard (boxes, food packages, paper towel rolls, etc.)
• White paper & newspaper

Other items that may be accepted in some places include:

• Glass bottles (Note: some communities may collect these through a separate drop off process)
• Paper cartons
• Plastic tubs

And lastly, there are some items that are almost never accepted and should not go into your recycling bin:

• Polystyrene Foam (Commonly known as Styrofoam)
• Plastic bags & film (Note: These can sometimes be dropped off at specific film recycling collection sites, often found at grocery stores)
• Plastic take out items (plastic cups, utensils, etc.)
• Other glassware, such as cups, plates, etc.
• Any items smaller than the size of a business card

Sometimes. Bottles, jugs, and jars are most consistently recyclable, but other plastic items such as plastic cups, utensils,  and straws are rarely accepted if at all. 

Because of this, many single-use plastic items require a solution beyond recycling to address our plastic waste problem. 

Step 1: You place a recyclable item into your recycling bin and roll it out to the curb

Step 2: Your recyclables are taken to a materials recovery facility (also known as a “MRF”). At that facility, the recyclables will be sorted using a mix of machines and manual processes. 

Step 3:  A manufacturer buys the cleaned & sorted materials they want to use.

Step 4:  The manufacturer uses the recovered material to make a new product. Sometimes these products will be the same as the original item recovered, for example many cans will be turned back into a new can.  Other times, these materials will be used to create a new type of product, such as a plastic bottle being used to create carpeting fiber or a new sneaker.

Step 5: Those item go on the store shelf where you can buy it again.

• National Recycling Information & Resources- U.S EPA’s America Recycles Day webpage and resources. 
• State Recycling Information & Resources- North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ’s) recycling information.
• State Recycling Information & Resources- Carolina Recycling Association’s webpage.
• County & Local Recycling Information & Resources- NC DEQ’s MRFshed map tool. This tool shows which materials recovery facility (MRF) collects recyclables from which county and what is accepted by those facilities.
• County & Local Recycling Information & Resources- You can also check out your local town or county websites for more information on local recycling programs and where other recycling drop-off sites may exist in your community.