Recycle Right Curbside Pickup

Accepted Items

While Mecklenburg County has a robust recycling program, there are still things you should never put in your curbside recycling cart .  These non-recyclable items, listed at the bottom of this page, are accepted at any of our full-service drop-off centers as waste. 

We strive to recycle many items; however we do not accept everything that displays the recycle symbol. Mecklenburg County does not follow the plastic numbering system, as many products are incorrectly numbered.  Always refer to the acceptable list below for acceptable item types.

Remember, When in Doubt, Leave it Out!

Accepted items for Curbside Recycling:

DO NOT bag recyclables in plastic bags!

  • Plastic Containers with Necks

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  • Cartons & Juice Boxes

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  • Empty Aerosol Cans

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  • Aluminum Cans

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  • Cereal Boxes

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  • Cardboard Boxes (flat)

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  • Clean Pizza Boxes

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  • Glass Bottles & Jars

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  • Tin/Steel Cans

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  • Brown Bags & High-grade Paper

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  • Junk Mail

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  • Magazines & Newspapers

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Do Not Place the Items listed below in Curbside Recycling

There are thousands of unacceptable items, and we can't list them all, but here are some of the more frequent "improper-wishful" items.  PLEASE resist the urge to recycle these in your Curbside Recycling. Visit our Enhanced Recycling page to learn about how you CAN recycle many of these items.

Please DO NOT place the following items in curbside recycling bins:

  • Propane Tanks

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  • Batteries

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  • Food

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  • Plastic Bags & Trash

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  • Shredded Paper

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  • Wire Hangers

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  • Hoses

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  • Car Parts

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  • Cords & Cables

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  • Razors & Sharps

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  • Ropes

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  • Scrap Metal

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  • Plastic Film & Bubble Wrap

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  • Syringes

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