Plastic bags aren’t recyclable in our facilities, however you can return these to some grocery stores where you received them to be recycled. Plastic bags jam the equipment at recycling facilities and can cause the entire facility to be shut down. Also, workers can’t see what’s inside a plastic bag, and will throw it away. Bring your recycling loose in a bin or a paper or cloth bag instead.

Common Items we see: Garbage bags, grocery bags and animal feed bags.

This is one of the most common contaminants we see in our recycling. While it is plastic and may even have the #1 resin identification symbol, these items can’t currently be recycled locally.

Common Items we see: To-go cups, lids and straws, plastic cups, deli containers, clamshell containers, berry containers, plastic cutlery, and to-go food containers.

Rule of thumb: If it’s not a plastic bottle, tub, jug, or jar, then it’s not recyclable in Wake County. 

Plastic wraps or plastic film jam up recycling equipment and are difficult to recycle. These items should be thrown out.

Common Items we see: Bread bags, case wrap like you see around water bottles, bubble wrap, produce bags, air pillows, food baggies, plastic envelopes, pallet wrap, plastic gloves. 

Clothing can be recycled at convenience centers, but it does not belong in our mixed-recycling containers. All of our convenience centers have separate drop-off containers where we accept clothing and shoes. 

Please ask our site attendants if you have trouble locating these drop-offs.

Recyclable items quickly become garbage when contaminated with food waste, oils, and grease. Items must be relatively clean to be recycled and become other products. Rinse off any plastic, glass and metal items before you recycle them. Paper and cardboard containing food residue, oils, grease, or wet, should be thrown out.