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. Although these items are made of plastic and may be marked with the resin identification code, they are not recyclable at Wake County Convenience Centers. 

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 at Wake County Convenience Centers.

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 Wake County Convenience Centers, but it does not belong in our mixed-recycling containers. Our Convenience Centers have boxes where we accept wearable clothing and shoes. 

Please ask our site attendants if you have trouble locating the clothing boxes.

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.