Plastic bags are not recyclable at Wake County convenience centers; however, some stores will allow you to return your used plastic bags for them to recycle for you! At our facilities, they tear and wrap around the moving parts in recycling processing machines, leading to increased maintenance costs, equipment damage, and even worker-safety issues.

Although these bottles are not explicitly exempt from the disposal ban, there is a chance that these bottles will pose a threat to workers during the recycling process. The best bet is to dispose of them safely at a Household Hazardous Waste Facility. If empty, they may be disposed of in the trash.

Yes, you should. The residue left in plastic bottles can contaminate other recyclable items and prevent them from being recycled into a new product. Often sugary drink bottles can attract bees and vermin if not recycled in a timely manner. A quick rinse helps the whole recycling process.

Screw caps can be screwed back on and recycled with the bottle. Flat plastic lids can pop off and contaminate other materials, so throw them in the trash.

The three chasing arrows symbol is used on many plastic products, but it is not a promise that the item can be recycled. Manufacturers use the arrows, numbers, and letters to identify the chemical structure of the plastic resin that was used, but two products can be marked with the same number and have very different physical properties. The Recycling 101 webpages give guidance for recycling at Wake County Solid Waste Facilities only. Residents who live within Wake County and receive curbside recycling collection through their town or city government can find links to those programs on this webpage, under the “Municipal Curbside Collection” dropdown.

If you recycle a bottle in North Carolina, there’s a good chance your bottle will stay within the Carolinas, where it’s recycled, processed and turned into new material.

Wake County may be able to dispose of your item at either our Multi-Material Recycling Facilities or our Household Hazardous Waste Facilities. Please consult our Drop-off Locator for more information on what materials we can accept.

Many plastic products contain a triangle with a number inside, but these should never be used as an indicator of what to recycle at Wake County Solid Waste Facilities. Look at the shape, not the number, to decide what plastics to bring to the Mixed Recycling collection areas at Wake County Convenience Centers and Multi-Material Recycling Facilities. Bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars are the only plastic items accepted in our Mixed Recycling containers.