Mecklenburg County 7 Recycling FAQs & Answers

On May 11, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will host a FREE webinar to teach our patrons ages 12+ how to Recycle Right! Advanced registration is required to receive the participation link. Recycling resources will be shared with registrants before and after the program.

Register here

Library staff is organizing the event with two residential recycling educators. In preparation for the event we asked the public educators what they most need residents to understand. They didn’t hesitate to explain how materials need to be prepared correctly to be efficiently sorted at the recycling center. Here are their two critical requests:

• Do not bag recyclables! Plastic bags cause tremendous operational and financial challenges for our processing facility. No flexible plastic wraps, films, bags or packaging should ever be put in the recycling cart.
• Recyclables must be loose, clean, dry and empty! Recyclable items must be placed individually in the recycling cart, not in bags, for the separation equipment to function properly. Never put one type of recyclable inside of another (i.e. aluminum cans in a cardboard box.) All recyclables must be non-contaminated. This means every individual item must be clean, dry and empty, with no residue of the original contents (i.e. food.)

Following are the questions solid waste staff receive weekly*:

*Please note these are the recycling guidelines for Mecklenburg County, requirements may differ slightly in other counties.

1. What plastic items can I put in my residential curbside cart?

ONLY plastic bottles and jugs, with a pourable neck or spout that is smaller at the top than the base, are accepted. These are the only pure plastic types that we can sell on the recyclable materials commodity market. Labels do not need to be removed.

Examples include: Water and soda bottles of any colors, milk or juice jugs, laundry jugs, shampoo or lotion bottles (pumps should be removed and trashed first.)

Please note the following common household plastics are not accepted in Curbside Recycling:

Plastic bags/bubble wrap, produce clamshells, yogurt cups, dairy tubs, takeout food containers, styrofoam, zip pouches, vitamin and medication bottles, disposable utensils and plastic cups, buckets, storage containers, hoses.

1. What recycling symbol numbers (1, 2, 5, 7 etc.) are accepted locally?

None. See question FAQ #1 above listing the only plastics that are acceptable.

The RICs (resin identification codes) listed inside the chasing arrows triangle on the bottom of plastic packaging are, unfortunately, no longer reliable. Therefore, we do not use them anymore.

1. What do I do with lids and caps?

Never place loose lids or caps in the recycling cart. Loose lids and caps are small and fall through our machines and end up contaminating the glass that is collected. Glass mixed with plastic and metal caps (among other things) cannot be sold to processors as raw materials as it is considered contaminated – so keep the plastic caps on the bottles.

It is “ok” to leave securely attached plastic caps and lids on clean, dry and empty cartons, bottles, jugs and jars. Never try to recycle caps by themselves.

1. How much grease is tolerated to recycle pizza boxes?

Somewhere between a smidge and a tad; Yes that is an intentionally vague answer! Of course we prefer to only accept clean and dry cardboard to only process and sell by the ton the highest quality recyclables. We definitely do not want whole pieces of pizza or crust left in the box (yes it happens!) Cheese, sauce and crumbs are also contaminants. If ½ your box is clean, rip that part off to recycle and please trash anything with food or grease residue.

1. Are aluminum foil and pans (pie, lasagna, roasting) recyclable?

No. Our machines can only recognize and sort aluminum cans. Additionally, more often than not these common aluminum food storage items are contaminated with food. Remember we do not want food residue on anything.

1. How do I dispose of household batteries?

Rechargeable batteries must be disposed of properly because they contain hazardous elements such as lithium, nickel, and metal hydrides. Never place rechargeable batteries in your trash or recycling carts as they are the number one cause of fires at our facilities. Please take rechargeable batteries to the household hazardous waste station at one of our full service drop off centers.

Traditional alkaline batteries can be put in the trash to be sent to the landfill, because they do not contain any hazardous elements.

1. What types of glass can be recycled?

Similar to plastics (see FAQ #1), only glass bottles and jars typically used in your kitchen or bathroom are accepted. All colors of glass are accepted. Caps and lids can remain on, if securely attached, (see FAQ #3). Labels do not need to be removed.

We prefer separated glass be brought to our full service drop off centers and deposited into the large yellow dumpsters marked, “Clean Glass Only.”

Please note the following common household glass items are not accepted:

Dishes and glasses, pyrex/corning ware, vases, bulbs, picture frames, windows, aquariums, ceramics, porcelain, crystal.

To learn more and have all of your questions answered live, please register for an upcoming Recycle Right presentation. If you still have questions, email [email protected] or visit wipeoutwaste.com.

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This blog was written by Maitri Meyer, residential waste reduction educator for Mecklenburg County.

Does the clutter in your home have you feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Does your home look out of control? An organized home helps you focus more, it relieves stress and saves you time. It improves your overall health.

Join us online as Joanna Clausen, Owner of NEST Organizing in Huntersville, NC, shares her tips and tricks for getting organized. Joanna is a mother of three and a professional organizer. She uses her passion for organization to help others take control of their home and stuff. Learn more about Joanna here.

To learn the NEST organization process for how to reset, declutter, sort, purge and clean:

May 4, 2021 at 7 p.m. Register here.

May 5, 2021 at 6 p.m. Register here

Make cooking meals easier by having a clean and ready-to-go kitchen. To learn techniques to organize your kitchen and pantry:

May 11, 2021, at 7 p.m. Register here.

May 12, 2021 at 6 p.m. Register here.

Turn your home office into a productive workspace. To declutter and sort your home office and papers:

May 18, 2021 at 7 p.m. Register here.

May 19, 2021 at 6 p.m. Register here.

Keep, donate, trash and shred. This is a personal journey. Let’s create organizational habits, reenergize your home and organize for success.

Once upon a time there was a storytelling festival. It was derailed by an evil pandemic until, one day, a fearless team of storytellers put their magical forces together to conquer the odds and climb the mighty fortress of digital programming and (cue dramatic music)… share their stories with the world!  

Since 1976, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has been partnering with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools to introduce as many local children in grades K-5 as possible to the artform of oral and traditional storytelling. A team of Library staffers across all 20 Library branches raise their hands each May to become the Frontline Storytellers, heading into CMS partner schools to tell stories from all over the world to thousands of Charlotte school children in a single day. 

Although unable to participate in 2020, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is thrilled to announce that we are back in full force with Storyvine 2021, which will be fully digital and open not just to CMS students but, for the first time ever, to the public as well. 

On Thursday, May 6, 2021 from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., there will be more than 10 different storytellers sharing traditional tales on the ImaginOn Facebook page and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library YouTube channel every 30 minutes from Germany, Russia, Africa, England, Panama, the Caribbean, Peru, the Native American and Appalachian traditions, and more!  

Download our calendar for a full schedule of stories and viewing links

If you’re a teacher or educator who would like to celebrate with us, we’ve created a lesson plan HERE with additional discussion points. 

On behalf of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we invite you to join us for this full-day digital storytelling experience as Storyvine 2021 lives on--dare we say--happily ever after. 

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This blog was written by Becca Worthington, children's librarian at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center.

Money Magnets, sponsored by Self-Help Credit Union, is a club for kid entrepreneurs that gives families opportunities to learn from local Black entrepreneurs. Money Magnets was one of West Boulevard Library’s responses to the Chetty Study, which highlights conditions that make it difficult for Charlotteans who are born into poverty to transition out of poverty. Money Magnets disrupts poverty by providing resources for economic empowerment to kids and their responsible adults in areas most likely to be negatively affected by this trend.

Money Magnets was piloted as a start-up social entrepreneurial effort during the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s observance of Money Smart Week in 2019. Alexandra Arrington, a former child entrepreneur herself, designed and facilitated the programs. Money Magnets teaches elementary schoolers and their families about financial literacy, community-mindedness, and character education within the framework of business ownership. Reinforcement of literacy and vocabulary, building social capital, and encouraging calculated risk are also included. Perhaps the greatest opportunities provided are networking with and being coached by successful local Black entrepreneurs and earning a modest amount of seed money to begin their businesses.

Alexandra Arrington, LCMHCA, NCC, BC-TMH  

Another benefit of our focus on kids’ experience with these concepts is that their responsible adults are also involved and work with the student to support their learning, as well as reinforce their own understanding. The four-session online Money Magnets program offers follow-up individual online coaching as well. KidPreneurs in training who attend three Money Magnets programs, complete a business plan, and pitch their business idea in a R.I.C.H. Circle receive $25 in seed funding for their business plus a $25 Youth Savings Account at Self-Help Credit Union. Learn more about this program and the various sessions offered:  

Session One: The Business of Being You

Got an idea? This session will focus on the importance of being who you are and learning what you like to help you decide on what business to start. Special guest entrepreneur, hip-hop artist, Chief Operating Officer, and multimedia design artist, David “Dae-Lee” Arrington will join us to share his experiences.

This program is offered online from 6-7p.m. on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Registration is required.  

Register

Money Magnets One-on-One Strategy Session

These individual coaching sessions are an online follow-up program for The Business of Being You. Sessions are offered by appointment only and are geared toward helping kidpreneurs-in-training get one-on-one assistance with fleshing out their business ideas and learning about specific resources. Open to K-5 students and their responsible adults who attended The Business of Being You.

This program is offered online on Saturday, May 1, 2021. Register for one 15-minute session that falls between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Register

Upcoming Session Topics

Each of these programs is followed by relevant One-on-One Strategy Sessions.

The Business of Family Business - May 26, 2021

Special guest entrepreneurs are millionaire and generational wealth expert, Steven L. Stack, and his 8-year-old daughter, Nia.

The Business of Caring - June 30, 2021

Special guest entrepreneur is organic product developer, Ayesha Murphy.

The Business of Launching - July 28, 2021

Surprise special guest entrepreneur.

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This blog was written by Teresa Cain, librarian at West Boulevard Library.