Municipal Recycling I N THE CAPE FEAR REGION
New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender and Onslow counties all have the same recycling guidelines because all materials collected are processed by Sonoco
Recycling. Each county has drop-off locations if your neighborhood doesn’t have curbside pickup. Here’s what city and county governments in the
Cape Fear region accept for recycling:
PAPER
Nearly
every
paper
product can
be recycled,
if it’s clean and
dry — copy paper and cardboard
boxes, paper towel rolls, maga-zines,
(rinsed out) paper cartons
for milk and other liquids, and
even the non-greasy part of
pizza boxes (drop the greasy
sections off for composting).
There’s no need to remove
staples or paperclips, but boxes
and cartons should be flattened.
Receipt paper belongs in the
trash bin; it contains plastic and
chemicals that prevent it being
recycled.
PLASTICS
Plastics are the most confusing material
to recycle. Those little triangle symbols
on plastic containers might indicate an
item is recyclable when in reality many
municipalities aren’t able to accept it.
Currently, Sonoco is only processing #1
and #2 plastics. The market
for lower grades of
plastic collapsed
following China’s
2018 decision to
stop importing
most recyclables
for processing, so
plastics numbered 3
through 7 should be left out of the bin.
Instead, drop off plastic bags and other
#4 plastic films at participating grocery
stores, or take all plastics except #3 and
#7 to UNCW’s Recycling Depot.
METALS
Metal is the most
valuable recycla-ble.
That includes
cans and metal
containers of nearly
every kind, including
those for soup, drinks, pet food,
and more. Just rinse them out to
avoid contamination. Don’t put
aerosol cans or any pressurized
containers in the city or county
recycling bin as they pose a
safety hazard to workers oper-ating
mechanized equipment.
UNCW accepts aerosols because
its workers sort recyclables by
hand. Metals that won’t fit in the
bins or that would pose a safety
hazard can be sold to a metal
recycling company.
GLASS
Glass of every color
is accepted. Bottles
and jars should be
rinsed and recycled
without their lids.
Ceramics might
seem similar to
glass, but they aren’t
recyclable.
How to Recycle Well
Know the code
Look up the specific guidelines for your county to know what’s currently being accepted.
Start from the shelves
Increase your household’s recycling rate by purchasing products in easily recycled packaging.
Think beyond the bin
Reduce your contribution to the landfill pile beyond what municipal recycling services are
able to handle by utilizing other resources like UNCW’s Recycling Depot, metal recycling busi-nesses,
grocery store receptacles, and other retailers.
Make space
Set aside some space to collect and sort items your city or county doesn’t accept and drop
them off at alternate sites.
Avoid contamination
Rinse, rinse, rinse! Excessive food or drink residue can contaminate a whole bale of recycla-bles,
turning them into plain old trash. Washing with soap and water isn’t necessary, but try to
reduce the “yuck factor” before putting items in the bin.
Want to be even more sustainable?
Check out the composting 101 article titled “Break it Down: Composting for Healthy Soil” in last
month’s magazine to learn how to start a compost pile or participate in community composting.
plastic recycling CHEAT SHEET
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
accepted everywhere in the
Cape Fear region
accepted everywhere in the
Cape Fear region
not accepted locally
accepted at UNCW and most
local grocery stores
accepted only at UNCW
accepted only at UNCW
not accepted locally
april 2021 20
WBM