From Thanksgiving to January, recycling material recovery facilities see a massive influx of contamination due to increased online shopping and improper recycling of holiday items. Please consult the lists below to ensure you responsibly dispose of your waste.
The Nice List – Things that can be recycled or composted.
- Cardboard boxes: Remove tape and break down your cardboard boxes into pieces smaller than 3' x 3' and place them in your blue recycling cart. If they cannot be broken down into pieces smaller than 3' x 3' recycle them at a Wake County Convenience Center.
- Christmas cards: Recycle paper Christmas cards or reuse them as gift tags for next year!
- Christmas trees: Remove all decorations and lights and place your tree at the curb. Beginning in January, crews will pick up trees on your yard waste days and take them to the Yard Waste Center where they will be reused and processed into mulch.
- Natural wreaths and garlands: Place your natural wreaths and garlands in your yard waste cart. They will be taken to the Yard Waste Center and composted.
- Wrapping paper free of non-paper additives: If it passes the scrunch test, toss it in the recycling cart.
- Wrapping paper tubes: Just like paper towel tubes, you can place these cardboard tubes in your recycling cart.
The Naughty List – Do not put it in the recycling bin!
- Artificial Christmas tree: Fake trees are not recyclable or compostable. If you want to get rid of your tree and it cannot be reused by someone else, please schedule a Bulky Pickup. Artificial trees cannot biodegrade and should never be tossed on the side of the road or taken to the Yard Waste Center.
- Grease: Through Jan. 13, 2024, SWS will pick up your used cooking oil and grease for free! Please place your excess grease in a sealed clear plastic container with the label: “grease”. It is important to never put grease or oil down the drain as it causes clogs and overflows which damage our built and natural environment.
- Holiday lights: When string lights are mistakenly tossed into blue recycling carts, mayhem breaks loose at the Materials Recovery Facility. Along with garden hoses, string lights are known as "tanglers" because they get tangled in machinery and cause delays at the recycling facility. Please toss holiday lights in the garbage if they are broken and cannot be fixed or reused.
- Plastic bags: Plastic bags also cause trouble at the Materials Recovery Facility when they are mistakenly recycled because they get caught in machinery, causing delays and damages. Please throw plastic bags in the garbage or bring them to a grocery store that recycles them. Decrease your waste by using reusable bags when grocery and gift shopping.
- Ribbon: Ribbons, bows, and string cannot be recycled but they can be reused! Store them in a box for next year.
- Styrofoam: Also known as polystyrene, Styrofoam is never recyclable.
- Tins: Tins like those that store popcorn, cookies, and candy cannot be recycled in the City of Raleigh, but you can reuse them. Tins can be used as wrapping paper alternatives or to store your ribbons and bows!
- Wrapping paper with glitter, foil, etc.: Must be reused or thrown in the garbage.