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Curbside Recycling

Altogether now-- recycle in a SINGLE STREAM! There is no need to separate your recyclables-- commingle them all together now in your curbside bins.

Click here for material details.

Click here to listen to the Commingle Jingle by Tim Smith and the Recyclettes.

Urban (weekly) recycling collection

Residents of the towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough in single-family homes or duplexes qualify for weekly curbside collection of recycling. If you live within town limits you can find your recycling day by looking at the alphabetical street directory:

• A-E
• F-J
• K-O
• P-S
• T-Z

Click here for a .pdf version of the Urban Curbside recycling guide.

Rural (every other week) recycling collection

Approximately 13,500 homes in the unincorporated area of Orange County are serviced every other week by rural recycling collection. To find out if your home is on the rural curbside collection program, look at the rural recycling routes.  If your street is listed, click on the route number to find out your schedule. If you would like a calendar card mailed to you, please email us.

Click here for a .pdf version of the Rural Recycling Guide.

Click here for the 2013 Holiday Schedule for all Solid Waste Services

How do I get a recycling bin?

Residents on the curbside collection program (urban or rural) can pick up recycling bins at the Solid Waste Management Department Administration office:
1207 Eubanks Rd.
Chapel Hill
(just west of the Orange County Landfill)

Monday-Friday, 8AM to 5PM

Town of Carrboro residents can call their Public Works Department 919-918-7425 or email them to schedule a delivery.

Town of Hillsborough residents can receive bins through Hillsborough Public Works. Visit them at 101 E. Orange St. Hillsborough, NC 27278, call (919)732-2104 ext. 222 or use their on-line contact form to make a work order request for bin delivery. Note: This location is NOT to be confused with Orange County Public Works. Recycling bins are not distributed from there.

We give two bins to each household at no charge. Replacement bins for lost or damaged bins are also available at no cost. Additional bins may be purchased for $7.00 from our office. Unless you purchased them yourself, recycling bins are the property of Orange County and should remain at the address where they were issued.

DO NOT use a plastic bag, garbage can, or cardboard box to contain your recyclables. You may use any other rigid plastic container similar in size and shape to the curbside recycling bin such as a laundry basket or a milk crate. Do not use anything with a lid.  If you collect your recyclables in a plastic bag, remove recyclables from the bag before placing them in your bin and discard bag elsewhere.

REMEMBER-- have your bins to the curb by 7AM on the morning of your collection day, or put them out the night before. If your bin was missed on your collection day, but was out by 7AM please let our office know as soon as possible by calling (919) 968-2788. Remove bins from curb after collection.

Use your curbside recycling bins for Bottles, Cans, Jars and All Paper. 

Stack corrugated cardboard between, under or inside your recycling bins.

Flatten what you can to save space in your bin, and on the recycling truck!

Use the following guide for proper curbside recycling.  Mix together in a Single Stream:

MATERIAL	SPECIFICATIONS	DO NOT INCLUDE
Plastic Bottles, Jugs and Jars	Plastic bottles have a neck smaller than the base.  Leave the cap on! Flatten bottle or jug if possible and put the cap back on.	No plastic bags or any other non-bottle plastics.  No cups, tubs or buckets. No clamshells or Styrofoam.
Glass Bottles and Jars	Clear, brown, green and blue glass bottles and jars only.  Rinse clean. Lids and labels are OK.	No dishes, ceramics, cookware, window glass, drinking glass, light bulbs, pyrex or mirrors
Metal Cans	Aluminum and steel/tin food or beverage cans.  Tuck metal lids inside cans and crimp the edge shut. Flatten what you can to save space.	No scrap metal, pots, pans or car parts.
Aerosol Spray Cans	Must be completely empty.  Do not puncture or flatten.
Aluminum Foil and Trays	Must be clean. Rinse off any food residue and crush what you can to save space.	No foil with food or lots of grease on it.
Mixed Paper	Any clean, dry paper that tears. Junk mail, office and school paper, manila folders. Envelope windows and staples are OK. Shredded paper is OK if it is in a paper bag.	No tissue or paper towels. No wax coated or laminated paper. Remove credit cards or other plastic items from junk mail.
Paper bags	Paper bags only.	No wax coated or plastic bags at the curb.
Single layer cardboard	Cereal boxes, cracker boxes, tissue boxes, paper towel rolls, frozen food boxes, etc. Remove any plastic or foil lining.
Corrugated Cardboard	Stack between, under or in recycling bins. Boxes must be empty and flattened and in pieces no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet. There is a ten piece limit at the curb unless the corrugated cardboard fits in your bin. Pizza boxes are OK if they are clean and empty.
Drink cartons	Flat-topped and gable topped drink boxes.  Plastic spouts are OK.  Rinse clean and flatten.
Newspaper	Newspaper and associated inserts.	Remove plastic bags or rubber bands before recycling.
Magazines
Phonebooks	Phone books and other paperback books are OK. Must be clean.	Remove from plastic bags before recycling.  No hardcover books.

 

Thanks for recycling.