Celebrate Global Recycling Day

Published on March 18, 2024

Happy Global Recycling Day to all who celebrate, and the City of Charlotte hopes that includes you! Now in its seventh year, Global Recycling Day is celebrated annually on March 18. This year’s theme is #RecyclingHeroes. We encourage you to spotlight the heroes in your neighborhoods and communities. Who goes above and beyond to make a difference?

To help commemorate Global Recycling Day and give you the tools to become a recycling hero in your own right, we’ve put together some tips and reminders about recycling in the Queen City. You can find recycling information year-round on the city’s website.

Expert Tips

• Print a copy of the 2024 recycling calendar to hang on your fridge!
• Since your plastic bags, plastic film, plastic wrap, and similar items aren’t eligible for curbside recycling, drop them off at retail stores such as Harris Teeter and Walmart.
• Donate your plastic and wire hangers to a recycling clothing store like Goodwill or return them to the cleaners.
• If you want to drop off your own recyclables, there are four full-service and five self-service locations you can visit.
• When in doubt, leave it out! Check out the list of acceptable and unacceptable items.

What Can You Do Around Your House?

Here’s how you can make a difference at home and in your daily life, according to the Environmental Protection Agency:

• Learn to compost.
• Host yard sales! Find new homes for any items that are no longer of use to you.
• Try out reusable cleaning materials.
• Invest in a reusable water bottle. No more plastic bottles, but if you do use one, remember to recycle it!
• Next birthday or holiday season, wrap gifts in recycled or reused paper.

City of Charlotte Recycling Guidelines

Recyclables are collected every other week on the same day as garbage and yard waste collection. To find your collection day and recycling week, visit the GeoPortal system.

• Do not bag recyclables. Place them loosely in the green, city-issued recycling cart.
• Do not overfill carts or place items outside of the cart. Items outside the rollout cart will not be collected.
• Please place recycling cart within 6 feet of the curb and with the handle facing toward your property. Do not block the sidewalk.
• Please allow 3 feet of space between collection items and other obstacles such as mailboxes, phone poles and vehicles.
• Place recycling cart at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on your scheduled collection day and no sooner than the day before collection. The cart must be removed from the curb by midnight on the day of collection.

From everyone at the City of Charlotte, thank you for your commitment to sustainability and the betterment of the community for all!