Can you recycle plastic bags in Cary, NC?

Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility Town of Cary uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your trash cart.

What do I do with batteries in Cary, NC?

Batteries never go in any of your Cary, NC carts — not the blue cart, not the trash cart. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

Recycling rules in Cary, NC

📍 Town of Cary · 2-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Cary, NC

Residential curbside collection in Cary, NC is provided by Town of Cary under an exclusive franchise, so every household on the route gets the same carts and the same accepted-items list. Households get two carts — a blue cart for recyclables and a trash cart for everything else. There is no curbside compost cart, so food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the trash cart.

That two-cart setup is the norm for most of the country — curbside food-scrap collection remains rare outside California and a handful of West Coast and Northeast cities.

The quick answer for Cary, NC

Plastic bottles & jugs	♻️ Blue cart	Empty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans	♻️ Blue cart	Give them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard	♻️ Blue cart	Clean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars	♻️ Blue cart	Lids off.
Food scraps	🗑️ Trash cart	No curbside compost cart here.
Greasy pizza box	🗑️ Trash cart	No curbside compost cart here.
Plastic bags & film	🗑️ Trash cart	Store drop-off is better.
Batteries	⚠️ Hazardous	Never curbside — tape the terminals.

This is the short list. The full A–Z of what is and isn't recyclable is on what can I recycle? — or scan the item and get the answer for Cary, NC directly.

📷 Scan an item

Cary, NC recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Cary, NC?: Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility Town of Cary uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your trash cart.
What do I do with batteries in Cary, NC?: Batteries never go in any of your Cary, NC carts — not the blue cart, not the trash cart. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

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Still not sure?

Rules vary by material and by hauler, and the sorting line is strict — one wrong item can contaminate a whole load. When in doubt, point your camera at the item for a verdict, or check the official Town of Cary guide.