Recycling Centers in North Carolina

Find local recycling drop-off locations across North Carolina. Browse by city to see nearby facilities with hours and contact information.

170 Centers 107 Cities

Recycling in North Carolina

North Carolina has 170 recycling centers across 107 cities, including county convenience centers, municipal drop-off sites, landfills, transfer stations, and scrap processors. North Carolina does not have a bottle-deposit law, but it enforces an unusually broad set of landfill disposal bans administered by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) under state statute. Banned materials include plastic bottles, aluminum cans, electronics (computers and televisions), lead-acid batteries, scrap tires, used oil and oil filters, antifreeze, white goods (appliances), wooden pallets, and yard trash. Lithium-ion batteries join the list on December 1, 2026.

Recycling centers concentrate in the state's largest metros. Raleigh leads with 14 centers, followed by Durham with 11, Charlotte with 6, and Lexington and Chapel Hill each with 5. These cities offer the widest mix of county convenience centers, drop-off sites, and scrap yards in North Carolina.

Because North Carolina has no deposit system, residents recycle through curbside programs, county convenience centers, and private facilities, and must divert banned materials from the trash. County-run sites such as the Wake County Convenience Center and Durham County Solid Waste accept household recyclables and banned items for local residents. Knowingly dumping banned materials in a landfill can draw civil penalties under state law. DEQ's Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service oversees the bans and local recycling support.

Top Cities by Number of Centers

Raleigh 14 Durham 11 Charlotte 6 Chapel Hill 5 Lexington 5 Apex 4 Asheboro 4 Fayetteville 3

All Cities in North Carolina

Angier 2 centers Apex 4 centers Asheboro 4 centers Bakersville 1 center Belmont 2 centers Benson 1 center Biscoe 2 centers Bolton 1 center Boone 1 center Burlington 2 centers Butner 1 center Calabash 1 center Cameron 1 center Capital Blvd Suite 166 Raleigh 1 center Cary 2 centers Chapel Hill 5 centers Charlotte 6 centers Chin Page Rd Durham 1 center Clayton 2 centers Cleveland Rd Smithfield 1 center Coleridge 1 center Concord 1 center Creedmoor 1 center Denton 1 center Deponie Dr Raleigh 1 center Dobson 1 center Dunn 1 center Durham 11 centers E Club Blvd Durham 1 center E Geer St Durham 1 center E Webb Ave Burlington 1 center Elkin 1 center Fayetteville 3 centers Franklinton 1 center Fuquay Varina 1 center Garner 1 center Gastonia 2 centers Glenn School Rd Durham 1 center Gold Hill 1 center Goldsboro 1 center Grantsboro 1 center Greensboro 3 centers Greenville 2 centers Hacketts Lake Rd Greensboro 1 center Haw River 1 center Henderson 1 center Hickory 1 center High Point 2 centers Hillsborough 1 center Holbrooks Rd Huntersville 1 center Huntersville 1 center Kernersville 1 center Knightdale 1 center Lexington 5 centers Liberty 1 center Linwood 1 center Louisburg 1 center Macon 1 center Mcdonald Dr Sanford 1 center Mckoy Town Rd Cameron 1 center Mebane 2 centers Mebane Oaks Rd Mebane 1 center Monroe 2 centers Morrisville 1 center Mt Airy 1 center Mt View Church Rd Asheboro 1 center N Brightleaf Blvd Smithfield 1 center N O Henry Blvd Greensboro 1 center Nc 42 W Garner 1 center Nc 87 Sanford 1 center Nc 96 Zebulon 1 center Old Smithfield Rd Apex 1 center Otts St Charlotte 1 center Pfafftown 1 center Pittsboro 1 center Poole Rd Raleigh 1 center Raeford 1 center Raleigh 14 centers Randleman 2 centers Reidsville 1 center Rougemont 1 center Roxboro 1 center S Miami Blvd Durham 1 center Saddletree Rd Lumberton 1 center Sandy Cross Rd Suite 101 Burlington 1 center Sanford 2 centers Selma 1 center Siler City 1 center Skibo Rd Fayetteville 1 center Smithfield 1 center Sunset Beach 1 center Supply 1 center Swansboro 1 center Thomasville 2 centers Thornton Rd Raleigh 1 center Us 311 Sophia 1 center Us 70 Clayton 1 center Wade 1 center Wake Forest 2 centers Wellington Ct Suite 116 Raleigh 1 center Wendell 2 centers Wilmington 1 center Wilson 1 center Wingate 2 centers Winston Salem 1 center Wrightsville Beach 1 center Youngsville 1 center

Recycling in North Carolina — FAQ

Does North Carolina have a bottle deposit?

No. North Carolina does not have a bottle bill or container-deposit law. However, plastic bottles and aluminum cans are banned from landfill disposal, so beverage containers must be recycled through curbside or drop-off programs rather than thrown in the trash.

How do I recycle in North Carolina?

Use curbside recycling or a county convenience center for paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, and metal cans, and divert banned items like electronics, tires, batteries, and yard trash to the proper site. The directory lists 170 centers across 107 cities; hours and accepted materials vary locally, so confirm with the center first.

What is banned from landfills in North Carolina?

NC DEQ bans many materials from landfill disposal, including plastic bottles, aluminum cans, electronics (computers and TVs), lead-acid batteries, scrap tires, used oil and oil filters, antifreeze, white goods, wooden pallets, and yard trash. Lithium-ion batteries are added December 1, 2026. Knowingly disposing of banned items can draw civil penalties.

Where are the biggest recycling hubs in North Carolina?

Raleigh leads with 14 listed centers, followed by Durham with 11, Charlotte with 6, and Lexington and Chapel Hill each with 5. These cities offer the widest range of county convenience centers, drop-off sites, and scrap-metal yards in the state.