Multi-Family Recycling Program

Recycling cart sites are located at over 95% of multifamily complexes (apartments, town homes, and condominiums) in Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. These sites are available to residents 24-hours a day, seven days per week.

CLICK HERE for the Orange County Commercial Recycling Program

The materials listed below are collected in labeled wheeled carts at one or more locations at multi-family sites.

NEW as of July 2012-- Recyclables can be mixed all together in a "Single Stream"

Information cards for Multifamily (MFU) Recycling are available. Call (919) 968-2788, email us for delivery or click the links below for a printable .pdf of the:

ENGLISH MFU RECYCLING GUIDE

SPANISH MFU RECYCLING GUIDE

NO PLASTIC BAGS! If you collect your recyclables in a plastic bag, remove recyclable materials from the bag prior to placing them in the carts and discard the bag elsewhere. Grocery bags can be reused, or recycled at many local grocery stores.

DO NOT leave Corrugated Cardboard in the recycling carts. There should be a corrugated cardboard recycling dumpster at your complex or you can recycle corrugated cardboard at Drop-off Locations. Ask your manager for details. Corrugated cardboard from is banned from landfill disposal and must be recycled.

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

MATERIAL	SPECIFICATIONS	DO NOT INCLUDE
NEW! In carts only, not curbside bins: Plastic Tubs and Cups #2, #4, #5	Small rigid non-bottle plastics #2,4,5 such as yogurt and margarine tubs	No clear plastic clamshells, no Styrofoam,
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, clear plastic 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.
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.