Keep New Hanover Beautiful

17% of what arrives at our recycling facility… is trash. 🗑️

That means nearly 1 in 5 items placed in recycling bins cannot be recycled and must be pulled off the line by hand or sent straight to the landfill.

Plastic bags, the most common culprit are not able to be processed at the NHC Recycling Facility. However, take your plastic bags to your local supermarket or UNCW to ensure they get recycled.

The common belief that all of your recycling ends up in the landfill is a myth. Our facility works hard. The machinery works. The people work.�But they can only sort so much.

When contamination slips through, entire bales can be rejected. With China’s ban on contaminated solid waste, bales of recycling that cannot be accepted often take up vital space in our New Hanover County Landfill.

Recycling works.�But only if we do it right.
♻️ Rinse containers�♻️ Keep plastic bags out�♻️ No Styrofoam�♻️ When in doubt, check local guidelines at the NHC Recycling and Solid Waste Website

Small habits make a big impact.