#1 Plastic Clamshells

Berry boxes, salad containers and other rigid packaging can be recycled when they’re clearly marked #1 PET or PETE.

Add a blue #1 bag to your pickup.

$5 each, or 5 for $20

Approximately 13 gallons. Order in the Member Dashboard Shop and use it on any scheduled pickup.

Order a blue #1 bag

Included with the Almost Anything Plan.

Berry, herb, salad and egg containers: check each item for a #1 PET or PETE marking

What can I include?Local curbside rules Download the visual guide (PDF)

Only rigid plastic marked #1 PET or PETE.

Check the recycling symbol on every item. Appearance alone is not enough to identify the plastic.

Accepted

Berry, produce, salad, herb, bakery and deli clamshells marked #1
Egg cartons made from rigid #1 PET or PETE plastic
Clear plastic cups and rigid lids marked #1
Other rigid plastic packaging clearly marked #1 PET or PETE
Stickers and product labels may stay attached

Not accepted

Items with no visible recycling number
Rigid plastics marked #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 or #7
Plastic film, stretchy bags and bubble mailers
Chip bags, pouches and other crinkly packaging
Foam or styrofoam takeout containers

Keep material streams separate. The blue #1 bag is separate from the green #5 bag, Plastic Film bag and pink Crinkly Packaging bag.

Get your blue bag ready for pickup.

A few simple checks help keep the material clean and easy to sort.

Watch the clamshell bag guide. A demonstration of what belongs in the bag and how to prepare it for pickup.

Check the symbol

Confirm that each rigid item is marked #1 PET or PETE.
Remove food

Empty the container and give it a quick rinse when needed. It does not need to be spotless.
Stack when possible

Nest similar containers to make better use of the 13-gallon bag. Labels may stay on.
Set it out with recycling

Set the blue bag beside your regular recycling bags on any scheduled pickup you choose.

Why are clamshells hard to recycle?

Plastic clamshells can look nearly identical while being made from different resins. Their thin, lightweight shape can also be difficult for curbside sorting equipment to identify and separate.

Most Triangle municipalities do not accept plastic clamshells in curbside recycling. Raleigh currently accepts them, while the other communities listed here do not.

Plastic clamshells in local curbside recycling
Community	Accepted?
Raleigh	Yes
Durham	No
Cary	No
Chapel Hill	No
Carrboro	No
Hillsborough	No

Clamshell recycling questions.

What size is the blue bag?

The bag holds approximately 13 gallons. Nesting or stacking similar clamshells helps maximize the available space.

Can clear plastic cups go in the bag?

Yes, when the cup is rigid plastic and clearly marked #1 PET or PETE. Similar cups marked with another number should be left out.

Can clamshells go in the Plastic Film bag?

No. Plastic Film is a separate recycling stream for stretchy film and bags. Rigid #1 plastics belong only in the blue #1 bag.

What should I do when I cannot find a number?

Please leave the item out. Shape, clarity and texture are not reliable enough to identify the plastic resin by themselves.

Where do the collected #1 plastics go?

The ReCollective works with Orange Recycling Services in Durham to sort and prepare collected #1 plastics. Sonoco also serves as an outlet for this material so it can move into established recycling markets.