RECYCLING & COMPOSTING IN CARY, NC
Hard-to-Recycle Pickup & Composting Service in Cary
Recycle more and throw away less with convenient doorstep collection from The ReCollective.
We collect plastic film, crinkly packaging, textiles, styrofoam, batteries, light bulbs, electronics during scheduled months and rotating ReCo Pick materials. Eligible Cary households can also add food scrap collection through our OneStop service.
WHAT WE COLLECT
Hard-to-recycle materials picked up in Cary
Cary members can recycle multiple material categories each month, along with additional specialty materials collected throughout the year.
Stretchy plastic bags and wraps, including grocery bags, bread bags, shipping film and similar materials.
Non-stretchy snack bags, wrappers, pouches, coffee bags and other accepted crinkly packaging.
Accepted clothing, fabric and household textiles that need a responsible next use.
Accepted styrofoam packaging that is not typically collected through local curbside recycling.
Accepted batteries and light bulbs collected during scheduled collection months.
Small electronics, cords, cables, keyboards, phones and other accepted electronics collected during scheduled months.
Optional food scrap pickup can be added to eligible Cary memberships through ReCollective OneStop.
+Specialty Add-Ons
Add extra capacity, #1 and #5 plastic recycling, fluorescent tubes and other specialty services to an upcoming pickup.
Explore Add-Ons →CARY CURBSIDE LOOKUP
Not sure what belongs in your Cary recycling cart?
Use the Town of Cary Waste Wizard to search for a specific item and find local curbside, drop-off or disposal guidance.
Cary’s curbside program and The ReCollective accept different materials. Check the Waste Wizard for Town collection guidance, then review our accepted materials list for hard-to-recycle options.
MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
Choose Your Cary Recycling & Composting Service
Start with monthly hard-to-recycle pickup or combine recycling and food scrap collection with OneStop.
CHECK YOUR CARY ADDRESS
See which ReCo services are available at your home
Enter your address to check Hard-to-Recycle pickup and OneStop recycling + composting availability.
RECYCLING SERVICE
Hard-to-Recycle Pickup
Convenient monthly collection for materials that are difficult to recycle through traditional curbside programs.
- Plastic Film & Bags
- Crinkly Packaging
- Textiles
- Batteries
- Light Bulbs
- Styrofoam
- ReCo Picks (20+ materials per year that rotate)
- Starter kit of canvas ReCo bags
- Clean reusable canvas bags each month
- On-demand support
- Text/Email reminders
- Sharing with Friends is encouraged!
ONESTOP SERVICE
Recycling & Food Scraps
Combine monthly hard-to-recycle collection with recurring food scrap pickup using your purple OneStop bin.
- Everything in Hard-to-Recycle service
- Purple food scrap collection bin
- Food scrap pickup at your selected frequency
- Monthly hard-to-recycle collection
- Bin cleaning and replacement bin service
- Impact reporting
- Compost or specialty recycling rewards
- Optional additional food scrap bin
CARY MEMBER OFFER
Start recycling more for less
Get a free month of Hard-to-Recycle Service or save $19 on OneStop Compost Service with code:
Money-back guarantee: If you are not satisfied after your first month of service, let us know.
Enter CARYFREE when registering.
SIMPLE DOORSTEP SERVICE
How Cary Recycling Pickup Works
Collect accepted materials at home, set them out on your scheduled pickup day and let The ReCollective take care of the rest.
Collect
Place accepted hard-to-recycle materials in the labeled reusable ReCo bags provided with your membership.
Set Out
Put your bags in your designated pickup location before your scheduled service time.
Recycle
We collect, sort and route your materials to trusted recycling and reuse partners.
SERVING CARY HOUSEHOLDS
A convenient local recycling and composting option
The ReCollective works with local and regional reuse, recycling and composting partners to help give collected materials their best possible next use.
Our service helps Cary households manage materials that are difficult to recycle through traditional curbside programs, including plastic film, crinkly packaging, styrofoam, textiles and rotating specialty materials.
We also collaborate with Toward Zero Waste to make food scrap diversion and community composting more accessible to Cary residents.
COMMUNITY PARTNER
Working together to expand food scrap diversion and sustainable options in Cary.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Cary recycling and composting FAQs
What can I recycle with The ReCollective in Cary?
The ReCollective collects plastic film and bags, crinkly packaging, textiles, styrofoam, batteries, light bulbs, scheduled electronics and rotating materials offered throughout the year.
View the current accepted materials listDoes The ReCollective pick up styrofoam in Cary?
Yes. Accepted styrofoam is included with both Hard-to-Recycle and OneStop memberships.
Can I recycle plastic bags and plastic film?
Yes. Accepted stretchy plastic film and bags are included with monthly hard-to-recycle pickup.
Does The ReCollective offer compost pickup in Cary?
Yes. OneStop combines hard-to-recycle collection with food scrap pickup for eligible Cary addresses.
How often is recycling picked up?
Hard-to-recycle materials are collected monthly. OneStop members receive food scrap pickup at their selected service frequency.
Is there a compost drop-off location in Cary?
Yes. The ReCollective offers Community Compost at Christ the King in Cary using a shared collection cart. This is a shared-cart drop-off, not a bucket swap.
Learn about the Christ the King drop-offHow much does The ReCollective cost in Cary?
Pricing varies based on the service and pickup frequency you select.
View current plans and pricingMORE WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
Other recycling and composting options in Cary
Doorstep pickup is not the only way to use The ReCollective.
CARY COMPOST DROP-OFF
Community Compost at Christ the King
Bring food scraps to the shared collection cart at Christ the King. This is a convenient Cary drop-off option and is not a bucket swap.
Explore the Cary drop-off →MAILBACK RECYCLING
Almost Anything Mailback Bag
Live outside the local pickup area but within 500 miles of Durham? Use our convenient mailback service for accepted hard-to-recycle materials.
Explore the Mailback Bag →READY TO GET STARTED?
Recycle more from your Cary home
Choose your service, receive your collection supplies and begin keeping more valuable materials out of the trash.