Recycling Roll Carts

Residents receiving blue recycling roll carts during the month of August CAN NOT USE THE BLUE ROLL CARTS UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY. Calendars with the new biweekly schedule are mailed to residents well in advance. Residents must continue to use their green recycling bins and remain on a weekly scheudle throughout August EVEN THOUGH THEIR BLUE CART HAS BEEN DELIVERED. After Labor Day automated trucks will be in service and only blue carts can be serviced.

We encourage residents to keep the old 18 gallon green recycling bin for use inside your home or garage to collect the materials and then transfer them to the roll cart outdoors. Residents might want to use it for other purposes; it’s a great storage container or tote for laundry, garden tools, etc. You may also consider giving it to your local church or civic club and encourage them to start a recycling program and collect recyclable materials and drop them off at one of our Recycling Drop Off Centers.

If you miss your assigned collection date, you may drop off your bin at one of these locations:

Solid Waste Services Administrative Office
630 Lake Beacon Dr.
M-F, 7a-4p
or
Yard Waste Recycling Center
900 N New Hope Rd.
M-Sat., 7a-4p.

Bins in good condition will be cleaned and reused for recycling collections. Broken and damaged bins will be recycled into new plastic products.

Here are the directions:

1. Go to the homepage
2. Click on the Maps icon in the upper left hand corner.
3. Click on “View More Information” in the right hand panel
4. Enter the resident address in the fields in the right hand frame
5. Click the City flag icon called “Services” in the lower right hand corner
6. Click the menu item just above the icons called “Solid Waste”.

The projected year for the address to be converted over to biweekly recycling cart collection is shown. Also provided is a link to the recycling calendar (week A or B, current year only). Route info is given for garbage and yard waste, as well as a link to holiday schedules changes.

Your day of service does not change, it remains on the same day of the week as as your garbage and yard waste. Recycling frequency changes to every other week. Residents will receive a calendar indicating the bi-weekly schedule for their particular address well in advance of the change. The calendar also shows any changes due to holidays. (Calendars can also be reprinted online below.)

Yes! We have renegotiated our contract with our recycling contractor and added most #1-#5 and #7 resin coded plastic containers (some exceptions apply), colored paper, telephone books and spiral paper cans. Residents receiving the roll carts in Phase II (2011 and later) will see these new items are now conveniently and graphically displayed on the lids of the new carts. There is plenty of room to hold materials for the change from weekly to bi-weekly collection, as well as to accommodate the addition of the new materials. (Phase I residents can call to request a new decal for their cart lids.)

There are many advantages to changing from the 18 gallon recycling bins to the 95 gallon roll carts. Included are: - Greater capacity, - Biweekly collection is more efficient and saves money, - Safer for recycling crews, reduces workman compensation claims, - Based on other NC communities that have made the change, recycling tons are expected to increase, - More tons recycled reduces landfill costs and increases revenues from the sale of recyclables, - Biweekly collection using carts uses fewer trucks resulting greenhouse gas mitigation and energy savings.

On June 1. 2010 approximately 4,000 Raleigh residents began participating in a pilot program that swapped out the 18 gallon green recycling bins for 95 gallon roll carts and switched service from weekly to bi-weekly.

In July 2010 14,000 more residents joined them. The new blue recycling carts have 5 times more space to hold recyclable items. Each year approximately 30,000 more households will join this program.

During August 2011 33,000 blue carts were delivered to Phase II residents. Phase III is now in the planning stages and is expected to be rolled out during August 2012 with a beginning service start day after Labor Day 2012.

The bi-weekly automated recycling collection program saved over $330,000 the first year, and is expected to save $2 million annually after the transition is complete.

Yes, we understand single residents or smaller families may not need the capacity of the 95 gallon cart (or maybe you're just not a big consumer, great!). You may call and request to switch to a 65 gallon recycling cart AFTER you use the 95 gallon cart through the first holiday period. Call the Customer Support Center at 919-996-6890 in January please.

Before you make the call, please do consider that we are changing to bi-weekly collection, those times around the holidays when extra recyclables are generated, and perhaps the future when we are able to secure markets for even more materials. Also remember, if you put your cart out only when it is full you can save yourself time as well increase crew efficiencies and reduce GHG emissions as the vehicles will not have as many "stop and goes". Cart Dimensions: 95 Gal: 45.13"H x 28.7"W x 33.73"D; 65 Gal: 40.5"H x 26.7"W x 28.11"D. The "footprint" of the carts is not very different.

Residents needing an additional recycling cart(s) may purchase it for a one time fee of $48. The smaller 65 gallon recycling cart may be purchased for $42. Recycling carts may only be used for recyclable material. Recycling carts filled with non-recyclable material will not be serviced. Call the Solid Waste Services Customer Support Center at 919-996-6890 for complete information.

Residents living in town home communities where garbage carts are not used will be reviewed on a case by case basis as to whether or not they will be using the recycling cart. Call 919-996-6872 to arrange for an on site visit. Service levels will change to biweekly for all areas so careful consideration should be given before deciding to keep the small green bins. Other communities that feel they have space concerns should contact the Solid Waste Services Code Enforcement Officer at 919-996-6874 to discuss them.

No, only residents currently phased into the bi-weekly recycling program can get a recycling cart. The recycling cart routes are serviced by fully automated trucks with only one driver. Other routes have the older recycling trucks that are not automated and are unable to service recycling carts. Recycling carts can become too heavy for crews to safely service manually.

Qualified individuals that have the garbage cart serviced by the Need Assistance Garbage Crew will also have the recycling cart serviced by the Need Assistance Recycling Crew. To be eligible for assistance your doctor must submit the Solid Waste Services Need Assistance Form and there must be no one else living in the household able to roll the cart to the curb. Call 919-996-6884 for complete information.

Need Assistance Form

No, the new recycling carts are bar coded to a specific street address with embedded RFID tags. Please leave the recycling cart at the existing home. When you arrive at your new home, call the Customer Support Center at 919-996-6890 and request a new recycling cart if there is not already one there. Please do not call for a recycling cart prior to your move in date. Carts will not be delivered prior to taking occupancy of the home.