Recycling

Key links: Holiday Collection | Acceptable Materials 1 2 | FAQ | Missed Collection

The City of Raleigh has worked diligently to develop unique and timely solutions to the solid waste issues facing all local governments. As always, Raleigh has served as an example to other municipalities across the state.

Raleigh Recycling

The cornerstone of the City’s waste diversion program is "Raleigh Recycling."

Started as a pilot program in 1989, "Raleigh Recycling " makes weekly curbside service available to more than 101,545 single-family households and many more townhome households. All the materials collected curbside, along with cell phones and inkjet and toner cartridges, are collected at six recycling drop-off centers located throughout the City. The City’s multi-family program, begun in October 1991, services over 40,652 households at apartment, condominium and some townhouse communities using centrally located multi-compartment Fibrex recycling containers.  Approximately 60 percent of the multi-family communities participate in the multi-family recycling program.  Since its inception in Fiscal Year 1989-90, the "Raleigh Recycling " program has recycled more than 231,006 tons of materials.

More achievements

• In the summer of 2002 Raleigh began a partnership with Wake County for recycling computers.
• In the fall of 2002, Raleigh initiated the "Recycling in the Parks" program as a pilot using grant funds from NCDPPEA. Recycling containers made from 95 percent post consumer recycled plastic were purchased and placed in picnic areas and along jogging trails in five of the forty park systems located throughout the city. The program has since expanded to include thirty-two park systems.
• In February 2003, Raleigh joined the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Cooperation. The "Charge Up to Recycle" program allows residents to drop off rechargeable batteries for recycling at any of the City’s twenty-seven fire stations and several administrative offices in the city.
• At the end of December 2004, spent ink jet and toner cartridge recycling was added to the recycling drop off program.
• In late August 2006, Solid Waste Services implemented "Downtown Raleigh Recycles!", a recycling collection program for businesses in the Central Business District. 

Two Unique Programs

Two unique programs can be found at the City of Raleigh’s now closed Wilders Grove Landfill and the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The City of Raleigh “recycles” methane gas produced by waste decaying in the landfill.  This gas is used to produce steam to power manufacturing operations at Ajinomoto USA.  The City, in turn, receives monthly royalties for the use of its landfill as well as the removal of potentially explosive gas from its property.

Residuals from the water treatment process and biosolids generated in the wastewater treatment process are used as fertilizer or soil conditioner rather than disposed of in the landfill. The City’s reuse of the residuals and biosolids saves much needed disposal space at the landfill. The City has a contract with an independent contractor who picks up the water treatment residuals for composting. More than 7,000 tons of biosolids generated each year at the wastewater treatment plant are used as a fertilizer to grow crops at the plant site. The crops – corn, hay and wheat – are sold as livestock feed. The City won a regional award from the federal Environmental Protection Agency in 1995 for beneficial use of biosolids.

In-House Programs

City of Raleigh employees have enthusiastically joined in the recycling campaign with a variety of in-house recycling programs. Along with recycling office paper, newspapers, magazines, cans and plastic drink bottles at City facilities, employees also recycle used oil, hydraulic fluids, solvents and batteries from the City of Raleigh s vehicle fleet services. Retread tires also are used on many City vehicles, and the City makes a concerted effort to use recycled products and paper whenever possible.

Recycling makes sense for the City of Raleigh and its residents along with being good for the environment.  Since the City began its targeted recycling programs in 1989, more that 689,679 tons of recyclables have been diverted from the City’s solid waste stream, saving valuable landfill space.