Recycling

Residential recycling is a free every other week service and is collected on your regularly scheduled collection day.

  • Place all recycling at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.
  • Retrieve carts by 9:00 p.m. on your collection day.

How to Obtain a Recycling Cart

  • If you are a City of Concord resident, recycling roll-out carts are free, just call 704.920.5555.
  • If you are a business, call 704.920.5361 to learn about City recycling services available to you.

Properly Prepare Your Recyclables

  • Please rinse all bottles, cans, etc. before placing these items into your recycling cart. Larger plastic lids and small plastic bottle caps are recyclable. Do not bundle or bag. Labels are OK to leave on.

Yes! Put these Items in Your Roll-Out Recycling Cart

  • Empty Aerosol Cans (no paint cans)
  • Plastics #1, #2, #4, & #5 (No styrofoam, bags, plastic “Solo” cups, or wrap)
  • Wide-Mouth Plastic Containers & Lids
  • Rigid Plastic Containers & Small Plastic Toys
  • Milk & Juice Cartons, & Juice Boxes
  • Aluminum Cans, Steel Cans, & their Lids
  • Glass Bottles & Jars
  • Cereal & Food Boxes
  • Gift Boxes, Shoe Boxes, & Small Cardboard Boxes (flattened and placed into cart)
  • Large Cardboard Boxes should be flattened, cut into 3 feet x 3 feet sections and placed inside cart for collection
  • All pizza boxes
  • Magazines & Phonebooks
  • Mixed Paper, Newspapers with Inserts, & Junk Mail
  • Paperback Books
  • Spiral Paper Cans (with plastic lids detached)
  • Gift Wrapping Paper (without foil backing)

Recycling Cardboard Boxes

  • Place all packing materials into tied, plastic bags and place them in your garbage cart.
  • Break down (flatten) all cardboard boxes and cut down into 3 feet x 3 feet sections (or smaller) and place inside of your recycling cart with the lid closed.
  • Lay smaller boxes near the top of your cart to prevent jamming.
  • Boxes filled with items unacceptable for recycling will not be collected. Trash must be placed in tied plastic bags and placed in garbage cart.

No! Do NOT put These Items in Your Roll-Out Recycling Cart

  • Plastic Bags, Plastic Film, or Plastic Wrap (recycle shopping bags at participating stores)
  • Shredded Paper
  • Styrofoam
  • Audio & Video Cassettes, or Photographic Film
  • CDs & DVDs
  • Rubber or Tires
  • Paint Cans
  • Household Glassware
  • Clothing (or other fabric)
  • Household Garbage
  • Gift Wrapping Paper with Foil Backing
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Any Pesticides, or Herbicides, or Oil Containers
  • Garden Hoses
  • Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs and Fluorescent Tubes 
    Place your CFL bulb into a sealed plastic sandwich bag in case of breakage. CHL bulbs are accepted at the following locations (from residential customers only):
    • Cabarrus County Household Hazardous Waste Facility
    • Cabarrus County Governmental Center
    • Cabarrus County Cooperative Extension Building
    • Concord Public Library
    • Kannapolis Library
    • Mount Pleasant Library
    • Harrisburg Library
    • Concord Senior Center
    • Cabarrus County C&D Landfill

Cabarrus County Recycling Centers

(for multi-family developments without recycling)

For a complete list of items accepted at the recycling centers, go to: www.cabarruscounty.us.

In addition to curbside recycling, items can be dropped off at one of these recycling centers:

Cabarrus County Landfill Recycling Convenience Center
4441 Irish Potato Road, Concord
Mon - Fri 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sat 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

HHW Facility Recycling Convenience Center
246 General Services Drive, Concord
Mon - Fri 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Additional items accepted:

  • Used Motor Oil & Oil Filters
  • Automotive Batteries
  • Scrap Metal (bicycles, aluminum siding, metal ducts, copper pipes, power equipment – drained, and more)
  • Appliances
  • Electronics
  • Used Tires (maximum 5 per load)
  • Used Cooking Oil
  • Oyster Shells (Cabarrus County Landfill Only)