Place your recycling cart at the curb every other week by 7 a.m. on your collection day for recycling. If collection does not occur, call the Department of Public Works and Utilities at (919) 469-4090.

The Cary Recycles curbside program will accept the following items:

• Chipboard (including cereal and other food boxes, empty paper towel rolls)
• Telephone books
• Junk mail (manila envelopes, plastic windows and postcards are OK)
• Paper (including copy, fax and printer paper, letterhead, notebook paper, manila file folders, card stock, non-foil gift wrap and greeting cards [non-musical recording]. Shredded paper is NOT accepted.)
• Newspaper, including inserts
• Glossy magazines/catalogs
• Glass bottles & jars (clear, brown & green)
• Plastic bottles and tubs #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Plastic lids, take out (clam shell) containers and frozen entree trays are not accepted for recycling
• Aluminum cans, foil, and pie pans (no food residue)
• Tin/Steel food cans
• Cartons with a gable top (including juice, milk, dairy creamers, and fabric softener refills)
• Drink boxes (no straws or drink pouches such as Capri Sun packages)
• Corrugated cardboard - Flatten and/or cut to ensure that it fits in the cart. Customers using an 18 gallon recycling bin must flatten and/or cut into pieces no larger than 2’X3’ in size and place inside the bin. Remove and properly dispose of all packing material. If you have more corrugated cardboard than can fit in your cart/bin – a stack of moving boxes for example – call (919) 469-4090 to schedule a free pickup. Please remove and properly dispose of all packing material and flatten the boxes. No pizza boxes.

Proper Preparation of Recyclable Materials
Remember to discard all lids and rinse containers. It's not necessary to remove labels. All recycling must fit inside the cart. Do not place recycling next to or on top of your cart.

Recyclable materials that are mixed with items not on the list or otherwise improperly prepared  may require disposal at the landfill.

Appliance Recycling
If the appliance is still in working condition, please consider donating it to a thrift store or charitable organization. Check the yellow pages for locations near you. Solid waste customers may recycle them by:

1. Taking the appliance to a Wake County Multi-Material Drop-Off Facility
2. Contacting the Town at (919) 469-4090 to schedule a collection
3. Bringing the appliance to the Cary Citizen's Convenience Center at 313 N. Dixon Ave. for disposal

Appliance collection & disposal fees

Computer Recycling
The Town of Cary has developed a first-in-the-state initiative - curbside pickup of discarded computers for recycling. For more information on this program, please visit the Town of Cary's Computer Recycling Page.

Junk Mail
The N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance has compiled information to help you to get off mailing lists and to stop unwanted telemarketing calls and e-mail "spam." This will help you 'Just Say No' to junk mail.

Clothing/Post Consumer Textile Recycling
The Town of Cary does not collect clothing, shoes or other textiles for recycling.

For a list of post consumer textile re-sale or recycling sites in Wake county, visit the Trash & Recyclables Directory.