Written by Brittany Corl, Land Use and Environmental Services

Summer is full of trips to the beach and pool, outdoor picnics, festivals, and sporting events. Mecklenburg County Solid Waste wants you to have a fun, safe summer while also recycling right! 

You can always recycle these 6 items curbside. But what about sunscreen bottles, broken floats, or old towels?  

1. Plastic Bottles with Necks & Metal Cans 

Soda (cans and bottles), water bottles, sports drinks, and other beverages likely fill your cooler every summer. You can recycle those both curbside and at any recycling center in Mecklenburg County.  

We ask that you leave the caps on the bottles and do not crush cans. Those two things can cause issues later down the line in the recycling process.  

2. Foam Coolers and Cups 

Those foam coolers you see at the store and gas station can be helpful in a pinch. But don’t trash them once you’re done. We recycle white rigid foam as part of our enhanced recycling program. You can also bring us foam cups. Just make sure items are clean and dry, and without any stickers or plastic lids or straws.  

Recycle foam items at any full-service center, just look for the Foam-a-Saurus Rex bin. Our staff then sorts and preps the foam for our densifier machine. Recycled foam is then turned into picture frames, clothes hangers, and other items. 

3. Sunscreen Bottles

The type of bottle decides if you can or can’t recycle it. Plastic tubes or bottles of sunscreen are not recyclable. The plastic they’re made from is not recyclable in Mecklenburg County. The sunscreen inside can cause problems for our machines. 

However, you can recycle aerosol (spray) sunscreen bottles with your curbside recyclables!  

4. Old Towels, Bathing Suits 

If your swimsuits and old towels aren’t making a splash this summer, place them in the big blue textile recycling bins at any of our full-service centers. Donated items are repurposed or broken down for new fabrics. We also take other textiles like shoes, hats, sheets, and accessories. 

5. Broken Floats

Pool floats and other inflatables are fun, until they get a hole in them. Unfortunately, broken floats cannot be recycled – curbside or at full-service centers. They’re often made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is very difficult to recycle anywhere. 

6. Broken Toys

Shovels, buckets, diving sticks, and other water toys can make a hot day go by quickly. But when they break, please don’t recycle them. Just like broken floats, these items are made of PVC.  

There’s so much more to know about how to get rid of things. Not sure if something is recyclable? Use our CheckMeck widget!