Wipe Out Waste bi-monthly column

ASK A MECK COUNTY EXPERT

Mecklenburg County Solid Waste experts receive hundreds of residential waste disposal and recycling questions weekly. To educate and empower Natural Awakenings readers, their experts provide updates and answer some of the most frequently asked questions in a bi-monthly column.

Enhance your day with “Enhanced Recycling”

Mecklenburg County has introduced new enhanced recycling at all the county’s full-service centers. Enhanced recycling gives you the opportunity to recycle some new items that can’t be recycled in your typical curbside recycling cart. These new items are:

• Polystyrene foam (that white-rigid foam that comes with new items).

• Hard and soft back books

• Shredded paper

• Textiles and clothing

Mecklenburg County is one of the few municipalities in the country offering this service, so please take advantage of the opportunity. Drop by any of the four county full service drop off centers (17131 Lancaster Hwy, 8007 Pence Rd. and 140 Valleydale Rd. in Charlotte; 12300 N. Statesville Rd. in Huntersville) and help keep the circular economy thriving.

If you have program questions about recycling, waste diversion or anything else related to waste, please visit www.WipeOutWaste. com. To submit a waste disposal and recycling question, email SolidWaste@MeckNC.gov. Jeff Smithberger, Director of Solid Waste, answers the top 7 residential recycling questions at https://tinyurl.com/MeckRecyleRightFAQs.