Carteret County, NC Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Sec. 14-92 of the Carteret County Code, titled Recycling requirements, obligates private solid waste collectors and municipalities that collect and deliver solid waste to the county transfer station to provide their customers with an effective means for the collection and source separation of acceptable recyclables, but only upon request; it does not mandate recycling participation for every household. Sec. 14-3 defines what counts as an acceptable recyclable for this purpose: newspapers and inserts, cardboard, glass containers in clear, green or brown color, aluminum and bi-metal beverage and food cans, plastic beverage containers made of PET and HDPE, and magazines.

The definition section also separately defines recycling as the process by which recovered resources are transformed into new products so that the original products lose their identity, distinguishing it from simple reuse or storage. In practice this means a hauler serving unincorporated Carteret County customers must be able to offer a recycling collection option, such as a separate bin or bag, if a customer asks for one, even though the county does not require every resident to sign up. The requirement sits alongside the county's own recycling infrastructure at its convenience and recycling container sites under Sec.

14-28, where designated containers separately capture recyclable material dropped off directly. Violations of Sec. 14-92 by a hauler who refuses a requesting customer fall under the general Chapter 14 enforcement scheme in Sec. 14-4, with civil penalties assessed under Sec. 14-5.