Mecklenburg County residents can toss a few more everyday items in the recycling cart, thanks to a major retrofit at the county’s main sorting facility. The Amble Drive Materials Recovery Facility has reopened after an overhaul that added new technology, boosted processing capacity and expanded the types of materials the county can now accept through curbside recycling.
The centerpiece of the upgrade: 16 optical sorters that use advanced technology to identify and separate recyclables as they move through the facility. That added precision means the facility can now recover items that used to be off-limits for the county’s recycling program.
Newly accepted items include:
- Paper cups, including coffee and fast-food beverage cups
- Plastic cups (no straws)
- Polypropylene (PP) containers, like yogurt cups and similar food containers
- Clear plastic food containers (PET), such as those used for produce, bakery items and prepared foods
- Clean takeout containers made from accepted recyclable material
“We’ve heard from residents for years that they want to recycle these items. Now, they can,” Jeff Smithberger, director of Mecklenburg County Solid 91TV, said. “The upgrades at Amble Drive allow us to process recyclables more efficiently and keep more everyday items out of the landfill.”