Mecklenburg County's Enhance Recycling Program
Enhanced Recycling is special recycling that is only available at our four Full-service Recycling and Disposal Centers!

 Polystyrene/ rigid foam packaging containers.
Polystyrene foam is the type of material found in the packing of products such as, Microwave Ovens, Televisions, Electronics, Food Containers (clean, rinsed & dry), Etc…
Meck Foam is Part of the Mecklenburg County Enhanced Recycling Program
Below are eight of the additional enhanced recycling items now accepted at the Full Service Recycling Centers 
Curbside Recycling Guide

These foam materials can be recycled into usable materials but require densification first.

Mecklenburg County will use a RecycleTech XT-200E model densifier to densify the rigid foam materials before shipping to an external vendor.

From there, the densified Polystyrene can be transformed into new products. It may be ground up, melted, pulled into strands and cut into tiny pellets, which are then used to make picture frames, clothes hangers, and other products.

Recycled Polystyrene is also sometimes used in construction, making composite building materials, architectural moldings or food containers.

White rigid foam
Bring us your Rigid Foam! Feed our Foam-a-Saurus Rex!! We are accepting rigid foam that comes as part of packaging. Usually white in color, and found in packaging with TV’s, and appliances. It needs to be clean. White food packaging, including foam cups, are acceptable, BUT any food packaging must be thoroughly washed and clean. NO FOOD RESIDUE! For foam cups, NO lids and no straws.

HOW: You bring the foam materials to one of our Full-Service Centers. All clean foam goes into the specially marked containers. Look for “Rex” the dinosaur. We will grind and melt the foam into dense ingots then ship to market. Help us be a more sustainable community! Feed Rex!
Typical rigid foam protective packaging
Feeding rigid foam into the foam boxes
Dumping out the rigid foam to process
Densification machine that processes the foam
Typical products made from recycled processed foam
Click below to learn more about the added recycling enhancements to our Full-Service Recycling Centers.
LEARN MORE

Please feed our

Foam-a-saurus rex

so we can recycle your rigid foam.