3.+Improving+Mecklenburg+County+recycling
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Mecklenburg County leaders are pushing for recycling improvements to help fight climate change, reports WFAE's David Boraks.

• The county is spending $10 million this year on new equipment that will allow it to accept more kinds of recyclables, county solid waste director Jeff Smithberger told Boraks.
• They're also working on improving public education on recycling practices.

The big picture: This includes teaching residents what's recyclable and not. Often, even if materials have a recycling symbol on their label, they're not recyclable here in Mecklenburg County.

• For instance: Shredded paper, plastic takeout food containers and scrap metal are all not recyclable.
• ICYMI: Axios Charlotte had a story a few months ago on why it matters that so many of us are bad at recycling.

The bottom line: "We've dedicated a lot of resources to making the infrastructure that we need to recycle. But we need people to be conscientious about recycling, and recycle things that are recyclable," county commissioner Elaine Powell told WFAE.

Read WFAE's full report.

Not all recyclables can be recycled here

The problem, he says, is that the county can't recycle everything that's recyclable. Yes, it takes glass, cardboard, paper (including junk mail), metal cans, cartons and juice boxes, and plastic containers — with necks only.

But many other recyclables aren't on the county list, even though they may bear the recycling symbol. That includes shredded paper, plastic takeout food containers and scrap metal.