With curbside pick-up in most of our towns and 10 Convenience Centers scattered outside of city limits, it is easy for all of Rutherford County's residents to recycle. Sometimes, we just need a little know-how. Watch the short video above and see below to learn what and how you can recycle in Rutherford County.
If you live in the city...
The towns of Ellenboro, Forest City, Ruth and Rutherfordton all have curbside pickup. Businesses and residents are provided a recycling bin that can hold paper, glass bottles and jars, plastic, and aluminum - there is no need to sort your recycling. Cardboard boxes can be flattened and collected as well. The bins are placed on the curb on trash day (except in Rutherfordton, see below); a single household can have multiple bins.
If you live in Ellenboro, Forest City, or Ruth, call GDS at 828.245.1642 to request a bin or learn when trash / recycle day is for you.
If you live in Rutherfordton, call the Public Works department at 828.287.5961 to request a bin or discover what day recycling is picked up in your neighborhood.
Spindale has a collection point at First Baptist Church of Spindale on Wilson Street for paper, glass, plastic, aluminum and cardboard.
Residents of Lake Lure can subscribe to a curb-side service for $5 per month (plus a small one-time fee for the recycle bins) by contacting Town Hall (828-625-9983). Recycling is mandatory in Chimney Rock Village with curb-side service provided by Wade Nelon & Sons (828-625-0378). Recycling service for businesses in both communities is also available through Wade Nelon & Sons and GDS (828-245-1641).
If you live outside city limits... There are 10 Convenience Centers throughout Rutherford County. These Convenience Centers are happy to accept newspaper, glass bottles and jars (sorted by color), plastic (numbers 1 and 2), aluminum cans, flattened corrugated cardboard, metals (including appliances), car batteries, motor oil, oil filters and electronics. All material must be sorted.
Other items... For those using Convenience Centers, mixed paper can be taken to the GDS Center at 141 Fairground Road in Spindale.
Tires, construction and demolition waste, trees and brush and any other recyclable items that are not collected in your area should be taken to the Solid Waste Transfer Station on Laurel Hill Drive.
To see how to recycle some less common items, click here.
Did You Know? Almost all plastic items will have a number stamped on them. While #1 and #2 are the easiest to recycle and the most valuable, GDS in Rutherford County accepts all kinds of plastic, #1-7, except #6 (Styrofoam.) So don't be shy about throwing that plastic in the bin!
Think About Safety During the summer, make sure to remove caps from energy drink and juice bottles. If there is any liquid left, high heats can cause it to ferment, producing a gas buildup that can cause the cap to explode off! It sounds crazy, but has been recorded numerous times, so unscrew those lids!
Where to Now? To learn how to dispose of less common recyclables, visit our recycling tips page.
To learn more about recycling in general, visit our online resources page. You'll find information of all sorts, including kids' recycling activities.
