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Alternatives to Disposal
We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of materials that in many cases can be recycled, repurposed, used to produce electrical power, or rendered inert. We encourage residents to contact us with any additional information they may have to help us expand this list.
If you own a local business that provides recycling services to the public, we’d be happy to include your contact information on our site. Please call 910-798-4403.
You can bring any type of unwanted aerosol container to the County’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Visit the Household Hazardous Waste Page for more information.
A can is empty and safe for disposal if you no longer hear air being released from the container. Before transporting partially full aerosol cans, remove the plastic nozzle to prevent accidental release of the contents.
Accepted at all New Hanover County Recycling Centers. Visit the Recycling page for more information.
Contact the local Sheriff’s Office or Wilmington Police Department for proper disposal. View their contact information.
You can dispose of used or unwanted antifreeze at either of the following locations:
Appliances are accepted at no charge at the following location:
After contracting to have any refrigerants safely removed and recycled, the appliances are sent to a scrap metal recycling facility.
Asbestos is no longer accepted at the New Hanover County Landfill for disposal. Please contact Waste Industries’ Samson County Landfill at 910-525-4132 for pricing and disposal options.
Asphalt is crushed and used as road base material.
Ballasts for fluorescent light fixtures use to be made with Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), but this practice was stopped in 1978. Ballasts with PCBs will have a label on them, stating that they contain PCBs. PCBs are banned by law from the Landfill. They are accepted at the following location:
A number of the local auto parts stores, such as Advance Auto and Auto Zone, also accept automobile batteries for recycling.
The Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility accepts any type of battery for recycling.
You can also take any type of household battery to all four New Hanover Public Library locations. A collection bin is available at each site.
View a list of disposal resources for rechargeable batteries only.
View a list of locations you can take bicycles to. You may also bring bicycles to the New Hanover County landfill for scrap metal recycling.
Prior to disposal, all fuels, lubricants, batteries, emergency flares, and electronics (GPS, radios, fish finders) should be removed. Items removed can be taken to the county’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Please call ahead if you need to dispose of a boat larger than 18 feet long. Disposal is at the:
Items in good condition may be donated to local not-for-profit organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. You may also take unusable (heavily soiled, damaged, or broken) bulky items to:
Can be recycled at the County recycling drop-off sites. Please remove all Styrofoam inserts and plastic wrap and flatten all cardboard before placing it in containers.
Cardboard is also accepted at no charge at:
Due to declines in the carpet recycling markets, regional processors of carpet and carpet pads no longer accept the material for recycling. We will update this tab when the markets change and the program is reinstated.
Cell phones are accepted for recycling at the New Hanover County Household Hazardous Waste Facility. View a list of other places where you may also recycle cell phones.
Only for New Hanover County Residents
Commercial and Industrial Businesses are reminded that they must comply with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to hazardous waste management. The New Hanover County Household Hazardous Waste Facility is not permitted to accept Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-listed hazardous waste.
If you have questions regarding commercial & industrial hazardous waste, please communicate your questions to the North Carolina Division of Waste Management.
Accepted at a few locations throughout the County normally from December 25th through February 1st. Residents are asked to remove all ornaments and tinsel from their trees, as they will be ground up for use as mulch.
Please call 910-798-4400 for seasonal collection information.
A special “Thank You!” to our partners at the Monkey Junction Home Depot and the City of Wilmington Solid Waste Department for their assistance in delivering this service.
Donate clothing whenever possible to one of the many not-for-profit organizations within New Hanover County. Vintage Values Resale Shops (www.domesticviolence-wilm.org) accept donations of clothing in good condition; proceeds benefit the Domestic Violence Shelter and Services.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (view for location and hours)
To recycle compact discs (CD), DVDs, and their plastic cases, please visit the CD Recycling Center of America website.
You can also recycle CDs and DVDs at the New Hanover County Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste recycling facility.
Improper disposal of Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) can lead to mercury contamination. If you’re not sure if a bulb contains mercury, look for a small “Hg” marking on the bulb. CFL bulbs and tubes with this marking contain mercury. The County’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility accepts CFL bulbs and tubes, and most of the home improvement stores within New Hanover County also accept compact fluorescent bulbs (not tubes); just ask at the customer service desk.
Electronics, such and computers, monitors, stereos, etc. can be taken to:
Several local businesses also accept computer equipment such as:
- Computer Fixx
Visit their website
Phone: 910-515-4738
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
Concrete, brick, and blocks are crushed and used as road base material.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
90% of construction and demolition debris (C&D) is recyclable. This includes scrap wood and lumber, gypsum wall board (sheetrock), scrap metals, old appliances, asphalt roof shingles, concrete, brick, carpet, and more.
The New Hanover County Landfill operates a 30 ton-per-hour C&D recycling system to divert a variety of materials away from landfill disposal.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
- Household Hazardous Waste Facility page
Cooking oil is filtered and used in the manufacture of biodiesel fuel.
Another method of disposing of the fertilizer is to ask friends and neighbors if they have a need for the fertilizer. A large part of the fertilizers we collect are used by local farmers.
The public can bring unpackaged food waste to New Hanover County’s composter free of charge. The Food Waste Composting Program diverts food waste from the landfill, and makes a meaningful step towards reducing the amount of waste the county generates. Learn more about where to bring food waste, and what is accepted on the composting webpage.
For food waste collection services for your home or business, email the Wilmington Compost Company.
Can be recycled at the County recycling drop-off sites.
Another option is to re-use the glass container as a storage container for hardware like screws, bolts, washers, etc. or for storing leftover paint for touch-up jobs later.
The Bottle Chapel at Airlie Gardens was made from over 2,800 bottles recovered from New Hanover County’s recycling drop-off sites!
The New Hanover County (NHC) Landfill will accept non-regulated medical waste generated at homes, hospitals, doctor offices, clinics, etc. located within New Hanover County.
Residents
Residents who generate used sharps in the course of administering medications to themselves or family members should follow the steps outlined below. A sharp is defined as any item having corners, edges, or projections capable of cutting or piercing the skin. For example, needles, blades, scalpels, etc.
- Sharps shall be placed in a container which is rigid, leak-proof when in an upright position, and puncture-resistant. An example would be an empty liquid laundry detergent bottle. Tighten the lid and use duct tape or packing tape to secure the lid.
- The sharps container should be brought directly to the NHC Household Hazardous Waste Facility or the NHC Landfill and placed into the provided collection bin by the homeowner.
Note: Please do not throw sharps away in your regular trash.
Commercial & Business
Medical waste generating facilities such as doctor’s offices, clinics, outpatient surgical centers etc. are expected to collect, treat, manage and dispose of their medical waste according to the rules found in 15A North Carolina Administrative Code (NCAC) 13B Section.1200 - Medical Waste Management. Even though these rules allow for disposal of certain “non-regulated medical waste” and “regulated medical waste” that has been treated in municipal solid waste landfills, Department policy is not to accept used sharps for disposal at the landfill in order to minimize possible contact by its employees and the general public. Therefore, these facilities must plan to manage their used sharps separately from other non-regulated medical waste.
Medical waste generating facilities may dispose of “non-regulated medical waste” as municipal solid waste, which is intended for collection and disposal at a New Hanover County disposal facility.
North Carolina defines “Regulated Medical Waste” as “blood and body fluids in individual containers in volumes greater than 20 ml, microbiological waste, and pathological waste that have not been treated pursuant to specific standards”.
Can be recycled at the County recycling drop-off sites.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for address and contact information)
Mobile Homes need to have all appliances, thermostats, and plumbing fixtures removed.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
- Household Hazardous Waste Facility page
Most of the auto part stores throughout New Hanover County will also accept used motor oil. Used motor oil can be recycled an infinite number of times.
Can be recycled at the County recycling drop-off sites.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
- Household Hazardous Waste Facility page
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
Oyster shells are collected for the North Carolina Department of Marine Fisheries. The shells are placed back in the water to create reefs for new oysters. For more information visit the Department of Environmental Quality website.
Prior to disposing of pesticides, it is recommended to check with friends and neighbors to see if they have a use for it first. Empty pesticide containers must be triple-rinsed before being recycled.
Can be recycled at the county recycling drop-off sites in any mixed recycling container.
Plastic bags can be returned to most grocery stores within New Hanover County for recycling. You can usually find collection receptacles just outside the main entrances.
Note: Please do not put plastic bags in plastic recycling containers at New Hanover County Recycling Centers or in your curbside recycling container as they can jam the recycling sorting systems.
They can be recycled at the county recycling drop-off sites.
Do containers have to be rinsed out before recycling?
Yes! Rinsing containers reduces odors and helps to avoid attracting insects such as bees and ants. Residue in containers also causes contamination issues at the processing facility, and the plastics may be rejected.
Flushing prescription drugs down the toilet is highly discouraged. Dissolved medications are absorbed by aquatic wildlife as the chemicals cannot be removed through wastewater treatment processes.
There are several locations around the county where unwanted, unused, or expired medications can be dropped off to be properly disposed of. Visit Public Health’s website for information on permanent drop box locations.
View this list for additional prescription drugs disposal locations.
Propane tanks can also be exchanged for full tanks at convenient locations throughout New Hanover County.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
Sheetrock is ground and used in the manufacture of commercial-grade compost.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
Asphalt shingles are ground and mixed with hot asphalt for use in road paving projects.
Accepted at the New Hanover County Landfill by permit only.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
Residents
Residents can dispose of up to five tires per day free of charge at the New Hanover County (NHC) Landfill
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
Commercial Businesses
Dealerships, auto repair shops, and other tire retailers can dispose of tires at no cost according to the State & County guidelines. Call 910-798-4450 for details.
Note: Proper paperwork must be completed and a call must be placed ahead of disposal time to the NHC Landfill
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
Items in good condition may be donated to one of the many non-profit organizations located throughout New Hanover County.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
Wooden pallets are banned by law from North Carolina landfills. Pallets are ground and used for boiler fuel or to make colored mulch.
- New Hanover County Landfill page (visit for location and contact information)
- View this list for more yard waste disposal resources.