Weddington and Marvin residents can now put plastic cups, takeout containers and fruit bins in their curbside recycling bins. The change follows Mecklenburg County's $24 million overhaul of its main sorting facility in Charlotte.

The Amble Drive Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) received 16 new optical sorters and all-new equipment, replacing everything down to the last conveyor belt, according to WSOC TV. Van Dyk Recycling Systems supplied the equipment, most of which was manufactured in the Netherlands.

Jeff Smithberger, director of Mecklenburg County Solid Waste, told WSOC TV on Monday, Sept. 14, that the upgrade moved the facility from hand-sorting to mechanized processing. He called the result one of the most advanced and efficient recycling facilities in the country.

The practical change for residents: five new categories of items are now accepted curbside.

  • Paper cups, including coffee and fast-food beverage cups
  • Plastic cups (no straws)
  • Polypropylene containers such as yogurt cups
  • Clear plastic food containers used for produce, bakery items and prepared foods
  • Clean takeout containers made from accepted recyclable material

Every item must be rinsed clean before it goes in the bin. "If they're leftover with last night's lasagna from the nice dinner that you had somewhere, no, we still need that cleaned out," Smithberger said.

Before the upgrade, about 25% of curbside items should never have been in the bin, Smithberger said. One person tried to recycle a transmission.

The Amble Drive MRF serves more than 20 communities, including Weddington, Marvin, Charlotte, Matthews, Mint Hill, Huntersville and Fort Mill. Individual towns handle curbside collection; the county processes what arrives at the facility, according to the county's Wipe Out Waste page. The program diverts more than 100,000 tons of material from landfills each year, WFAE reported in June 2025.

The county's official accepted-items list is at wipeoutwaste.mecknc.gov, though the page may not yet reflect the expanded categories. Residents with questions can call Mecklenburg County Solid Waste at 980-314-3867.