Saturday, June 30 is the last day to redeem "buy one, get one free" coupons at the City of Raleigh Yard Waste Recycling Center. The offer is valid on mulch and leaf mulch only. Both free and purchased loads must be picked up on the same day. The Yard Waste Recycling Center is at 900 N. New Hope Road and is open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 am until 4:00 pm. Download the coupon as a PDF. For more information, call 919-250-2728.

Mulch and compost prices are going up at the City of Raleigh Yard Waste Center.  The price increases will help the City cover operating costs while still being competitive with other landscape product suppliers. The cost of a load (2.5 cubic yards) of mulch or leaf mulch will be $25.00. A truckload of compost will cost $30.00. Prices do not include tax. Visit the Yard Waste Center online for more information about all available products.

Solid Waste Services has entered into a partnership with Terracycle to collect hard-to-recycle items. You may recycle mascara tubes, eye shadow pots, foundation compacts and other makeup containers as part of the Personal Care Brigade. Hairspray cans, nail polish bottles and nail polish remover bottles are not acceptable. Recycle empty tape dispensers and cores with the Scotch Tape Brigade. You'll find containers for both brigades at the Wilders Grove Solid Waste Services Center, 630 Beacon Lake Drive, Raleigh NC 27610.  The location is also a spot for recycling plastic film, toner cartridges, inkjet cartridges, rechargeable batteries, cell phones and alkaline batteries. Read the complete list of acceptable materials.

Every quarter the Solid Waste Services Department offers a behind-the-scenes tour of Sonoco Recycling.  The next tour is scheduled for Thursday, July 12 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Free bus transportation will be provided from the Wilders Grove Solid Waste Services Center to Sonoco. This tour is for Raleigh residents aged 18 and older only. Email bianca.howard@raleighnc.gov to sign up. Only six spaces remain!

Parents and young children are invited to see how recyclable materials are sorted at Sonoco Recycling on Friday, July 13.  Participants will meet at the Wilders Grove Service Center at 9:40 am for an 10:00 am arrival at Sonoco. This tour is cosponsored by Wake County Environmental Services.  Experienced environmental educators will lead the fun tour, best suited for children aged 5 and up. Email bianca.howard@raleighnc.gov to register.

Raleigh begins Phase 3 of the transition to biweekly recycling with carts in July. Approximately 34,000 households will receive 95-gallon blue carts in July and August. Carts will be emptied every other week beginning after Labor Day.  Affected households will receive a calendar with the new schedule before carts arrive. Learn how the carts improve safety and reduce costs.

More than 50 Raleigh residents have won $50 Harris Teeter gift cards...just for recycling correctly! Each week the Prize Patrol drives through neighborhoods looking for green bins or blue carts containing only items accepted in the City's curbside program. Want to improve your chances of winning? Be sure your recycling container doesn't contain any plastic bags or the thin, clear plastic containers used to hold berries or salads. The plastic film used to wrap bottled water can be recycled at your favorite grocery store, but including it in your bin will keep you from winning. Watch this video for more tips; you could be the next person to "recycle and win!"