Concord residents can now easily access the 2026 Recycling & Bulky Waste Collection Calendar on the city's official website. The schedule, designed to streamline waste management and promote recycling, indicates blue and green recycling weeks as well as City-observed holidays that will impact the collection, as reported by concordnc.gov. On these specific holidays, there won't be any collection activity, and customers should expect a one-day delay for the rest of that week.
In an effort to improve the recycling process, the calendar also points out common mistakes residents make. Specifically, the top five contaminants plaguing Concord’s recycling systems are listed: plastic bags, Styrofoam, textiles, tanglers such as cords and rope, and straight-up garbage. These items should not be tossed into recycling carts but disposed of as garbage instead.
To further encourage proper disposal habits, the city has introduced the CARTology app, which is available for both Apple and Android users. This app details recycling dos and don'ts and offers a platform to quickly check collection days, set reminders, learn how to correctly dispose of various items, and receive notifications about schedule changes.
For those who might not prefer to download an app, similar functions are available through the City’s website at concordnc.gov/whatsmyday. Here, residents are able to also easily look up their specific collection day and get hold of information on disposal practices. With the introduction of such digital tools, Concord aims to simplify and to effectively increase participation in the city's recycling efforts.
