03/17/2026
Congrats to the Person County Recycling Center on their newly upgraded facility! ♻️ Great to see continued investment in sustainability and service to the community 👏
The article below appeared in this week's Courier-Times (Mar 12, 2026) and provides an overview of the new Person County Recycle Center located in Roxboro.
PCRC Now Fully Operational
The Person County Recycling Center (PCRC) has completed a major modernization effort, unveiling upgraded equipment, improved facilities, and a renewed commitment to serving residents of Person County and neighboring communities. The grand reopening in September 2025 marked a new chapter for a facility that has long combined environmental stewardship with community service.
Person Industries originally opened the recycling center in June 2009 and operated it as a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Over the years, PCRC has functioned not only as a recycling hub but also as a workforce development site for adults with disabilities. The center has diverted thousands of tons of material from landfills while providing meaningful employment and job training opportunities. With the recent upgrades complete, PCRC is expected to process 1,000 tons of recyclable material this year.
The revitalization project included structural improvements, redesigned workstations, and installation of new sorting machinery. Previously, aging equipment struggled to keep pace with incoming volume, forcing PCRC to send roughly 30 tons of material each month to other MRFs for processing and to pay associated tipping fees. With the new system fully operational, that practice has ended. Management is now exploring the possibility of accepting and sorting recyclables from neighboring counties, potentially expanding its role in the regional recycling chain.
The upgrades are expected to reduce contamination, streamline operations, and improve efficiency. At a time when many recycling facilities face challenges from shifting commodity markets and evolving material streams, PCRC’s modernization strengthens its position as a resilient rural MRF. County leaders emphasize that these improvements support broader sustainability goals and ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on landfills.
PCRC accepts a wide range of household materials and uniquely welcomes commingled recyclables. Residents are encouraged to bring items loose rather than bagged, since plastic bags can clog sorting equipment. The drive-through drop-off area is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Gates are no longer open overnight due to illegal dumping, and the Thomas Road entrance becomes exit-only after 4 p.m.
Accepted materials include cardboard, paper, plastics #1, #2, and #5, glass, and metals. The center also accepts electronics, appliances, used oil, fluorescent light bulbs (40 cents each), wooden pallets ($1 each), and tires (a $1 fee per tire after the first five). Televisions and computer monitors are accepted for small fees, which may change over time.
To determine whether a plastic item is recyclable at PCRC, residents should look for the small recycling triangle symbol molded into the container. Inside the triangle is a number known as the resin identification code. PCRC accepts plastics labeled #1 (PET or PETE, commonly used for water and soda bottles), #2 (HDPE, often used for milk jugs and detergent bottles), and #5 (polypropylene, used for yogurt containers and similar food tubs).
Items not accepted include plastic bags, food-soiled paper, paint, medical sharps, wood debris, and certain hazardous wastes. To help manage those materials, the county hosts Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events every two years, with the next event scheduled for September 2026.
A greeter is typically available at the self-serve drop-off area from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays to assist residents. The workforce continues to be composed of adults with disabilities through Person Industries. In addition to recycling operations, the organization offers confidential document shredding services for businesses and individuals. For $50 per 100 pounds, materials are securely shredded under contract, with pickup services available depending on volume and frequency.
Once materials are sorted inside the facility, their journey continues beyond the county. Cardboard is compacted and baled, metals are separated, plastics are grouped by resin type and baled, and glass is collected independently. Because PCRC is a smaller rural MRF, it does not generate enough volume of any single commodity to sell directly to large manufacturers with minimum monthly tonnage requirements. Instead, materials are sold to regional brokers who combine recyclables from multiple small facilities to create full loads for paper mills, plastic reprocessors, metal smelters, and glass manufacturers. This system allows rural communities to participate in broader recycling markets that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Like other commodities, recyclable materials are subject to market fluctuations driven by global supply and demand, fuel costs, manufacturing trends, and trade policies. In strong markets, commodity sales help offset operational costs; in weaker markets, revenues decline. Despite these swings, county officials emphasize that recycling remains an essential public service that conserves resources, reduces landfill use, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
Over the years, PCRC has helped increase recycling participation across Person County, diverting thousands of tons of material from landfills and returning valuable resources to manufacturing streams. With modernization complete, the facility is now better equipped to handle growing recycling volumes while continuing its mission of environmental stewardship and workforce development. County leaders believe the improvements position PCRC to serve Person County more efficiently and sustainably for many years to come.
