Trash & Recycling in Concord, NC (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Concord, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Before city crews collect your solid waste, Concord's Code Section 46-33(a) requires garbage drained of liquid and tied in plastic bags, a 220-pound cart weight cap, and hazardous or sharp items securely wrapped, not just bagged, so collection personnel aren't cut or injured handling your cart.
Concord Trash Prep Rules Before Pickup
Some RestrictionsConcord City Code § 46-33(a)(1)-(3)
(a)Pre-collection practices. The following practices must be performed by the property owner or resident, if other than the owner, prior to collection by the city or its designee:(1)Garbage and trash. All garbage shall be drained of all liquid and enclosed in securely tied plastic bags prior to being placed in carts. The maximum weight of the full cart, including the weight of the cart, is 220 ...
Bin Placement Rules
Concord limits when and how you can set out your rollout cart: it must be at the curb by 6 a.m. on collection day, cannot go out before 5 p.m. the evening prior, and must come back in by 9 p.m. that night, spaced at least two feet from obstacles under City Code Section 46-33(b).
Concord Cart Curbside Placement and Timing
Some RestrictionsConcord City Code § 46-33(b)(1)-(3)
(b)Placement and storage. Storage and curbside placement of all waste materials must comply with the following standards:(1)Approved rollout carts shall be placed near the edge of the street as practical for the scheduled day of collection. Carts shall be at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on collection day and shall not be curbside before 5:00 p.m. of the evening prior to collection day and shall be rem...
Bulk Item Disposal
Concord collects up to ten cubic yards of bulky waste and construction debris curbside at no charge every other week, but anything over that limit needs a rented roll-off container. Items like furniture, mattresses and white goods must be set out between 5:00 p.m. the evening before pickup and 6:00 a.m. on collection day under Secs. 46-32 and 46-33.
Concord NC Bulky Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 46-33(a)(6)
Household furniture, mattresses, vacuum cleaners, white goods, scrap metal, electronic waste and other bulky items shall be placed at curbside for collection.a.A combined volume of bulky waste and construction or demolition debris, not to exceed a ten cubic yards (270 cubic feet) may be placed curbside for collection without cost. Placing a volume of more than ten cubic yards (270 cubic feet) o...
Recycling Requirements
Before recyclables go in Concord's rollout cart, they must be drained of liquid and rinsed of food residue, placed loose rather than bagged, and, for cardboard, cut or folded to fit, under Sec. 46-33(a)(8). Sorting is not required since the city runs single-stream collection, but placing a prohibited item in the cart is a separate violation under Sec. 46-33(a)(5).
Concord NC Curbside Recyclables Prep Rules
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 46-33(a)(8)
(8)Recyclables—All recyclables shall be drained of all liquids and rinsed to remove food residuals before being placed into the approved rollout cart. All recyclables shall be placed into the cart; sorting or separation not required. Recyclable items should not be bagged (including backyard collection services). All cardboard should be cut or folded to fit in the recycle cart for collection.
Illegal Dumping
Concord makes it unlawful to throw, place or deposit garbage or refuse of any kind on public or private property, or to let it pile up on your own premises longer than necessary, under City Code Section 46-71(a). Violations run through the Chapter 46 nuisance-abatement process.
Concord Illegal Dumping of Garbage Rule
Heavy RestrictionsConcord City Code § 46-71(a)
(a)All garbage and recycling shall be collected and shall be placed in carts or waste containers as required by this article, and it shall be unlawful for any person to permit garbage or refuse to accumulate or remain on any premises longer than is reasonably necessary to remove and deposit it in approved carts or containers as required in this article. It shall also be unlawful for any person ...
Yard Waste Collection
Concord collects grass, trimmings and leaves in biodegradable paper bags weighing no more than 35 pounds, or in labeled personal containers up to 44 gallons, on the weekly garbage day, while limbs under 12 inches in diameter and six feet long are stacked curbside for collection under Sec. 46-33(a)(15) through (17).
Concord NC Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 46-33(a)(15)-(17)
(15)Yard waste—Grass, trimmings, and leaves. Grass, trimmings less than 12 inches in length, and leaves shall be placed in untied paper biodegradable bags weighing no more than 35 pounds each ... Bagged materials are collected weekly on the scheduled waste collection day. Unbagged loose leaves are collected according to the published loose-leaf collection schedule. (16)Yard waste—Use of persona...
Dumpster Rules
Commercial dumpsters in Concord must sit inside a fully screened, solid-opaque enclosure with latching gates, can't go in a front yard setback or street buffer yard, and need a lid to keep stormwater clean, under Concord Development Ordinance Section 8.3.6.C.
Concord Commercial Dumpster Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsConcord Development Ordinance § 8.3.6.C
C. Solid Waste Storage Areas 1. LOCATION Solid waste dumpsters or other large containers for solid waste storage shall be confined in an enclosed area that is screened on all sides. A solid waste enclosure, large enough to confine solid waste items and dumpster(s), should be of solid opaque construction, with latching gates providing access. The applicant shall indicate on the site plan the cho...
Collection Schedule
Concord picks up residential garbage and yard waste once a week and recyclables and bulky items every other week, under City Code Section 46-37. Everything must go in the city-issued rollout cart: loose bags, personal containers or anything left outside the cart at the curb is not collected.
Concord Weekly Trash, Biweekly Recycling
Some RestrictionsConcord City Code § 46-37
(a)All solid waste and recyclables must be placed in approved garbage and recycle carts. Placement of solid waste or recyclables at the curb in personal containers, in bags or loose outside of carts is prohibited. Personal containers of garbage and recycling, (yard waste excluded), are not acceptable and will not be collected. Additional approved carts are available from the city for a monthly ...
Recycling Rules
Concord provides single-family residences a rollout recycling cart collected every other week, alongside weekly garbage service, under Sec. 46-32(2) of the Code of Ordinances. Recyclables must be prepared to city standards before they go in the cart, and multifamily buildings and businesses get service only through the city's separate fee-based cart program.
Concord NC Curbside Recycling Program Rules
Some RestrictionsCity Code §§ 46-32(2), 46-37(b)
(2)Residential recyclables. The collection of approved recyclable materials prepared in accordance with city standards before placement into the carts. ... (b)Residential solid waste (garbage) and yard waste will be collected once weekly. Residential recyclables and bulky waste will be collected once every other week.
Looking for Cabarrus County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Concord city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Cabarrus County →