Trash & Recycling in Raleigh, NC (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Raleigh, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Raleigh requires all garbage to be bagged and kept inside a closed refuse container before pickup: loose garbage, yard waste, or recycling placed in the wrong bin will not be collected, and a cart lid open more than twelve inches counts as open under the city's precollection rules.
Raleigh Garbage Preparation and Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsRaleigh City Code § 7-2005(a)(1)
(a)Preparation of refuse, recycling, and yard waste.(1)Garbage must be placed in refuse containers and must always be stored within the container at all times.a.All garbage must be bagged before being placed in refuse containers used to collect garbage. Loose garbage or garbage that cannot be bagged must not be placed in containers.b.Yard waste, recycling, or other unacceptable items must not b...
Bin Placement Rules
Raleigh requires anyone who owns, rents, or controls property in the city to keep it in a clean, orderly condition and to store refuse, recycling, and yard waste containers in a way that doesn't create a nuisance, obstruction, or health hazard: hazardous or combustible refuse must go in containers that protect people and the environment.
Raleigh Trash Container Storage & Nuisance Rules
Some RestrictionsRaleigh City Code § 7-2005(c)(1)
(c)Storing of refuse, recycling, and yard waste.(1)Every person, who is the owner, occupant, tenant, or otherwise has any control of any premises, building or land in the City, including vacant property, shall keep the same in a clean and orderly condition, free of all nuisances, obstructions, and/or any condition that is harmful to public health, public safety, general welfare, quality of life...
Bulk Item Disposal
Raleigh offers fee-based bulky item collection for items too large to fit in the standard garbage cart. A single bulky load is approximately 4 cubic yards. Residents must schedule a pickup by calling Solid Waste Services at 919-996-3245. Items must be placed at the curb by 6:00 AM on the scheduled collection date. Certain items like appliances with refrigerants, tires, and hazardous materials require special handling.
Raleigh Bulk Item Disposal & Pickup
Some RestrictionsRaleigh City Code, Section 7 (Bulky, Special, and E-Waste Collection rules)
The City of Raleigh offers fee-based collections for items like furniture and appliances that are unsuitable for donation and too large to fit in a garbage cart. Bulky Load Collection is for household items that do not fit in City-issued garbage carts. A single Bulky Load is four cubic yards, which is approximately the size of two couches or three queen-sized mattresses. There is a $35 fee for ...
Illegal Dumping
It's illegal in Raleigh to throw, drop, or deposit waste, refuse, garbage, ashes, rubbish, dead animals, or anything injurious to health, on any land in the city, occupied or vacant, without permission. City Code § 7-2005(c)(2) applies citywide and is enforced by Solid Waste Services and Inspections, backed by administrative fees that start with a warning and climb to $500 per violation.
Raleigh Bans Illegal Dumping On Any Land
Heavy RestrictionsRaleigh City Code § 7-2005(c)(2)
(2)No person shall throw, drop or deposit, or cause to be thrown, dropped or deposited on any land in the City (vacant or occupied) any waste (including but not limited to refuse, garbage, ashes, rubbish, building rubbish, dead animals, putrescible matter, and anything injurious to health); provided, however, the prohibition contained in this subsection shall not apply to the deposit of waste n...
Yard Waste Collection
Raleigh residents can set out yard waste three ways: in the City-issued 95-gallon green cart, in biodegradable paper bags capped at fifteen per collection day, or in bundles tied with natural twine that are no longer than five feet, no more than eighteen inches thick, and under fifty pounds, capped at five bundles per pickup.
Raleigh Yard Waste Preparation and Bundle Limits
Some RestrictionsRaleigh City Code § 7-2005(a)(3)
(3)Properly prepared yard waste will be collected in the manner described below.a.Yard waste may be properly prepared for collection by using any of the following three (3) methods... 1.Place yard waste in a City-issued, bright green, ninety-five (95) gallon container (yard waste cart)...2.Place yard waste in biodegradable paper bags. A maximum of fifteen (15) yard waste bags may be placed at t...
Dumpster Rules
Raleigh requires development plans for commercial and multifamily projects to show dumpster enclosure and pad specifications, concrete strength, a 30-foot clear apron in front of the pad, and the collection truck's full travel path and turn radius, plus a hauler-signed Will Serve Letter confirming the design is serviceable before Solid Waste Services signs off.
Raleigh Commercial Dumpster Pad & Enclosure Rules
Some RestrictionsRaleigh City Code § 7-2004(a)
Development Plans shall show and shall include dumpster enclosure specifications. Dumpster pad specifications shall include concrete strength of the pad and the area thirty feet (30') in front of the dumpster pad, the travel path the collection vehicles will take to collect the garbage and recycling from street to dumpster location then exit to include turn radius for all turns. A Will Serve or...
Collection Schedule
Raleigh's Solid Waste Services Department sets collection type and frequency by dwelling type under Sec. 7-2004(a): detached single-family homes get automated curbside collection, properties connected to the City's water billing system pay a mandatory monthly fee for it, and every residential property in the city must pay a recycling fee whether or not it uses the cart.
Raleigh Residential Trash Collection Service Rules
Some RestrictionsRaleigh City Code § 7-2004(a)(1)
...service quantities, type, and frequency of service shall be as follows: (1)Any development consisting of detached single-family dwellings may be allowed curbside collection. Dwellings shall have adequate storage space for containers, topography shall allow for safe movement of containers from storage location to the point of collection, and the design shall allow for automated curbside colle...
Recycling Rules
Raleigh requires curbside recycling to go directly into the City's approved recycling cart, never bagged and never mixed with garbage or yard waste. Recycling cart lids must stay closed: a lid propped open more than twelve inches counts as a violation. Solid Waste Services enforces preparation rules under City Code § 7-2005, with escalating administrative fees for repeat offenders.
Raleigh Curbside Recycling Preparation Rules
Some RestrictionsRaleigh City Code § 7-2005(a)(2)
The following standards and requirements shall be imposed on the preparation and handling of waste prior to collection by the City. Improperly prepared refuse, recycling, yard waste, or other service provisions shall not be collected. Any person...who improperly prepares refuse, recycling, or yard waste, or who mixes or contaminates refuse, recycling, or yard waste, shall be subject to enforcem...
Looking for Wake County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Raleigh city rules.
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