Yard Waste Collection: Cary vs Raleigh

Where can I take yard waste in Wake County, NC?

Wake County Solid Waste Management operates a network of Convenience Centers and multi-material recycling facilities across the County that accept yard waste alongside household trash and standard recyclables. Use the County's online Drop-off Locator (at wake.gov) or call Solid Waste customer support at 919-856-7400 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) for the closest site, the hours, and the materials accepted. If you live inside Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Garner, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, or another Wake County municipality, your city/town's curbside yard-waste program is usually the more convenient option — check your municipality's public-works page for collection day and bundling rules.

Does Wake County pick up my yard waste at the curb?

No — Wake County itself does not run curbside trash, recycling, or yard-waste collection. Curbside service in Wake County is provided by the municipality you live in: Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Garner, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, Morrisville, or Rolesville. Each town has its own rules for what is accepted at the curb, how it must be bundled or bagged, and what day and season it is collected. If you live in unincorporated Wake County, you either self-haul yard waste to a County Convenience Center or contract with a private hauler — there is no County curbside pickup in unincorporated areas.

Can I put yard waste in my regular Wake County trash?

No. North Carolina has had a statewide ban on yard waste in municipal solid waste landfills since 1993 (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-309.10(f)) — leaves, grass clippings, brush, and limbs cannot be disposed of in the regular landfill stream. They must go to a County Convenience Center or other yard-waste drop-off, or be set out separately for municipal curbside yard-waste collection where that service exists. Yard waste mixed into a curbside trash cart will usually be tagged and refused by the city/town hauler; repeat violations can lead to a contamination surcharge under the municipality's ordinance.

What happens if I dump yard waste on the side of the road or into a storm drain?

Illegal dumping of yard waste on public or private property in Wake County violates N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-399 (the state criminal littering statute): a Class 3 misdemeanor with a $250–$1,000 fine for amounts up to 15 pounds; a Class 1 misdemeanor with a $500–$2,000 fine for larger amounts or commercial-purpose dumping; and additional community-service hours to clean up litter. Yard waste blown, swept, or dumped into a Wake County storm drain is also a prohibited illicit discharge under the County's stormwater ordinance and the federal NPDES Phase II Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) program, and can trigger separate stormwater enforcement on top of the litter violation. Inside a Wake County municipality, the city/town's own littering and stormwater ordinances may also apply.

Where can I take yard waste in Wake County, NC?

Wake County Solid Waste Management operates a network of Convenience Centers and multi-material recycling facilities across the County that accept yard waste alongside household trash and standard recyclables. Use the County's online Drop-off Locator (at wake.gov) or call Solid Waste customer support at 919-856-7400 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) for the closest site, the hours, and the materials accepted. If you live inside Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Garner, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, or another Wake County municipality, your city/town's curbside yard-waste program is usually the more convenient option — check your municipality's public-works page for collection day and bundling rules.

Does Wake County pick up my yard waste at the curb?

No — Wake County itself does not run curbside trash, recycling, or yard-waste collection. Curbside service in Wake County is provided by the municipality you live in: Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Garner, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, Morrisville, or Rolesville. Each town has its own rules for what is accepted at the curb, how it must be bundled or bagged, and what day and season it is collected. If you live in unincorporated Wake County, you either self-haul yard waste to a County Convenience Center or contract with a private hauler — there is no County curbside pickup in unincorporated areas.

Can I put yard waste in my regular Wake County trash?

No. North Carolina has had a statewide ban on yard waste in municipal solid waste landfills since 1993 (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-309.10(f)) — leaves, grass clippings, brush, and limbs cannot be disposed of in the regular landfill stream. They must go to a County Convenience Center or other yard-waste drop-off, or be set out separately for municipal curbside yard-waste collection where that service exists. Yard waste mixed into a curbside trash cart will usually be tagged and refused by the city/town hauler; repeat violations can lead to a contamination surcharge under the municipality's ordinance.

What happens if I dump yard waste on the side of the road or into a storm drain?

Illegal dumping of yard waste on public or private property in Wake County violates N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-399 (the state criminal littering statute): a Class 3 misdemeanor with a $250–$1,000 fine for amounts up to 15 pounds; a Class 1 misdemeanor with a $500–$2,000 fine for larger amounts or commercial-purpose dumping; and additional community-service hours to clean up litter. Yard waste blown, swept, or dumped into a Wake County storm drain is also a prohibited illicit discharge under the County's stormwater ordinance and the federal NPDES Phase II Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) program, and can trigger separate stormwater enforcement on top of the litter violation. Inside a Wake County municipality, the city/town's own littering and stormwater ordinances may also apply.