Trash & Recycling in Carteret County, NC (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Carteret County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Sec. 14-91 governs how solid waste is collected and transported to the Carteret County transfer station: haulers need a CRSWMA use permit, vehicles must be leak-proof, covered and cleaned, and loads must be secured so nothing spills before reaching the disposal site in unincorporated Carteret County.
Solid Waste Collection Rules in Carteret County
Significant RestrictionsCarteret County Code § 14-91
(a)Solid waste within the county shall be collected and transported according to the following requirements of this chapter and any applicable state laws.(b)No refuse collector shall transport refuse in a conveyance that has not been approved by CRSWMA. All vehicles, except those owned by individuals transporting their own solid wastes, shall be subject to the following:(1)The vehicle must disp...
Bulk Item Disposal
Carteret County has no curbside bulk pickup in the unincorporated area; Sec. 14-28 routes large or bulky items such as furniture, mattresses, white goods and construction debris to designated county convenience and recycling container sites, with special handling required for items too large for routine drop-off.
Bulk Item Disposal Rules in Carteret County
Some RestrictionsCarteret County Code §§ 14-27, 14-28
(8)Large automobile or machinery parts or other items that require specialized handling or processing; ... The solid waste and recycling container sites, with exception to Otway, Hibbs Road, and Highway 58, are not intended for collection of large quantities of accumulated or stored materials, bulky items, materials requiring specialized handling or any item not acceptable at the transfer stati...
Recycling Requirements
Sec. 14-92 requires private solid waste collectors and municipalities delivering waste to the Carteret County transfer station to give customers an effective means to collect and source-separate recyclables on request, covering materials defined in Sec. 14-3 as newspapers, cardboard, glass, aluminum and bi-metal cans and PET/HDPE plastic containers.
Recycling Program Requirements in Carteret County
Light RestrictionsCarteret County Code §§ 14-3, 14-92
Recyclables means newspapers and inserts, cardboard, glass containers (clear, green, brown in color), aluminum and bi-metal beverage and food cans, plastic beverage containers (PET and HDPE) and magazines. ... Private solid waste collectors and municipalities collecting and delivering solid waste to the transfer station shall provide their customers with an effective means for the collection an...
Illegal Dumping
Carteret County treats illegal dumping anywhere in the unincorporated area, or at its transfer station and container sites, as a Chapter 14 violation carrying escalating civil fines and possible misdemeanor prosecution. Sec. 14-22 bars dumping garbage, litter, appliances or building materials without Board of Commissioners authorization, and Sec. 14-5 sets fines starting at $50.00.
Illegal Dumping Penalties in Carteret County
Heavy RestrictionsCarteret County Code §§ 14-5, 14-6, 14-22
(2)Illegal dumping. Illegal dumping including dumping prohibited materials or quantities of materials in the solid waste receptacles, transfer station, or dumping in unapproved areas:a.First offense—$50.00.b.Second offense—$100.00.c.Subsequent offenses—$300.00. ... (e)Prosecution. In addition to or in lieu of the civil penalties described herein, violations of this chapter may be prosecuted as ...
Yard Waste Collection
Carteret County bans leaf and yard waste from general landfill and transfer-station disposal but requires it be taken to designated county convenience and recycling container sites instead. Residents in the unincorporated area drop leaves, pine straw, grass trimmings and limbs at these sites, with larger loads routed to the Otway, Hibbs Road or Highway 58 locations.
Yard Waste Disposal Rules in Carteret County
Some RestrictionsCarteret County Code §§ 14-27, 14-28
The following items shall not be acceptable for disposal in the landfill or at the transfer station for deposit into the landfill: ... (11)Leaf and yard waste; ... County convenience and recycling container sites ... shall be provided throughout the county for use by all owners of improved property in the county who pay availability fees. ... and listed as follows: ... (5)Leaf and yard waste;
Dumpster Rules
Unincorporated Carteret County requires dumpsters, trash compactors and similar receptacles at commercial and multi-family developments to sit inside a four-sided enclosure with an opaque, self-latching gate at least eight feet tall. Chain-link walls or gates are banned, and the opening must face away from the most residences.
Commercial Dumpster Enclosures in Carteret County
Some RestrictionsCarteret County Zoning Ordinance § 1601.1.M
M.Screening and trash receptacles. Dumpsters, trash compactors, and similar trash receptacles, whether located in a residential or non-residential development (other than a receptacle that serves just one single-family or two-family residence on the same premises), shall be enclosed on all four sides, except that one of the four sides may have a three-foot wide pass-through opening for persons ...
Recycling Rules
Sec. 14-30 of the Carteret County Code designates recycling containers for acceptable recyclable materials and makes anything placed in them county property, while Sec. 14-29 requires cardboard and other packaging dropped in containers to be broken down to its smallest volume first.
Recycling Container Rules in Carteret County
Some RestrictionsCarteret County Code §§ 14-29, 14-30
All items shall be placed inside the appropriate container. Materials deposited in containers such as cardboard boxes and other packaging materials shall be reduced to its smallest volume by bending, breaking and compressing the material before placing it into the containers. ... Containers shall be designated for the deposit of acceptable recyclable materials. Recyclable materials shall be pla...
All Carteret County ordinances
See every category we cover for Carteret County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Carteret County Ordinance Hub →