Trash & Recycling in Chatham County, NC (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Chatham County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
In unincorporated Chatham County, any vehicle or container used to collect and haul garbage or solid waste must be covered, leak-proof, durable and kept clean and in good repair under Chatham County Code § 50.05. Loads must be secured so nothing falls, leaks or blows out, and a collector whose load spills must pick the material up immediately and clean the area or answer for littering.
Chatham County Trash Pickup Vehicle Rules
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 50.05
Vehicles or containers used for the collection and transportation of garbage or refuse containing garbage shall be covered, leak proof, durable and of sturdy construction. These shall be cleaned as often as necessary to prevent a nuisance and shall be maintained in good repair. Vehicles or containers used for the collection and transportation of any solid waste shall be loaded and moved in a ma...
Bulk Item Disposal
In unincorporated Chatham County, bulky waste, brush, stumps, appliances, furniture and other oversized items cannot go in the solid waste containers at county greenbox sites and collection centers. Chatham County Code § 50.04(B)(1) bars them outright; residents must haul such items to the county transfer station or the LCID landfill instead, under § 50.07(B). Ignoring the ban risks a $30 residential-violation civil penalty under § 50.99.
Chatham County Bulky Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 50.04(B)(1)
(B) Materials not acceptable. (1) Due to the difficulty or public health hazard of managing commingled solid waste and in order to comply with state and federal laws, certain materials in addition to nonresidential waste cannot be placed in county solid waste containers. The material includes: ... (e) Stumps and/or logs; ... (g) Brush; (h) Land clearing waste; ... (j) Appliances or furniture; ....
Recycling Requirements
In unincorporated Chatham County, every private hauler that collects residential waste for a fee must run a program to collect and recycle aluminum cans, newspapers and steel food cans, or refuse to take those items mixed with garbage, under Chatham County Code § 50.06(F). Haulers who skip this recycling program face the penalty set out in § 50.06(F) and § 50.99(D), and must also report recyclables volumes to the county.
Chatham County Hauler Recycling Program Rule
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 50.06(F)
(F) All private haulers who collect residential waste for a fee shall establish a program to collect and recycle aluminum cans, newspapers and steel food cans, or else not accept the materials commingled with the residential garbage that they collect. In addition, haulers are encouraged to promote recycling of glass bottles, corrugated cardboard, recyclable plastic and other recyclables. Hauler...
Illegal Dumping
In unincorporated Chatham County, dumping litter, solid waste or recyclables into a ditch, creek, street, alley or any public or private lot is unlawful under the county's Solid Waste Management chapter. Offenders face a misdemeanor charge plus a civil penalty that ranges from $30 for a backyard dump to $100 for repeat or commercial violators.
Illegal Dumping Penalties in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code §§ 50.04(F)(1), 50.99(A), (C)(4)
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to sweep, throw, deposit or dump, or to permit, allow, maintain or contribute to the sweeping, throwing, depositing or dumping any litter, solid waste or recyclables into, upon or along a drain, gutter, street, sidewalk, alley, vacant or occupied lot, walk, parking lot, embankment, within or near any public or private lake, pond, creek, river, stream, d...
Yard Waste Collection
In unincorporated Chatham County, yard waste such as lawn clippings, leaves, brush and garden refuse cannot go into the solid waste containers at county greenbox sites and collection centers under Chatham County Code § 50.04(B)(1). Haulers are likewise barred from commingling yard waste with other solid waste at the transfer station under § 50.06(E)(5); residents take yard waste to the county's LCID landfill instead.
Chatham County Yard Waste Disposal Ban
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 50.04(B)(1), § 50.06(E)
(B) Materials not acceptable. (1) ... certain materials in addition to nonresidential waste cannot be placed in county solid waste containers. The material includes: ... (i) Yard waste; ... (E) It shall be illegal for haulers to bring solid waste or recyclables that have been banned into the transfer station commingled with other solid waste. Banned materials include: ... (5) Yard waste;
Recycling Rules
In unincorporated Chatham County, it is illegal to put any material into a recycling container at a greenbox site or collection center that is not specifically marked to accept it, under Chatham County Code § 50.04(B)(2). Every hauler operating in the county must also report the recyclables it collects to the County Recycling Department, under § 50.06(D), enacted in line with House Bill 0134.
Chatham County Recycling Container Rules
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 50.04(B)(2), § 50.06(D)
(2) In addition, it shall be illegal to deposit any material in a recycling container that is not specifically marked to accept the material. ... (D) In accordance with House Bill 0134, all haulers operating in the county are required to report to the County Recycling Department concerning quantities of recyclables or recovered material they recycle or deposit in county recycling receptacles. R...
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