5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Durham County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
The City of Durham provides roll-out cart garbage service, with collection schedules set by the solid-waste director. Only City-authorized crews may haul away refuse or recyclables set out for collection; no one else may take your set-out material.
Durham City Code Sec. 58-125(a)
Collection schedules shall be as determined by the director of solid waste. The director or the director's designee shall have the authority to alter collection schedules to observe holidays or to meet emergency situations.
Durham residents must set garbage, recycling, and bulky items at the curb by 5 a.m. on collection day, place carts no more than 3 feet from the curb, keep them clear of obstructions, and remove empty carts within 24 hours.
City of Durham Solid Waste set-out rules
Residents are to place garbage, recycling, and/or bulky items, at the curb on their collection days no later than 5 a.m. ... Once emptied, carts must be removed from the curb within 24 hours after pickup.
Large tree/shrub trimmings and bulky or excessive refuse that routine collection can't handle are picked up as "extra refuse" under the director's regulations, at the owner's request, for a fee covering actual cost. Building and demolition debris is not collected by the City.
Durham City Code Sec. 58-99
Large tree and shrub trimmings, bulky and excessive amounts of refuse, leaves and yard rakings that cannot be handled by routine collection procedure will be handled under regulations of the director, at the owner's request, for a fee to cover actual cost. This is referred to as "extra refuse".
Durham requires recyclables to be source-separated from garbage and set out in a separate bin — recyclables may not go in the garbage cart. Mixing recyclables with trash (or trash into recycling) can trigger a fee.
Durham City Code Sec. 58-97
Recyclables shall be properly prepared, separated from garbage and placed into a separate bin for collection. Recyclables shall not be put in the garbage receptacle.
Dumping litter on public or private property you don't own is illegal statewide under NC G.S. 14-399. Small amounts are an infraction with fines and community service; larger amounts (over 15 pounds) are a misdemeanor. Only City crews may take set-out material.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-399(a)
No person, including any firm, organization, private corporation, or governing body, agents or employees of any municipal corporation shall intentionally or recklessly throw, scatter, spill or place ... or otherwise dispose of any litter upon any public property or private property not owned by the person.
1 cities in Durham County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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