Trash & Recycling in Nash County, NC (2026)
9 rules for unincorporated Nash County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Nash County Code § 20-29 requires every unincorporated-county premises with stored garbage to have it removed at least once a week, and any paid solid waste collector must service its customers on that same weekly schedule. Collectors must work cleanly, avoid damaging containers, and immediately clean up anything spilled during a pickup, leaving the property sanitary.
Nash County Weekly Garbage Removal Rule
Some RestrictionsNash County Code § 20-29(a)-(b)
(a)The owner, occupant, tenant or lessee of any premises upon which garbage is stored shall remove or cause to be removed all garbage from the premises at least once weekly (seven days). ... (b)Solid waste collectors shall remove all solid waste from the premises, when they receive compensation for their services, at least once weekly. The work shall be done in a clean and orderly manner, witho...
Bin Placement Rules
Residents using Nash County's roadside solid waste containers, the drop boxes serving areas without a staffed convenience center, must bag household waste and flatten boxes before loading them, per Code § 20-33. Building material, lumber, tree trimmings, appliances, furniture and autos cannot go in a container; they go to the landfill instead, and scavenging through a container is strictly prohibited.
Nash County Solid Waste Container Rules
Some RestrictionsNash County Code § 20-33(1),(4)-(5)
(1)Household solid waste must be bagged before it is placed into containers. Boxes and cartons must be flattened so as to occupy the least amount of space. ... (4)Solid waste will not be dumped on top of containers or on the ground. Solid waste spilled during dumping will be immediately picked up and properly placed in the container.(5)Scavenging through these containers for recoverable materia...
Bulk Item Disposal
Nash County's solid waste convenience centers, open to unincorporated-county households, refuse tires, bricks, large stumps, logs, concrete, shingles, animal carcasses and autos under Code § 20-31(c)(3). Residents must haul these bulky items to an approved landfill instead. Dumping banned material or otherwise violating convenience center rules is a misdemeanor under § 20-27, and the county can also sue for restitution of cleanup costs.
Nash County Bans Bulky Waste at Convenience Centers
Some RestrictionsNash County Code § 20-31(c)(3)
No tires, bricks, large stumps, logs, concrete, shingles, animal carcasses, animal waste, autos and other waste as determined by the board of health will be accepted at the convenience sites. These materials must be taken to an approved landfill or otherwise disposed of in accordance with this article.
Recycling Requirements
Nash County doesn't run curbside recycling; instead, residents using its solid waste convenience centers are encouraged to separate recyclable materials from household trash into special collection containers there. Scavenging through those containers, or loitering, soliciting or trespassing at a convenience center or the county landfill, is a violation, and only residents who've paid the convenience center user fee, or shown proof of a licensed hauler, may use the centers at all.
Recycling at Nash County Convenience Centers
Few RestrictionsNash County Code § 20-31(c)(5)
(c)Residents using the county solid waste convenience centers must comply with the following rules for disposing of household solid waste: ... (5)County residents are encouraged to separate recyclable materials from their household trash, depositing them in special collection containers at the solid waste convenience center.
Illegal Dumping
Nash County makes it unlawful to throw, dump or deposit solid waste on a street or highway, in a public park or recreation area, or on any other public or private property, and it is a separate violation to let an open dump operate on your own land. A dumping violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500, with each day of an ongoing violation counted separately.
Illegal Dumping Penalties in Nash County
Heavy RestrictionsNash County Code §§ 20-28(c), 20-30(d)
(c)A person shall not throw, dump, deposit or cause to be thrown, dumped or deposited solid waste on a street or highway, upon public parks or recreation areas, or upon any other public or private property. ... (d)A person using or allowing others to use an open dump for disposal of solid waste located on his property is in violation of this article and must close the site in accordance with 15...
Yard Waste Collection
Nash County defines yard waste as yard trash and land-clearing debris, including stumps, leaves, grass and untreated wood, and bans it outright from the county landfill under the state Solid Waste Management Act, alongside whole tires, used motor oil, white goods and lead-acid batteries. Large stumps and logs also aren't accepted at the county's solid waste convenience centers, so residents need another approved way to get rid of yard debris.
Yard Waste Disposal Rules in Nash County
Some RestrictionsNash County Code §§ 20-26, 20-30(e)
Yard waste means yard trash and land clearing debris as defined in G.S. 130A-290, including stumps, leaves, grass and untreated wood. ... (e)In accordance with the Solid Waste Management Act, whole tires, used motor oil, white goods, lead acid batteries and yard waste are banned from the landfill.
Dumpster Rules
Unincorporated Nash County requires solid waste dumpsters on multi-family, commercial, institutional or industrial sites to be screened from view whenever they sit near a residence, a residentially zoned lot, or a road right-of-way. The Unified Development Ordinance accepts natural vegetation, fences, walls or berms as long as the result is an effective visual screen.
Nash County Dumpster Screening Requirement
Some RestrictionsNash County Unified Development Ordinance § 11-3.2
11-3.2.Screening of Dumpsters. Solid waste collection dumpsters which are (i) located on sites used for multi-family residential, commercial, institutional, or industrial purposes and (ii) abutting a residence, residentially zoned lot, or road right-of-way shall be screened from the view of adjoining residences, residentially zoned lots, or road rights-of-way. Such screening may consist of natu...
Collection Schedule
Nash County requires anyone whose property has garbage stored on it to have it removed at least once every seven days, and any paid solid waste hauler must also pick up at least weekly under a permit from the health director. Residents who don't use curbside service can haul their own trash to a county solid waste convenience center, open seven days a week on a set schedule.
Weekly Trash Pickup Rules in Nash County
Some RestrictionsNash County Code §§ 20-29(a), 20-32(a)
(a)The owner, occupant, tenant or lessee of any premises upon which garbage is stored shall remove or cause to be removed all garbage from the premises at least once weekly (seven days). ... (a)Operation hours at county solid waste convenience centers must not begin prior to 7:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, nor 1:00 p.m. on Sundays; nor shall they extend past 8:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
Recycling Rules
Nash County does not mandate recycling. Code § 20-31(c)(5) only encourages residents to separate recyclable materials from household trash and deposit them in the special collection containers at the solid waste convenience centers. Scavenging through any container, including the recycling bins, for recoverable material is a separate offense under § 20-31(c)(6).
Nash County Recycling Is Voluntary Only
Few RestrictionsNash County Code § 20-31(c)(5)
County residents are encouraged to separate recyclable materials from their household trash, depositing them in special collection containers at the solid waste convenience center.
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