Trash & Recycling in New Hanover County, NC (2026)
7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in New Hanover County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Sec. 44-48 tells New Hanover County residents exactly where to put collection containers: behind the curb, or three feet from the pavement edge on streets without curbing, adjacent to the served premises, and only on the designated collection day. Carts must come back off the street promptly once the truck has serviced them.
New Hanover County Trash Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Hanover County Code of Ordinances § 44-48(b)-(c)
(b)Alleys will be used as routes for the collection of refuse wherever the physical features of the alley are such that its use is practical for the purpose. Any right-of-way dedicated for public use and lying to the rear or side of any building lot shall be not less than 20 feet in width if such right-of-way is to serve in any capacity for the removal of refuse. Where collection of refuse is m...
Bulk Item Disposal
New Hanover County collects bulky items, furniture, appliances, mattresses and similar inorganic items too large for a 90-gallon cart, within one week of a resident's request under Sec. 44-43(4). Items must be curbside no earlier than noon the day before the scheduled pickup, and building materials or wooden pallets are excluded entirely under Sec. 44-46.
New Hanover County Bulky Item Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Hanover County Code of Ordinances § 44-1, § 44-43(4)
Bulky items means inorganic items of such volume that they cannot be placed in a 90-gallon roll-out cart for collection, e.g. appliances, furniture, play equipment, and building fixtures. ... (4)Bulky item collection: Items such as discarded furniture and appliances, not practical to containerize, shall be collected upon customer's request within one week of said request. Acceptable items inclu...
Recycling Requirements
Every customer on New Hanover County's mandatory residential collection route gets an 18-gallon recycling bin serviced once a week under Sec. 44-43(2), and the county identifies and advertises which materials qualify. Sec. 44-51 makes it unlawful for anyone but the county or its franchisee to pick through bins already set out for pickup.
New Hanover County Curbside Recycling Service
Light RestrictionsNew Hanover County Code of Ordinances § 44-43(2)
(2)Recyclable collection: A recycling bin, at least 18 gallons in size, shall be provided to each customer. Recyclable materials shall be identified and advertised by the county. This container shall be serviced once per week on a regular schedule.
Illegal Dumping
Sec. 44-53 bans dumping litter, trash or refuse on any public street, county property, another person's land without consent, or into any stream or body of water in New Hanover County. Sec. 44-58 makes a violation a misdemeanor with up to a $500.00 fine or 30 days in jail, plus a possible $100.00-per-ton civil penalty.
New Hanover County Illegal Dumping Ban
Heavy RestrictionsNew Hanover County Code of Ordinances § 44-53
No person may place, discard, throw, drop, dump, or deposit, or cause to be placed, discarded, thrown, dropped, dumped, or deposited any litter, trash or refuse on: (1)Any public street or sidewalk within the county or on any property owned or operated by the county or any other public property, except in properly designated receptacles; or(2)Any property not owned by him without the consent of...
Yard Waste Collection
New Hanover County collects tree limbs, branches and hedge trimmings at the curb under Sec. 44-43(3), but nothing over six inches in diameter or four feet long qualifies, and grass clippings and leaves must be bagged. Separately, Sec. 44-84 bans mixed yard waste from the lined landfill and imposes a tipping-fee surcharge on contaminated loads.
New Hanover County Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Hanover County Code of Ordinances § 44-43(3)
(3)Yard waste collection: Tree trunks, limbs, branches, tree trimmings, hedge cuttings and similar vegetative materials arranged for easy handling will be collected on a regular schedule. Grass clippings, leaves and other small vegetative debris must be placed in bags. In no case shall any individual limb, trunk or similar article larger than six inches in diameter or longer than four feet be c...
Dumpster Rules
New Hanover County requires stores, restaurants, apartments and other commercial generators that produce more than 180 gallons of garbage a week to contract for bulk container (dumpster) service through a county-franchised hauler under Sec. 44-42(c). Below that threshold, a business may instead petition the county for standard service.
New Hanover County Commercial Dumpster Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Hanover County Code of Ordinances § 44-42(c)
(c)Stores, hotels, apartments, triplexes, quadruplexes, condominiums, theaters, office buildings, schools, clubs, commercial establishments, industrial establishments or any other places that generate garbage may petition for service if the amount of garbage produced does not exceed 180 gallons per week per unit and quantities of recyclables, yard waste and bulky items are not excessive, as det...
Collection Schedule
New Hanover County requires every single-family home and duplex in the unincorporated area to take county trash service under Sec. 44-42, unless a director-approved hardship exemption or a homeowners' association contract with a private hauler applies. Each customer gets a 90-gallon roll-out cart serviced at least once a week on a regular schedule set under Sec. 44-43.
New Hanover County Residential Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsNew Hanover County Code of Ordinances § 44-42(a)
(a)All single-family residences and duplexes shall receive service. If use of the collection containers provided with this service causes a hardship related to a customer's age, an infirmity, or other similar type of hardship, the director of environmental management may exempt those customers from moving those containers to the curb. Such exemptions will be recorded in writing and kept in the ...
Trash & Recycling by City in New Hanover County
1 cities in New Hanover County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All New Hanover County ordinances
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