Trash & Recycling in Pitt County, NC (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Pitt County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Pitt County's Solid Waste Recycling, Collection and Disposal Ordinance requires every owner, occupant, tenant, or lessee whose property stores garbage to remove it, or have it removed, at least once a week. The rule covers the whole county under Ordinance No. 3, and requires any spilled refuse to be cleaned up so the premises stays clean and sanitary between pickups.
Pitt County Weekly Garbage Removal Rule
Some RestrictionsPitt County Solid Waste Recycling, Collection and Disposal Ordinance (Ord. No. 3) § 9(A)
A. Solid Waste or Refuse Collection. The owner, occupant, tenant, or lessee of any premises upon which garbage is stored shall remove, or cause to be removed all garbage from said premises at least once a week. The work shall be done in a clean orderly manner and any refuse that is spilled shall be cleaned up, and the premises left in a clean and sanitary condition.
Bin Placement Rules
Pitt County's Solid Waste & Recycling Ordinance requires garbage to sit in a durable, rust-resistant, watertight container with a close-fitting, fly-tight lid sized for a full week's accumulation, and it caps how long bulky waste like furniture or appliances can sit outside a home at 72 hours.
Pitt County Garbage Container and Set-Out Rule
Some RestrictionsPitt County Solid Waste & Recycling Ordinance No. 3, § 8(C), (E)
C. Garbage shall be stored only in a container that is durable, rust resistant, nonabsorbent, water tight, and easily cleaned, with a close-fitting, fly-tight cover in-place, with adequate handles to facilitate handling. Solid waste receptacles, as defined by this Ordinance, may also be used for storage provided they meet the requirements of this subsection. The number of containers shall be ad...
Bulk Item Disposal
Pitt County channels bulky waste, large items like appliances, furniture, junk vehicles, trees, and stumps, into designated rural recycling sites rather than curbside pickup. Section 10 of the Solid Waste Recycling, Collection and Disposal Ordinance limits who can use those bulk containers without written county approval and lists the materials the sites will not accept.
Pitt County Bulk Waste Recycling Site Rules
Significant RestrictionsPitt County Solid Waste Recycling, Collection and Disposal Ordinance (Ord. No. 3) § 10(A)-(B)
A. Rural Recycling Sites. The following firms, institutions, or persons will not be allowed to deposit wastes into rural containers without written approval from the Board of County Commissioners. ... B. Restricted Items Not to be Deposited at the Recycling Sites 1. Restricted items: The following items are not to be placed in the bulk containers unless specifically authorized in writing by the...
Recycling Requirements
Pitt County's Solid Waste & Recycling Ordinance requires anyone using the county's waste handling facility, transfer station or recycling centers to separate nine categories of material, including tires, aluminum cans, white goods, batteries, used oil and cardboard, from general waste before disposal. Civil penalties apply for mixing recyclables into garbage or garbage into recycling containers.
Pitt County Mandatory Waste Separation Rule
Some RestrictionsPitt County Solid Waste & Recycling Ordinance No. 3, § 5
Section 5. Recycling All persons, firms, or corporations using the waste handling facility, transfer station and recycling centers shall separate the following materials from their waste: A. Whole tires B. Aluminum cans C. Yard waste D. White goods E. Lead acid batteries F. Used oil G. Corrugated cardboard from nonresidential establishments (cardboard packaging, that is contaminated due to the ...
Illegal Dumping
Pitt County treats illegal dumping, including dumping prohibited materials or excess quantities at solid waste receptacles or the transfer station, dumping in unapproved areas, or mixing recyclables and garbage, as a civil offense under Section 16 of the Solid Waste Recycling, Collection and Disposal Ordinance. Solid Waste Department employees can issue citations starting at $100 and rising with repeat violations.
Pitt County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Significant RestrictionsPitt County Solid Waste Recycling, Collection and Disposal Ordinance (Ord. No. 3) § 16(A)-(B)(2)
Section 16. Enforcement, Penalties and Remedies A. The employees of the Solid Waste Department are hereby empowered to issue civil citations upon the observance of a violation of this Ordinance. It is the intent of this Ordinance that each person is responsible for the proper management of his/her own waste and is responsible for all acts involving vehicles and equipment owned by him/her. The o...
Yard Waste Collection
Pitt County's Solid Waste & Recycling Ordinance defines yard waste as leaves, limbs, grass trimmings and untreated wood, and requires anyone using the county's waste handling facility, transfer station or recycling centers to separate it from other waste. The county runs no curbside brush pickup; residents haul yard waste to a county site or a municipal or private collector instead.
Pitt County Yard Waste Separation Rule
Some RestrictionsPitt County Solid Waste & Recycling Ordinance No. 3, §§ 4, 5
Yard Waste: Waste consisting of leaves, limbs, grass trimmings, unpainted and untreated wood, pallets and other vegetative material. ... Section 5. Recycling All persons, firms, or corporations using the waste handling facility, transfer station and recycling centers shall separate the following materials from their waste: A. Whole tires B. Aluminum cans C. Yard waste D. White goods E. Lead aci...
Dumpster Rules
Pitt County's zoning ordinance requires commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family dumpsters to be screened from view whenever they sit near a residence, a residentially zoned lot, or a road right-of-way. Owners must use evergreen vegetation, a fence, a wall or a berm to block the view, and the Zoning Administrator can approve alternative screening plans for difficult sites.
Pitt County Commercial Dumpster Screening Rule
Some RestrictionsPitt County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 10(H)(3)
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 evergreen vegetation, fences, walls...
All Pitt County ordinances
See every category we cover for Pitt County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Pitt County Ordinance Hub →