5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Wake County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Wake County Code §50.04 requires every property owner, occupant, or tenant to remove solid waste at least once per week. Wake County does not run curbside pickup itself; service in unincorporated areas is provided by private haulers licensed under §50.05.
Wake County Code §50.04 requires garbage to be stored only in durable, rust-resistant, nonabsorbent, watertight containers with close-fitting, fly-tight covers. Each city sets its own placement rules; the county does not regulate placement on private lots beyond the storage standard.
Wake County operates 11 Multi-Material Recycling Facilities (Convenience Centers) where unincorporated residents bring bulk items, white goods (appliances), tires, electronics, and household hazardous waste at no cost. Curbside bulk pickup is offered by individual cities (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, etc.), not by the county.
Illegal dumping in Wake County is a state-law violation under NCGS §14-399 — a Class 3 misdemeanor for the first offense (under 15 lbs), escalating to Class 1 misdemeanor for larger amounts. Wake County's Solid Waste Ordinance Ch. 50 enables civil enforcement and cleanup cost recovery.
Wake County's Solid Waste Management Division operates the County's disposal and recycling infrastructure — including South Wake Landfill, multi-material recycling facilities, and a network of Convenience Centers (with a residential trash pass program) — and accepts yard waste at its drop-off facilities. Curbside yard-waste collection in Wake County is run by the individual municipalities (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Garner, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, Morrisville, Rolesville) under each city/town's own ordinance and hauler contract; residents in unincorporated Wake County either self-haul to a County Convenience Center or contract privately. The County does not provide curbside pickup itself.
2 cities in Wake County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Wake County Ordinance Hub →