Apex, NC Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Set-out method
- Loose only: no bags or bins
- Collection schedule
- Weekly, year-round, curbside
- Advance set-out limit
- 48 hours before pickup
- Storm-drain clearance
- 10 feet minimum
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under G.S. 14-4
Summary
Apex requires yard waste to be separated from household garbage and placed loose, not bagged or containerized, at the curb for weekly town composting collection.
(a)Yard waste shall be placed loose (not bagged or containerized) at curbside for collection by the town. Leaves and grass clippings must be separated from other qualifying yard waste materials.(b)Yard waste to be collected by the town shall not be contaminated by materials that are not included in the definition of yard waste provided above.(c)Yard waste shall not be placed at curbside more than 48 hours in advance of the collection date.(d)Yard waste shall not be placed at curbside within ten feet of any storm drain catch basin.(e)Town residents desiring Christmas tree collection by the town shall place their Christmas tree curbside. All tinsel, nails, screws, wires, ribbon and other nonvegetative materials shall be removed from the Christmas tree by the resident prior to collection. Wreaths may be set out by residents for collection provided that the wreaths are free from wire, screws, metal frames, and all other nonvegetative material.(f)A violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor as provided by G.S. 14-4. (Ord. No. 09-0804-06, § 1, 8-4-09; Ord. No. 2021-1109-36, § 3, 11-9-2021; Ord. No. 2021-1123-40, § 50, 11-23-2021)
Editor's note— See editor's note to article V of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Apex Town Code Article V (§§ 12-133–12-141) sets up a mandatory program separating compostable yard waste, leaves, grass clippings, twigs, small limbs, hedge trimmings, pine straw and small shrubs, from garbage for weekly curbside collection and municipal composting. Residents must set yard waste out loose, never bagged or bin-contained, no more than 48 hours ahead of pickup and at least ten feet from storm drain catch basins. Open burning of yard waste is banned. Service covers only properties annexed into Apex's corporate limits; commercial and land-clearing debris are excluded, and improper disposal is a misdemeanor under G.S. 14-4.
Violations & Fines
Bagging or containerizing yard waste, setting it out more than 48 hours early, blocking storm drains, or open-burning yard waste violates Article V; disposal violations are misdemeanors under G.S. 14-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put yard waste in a compost bin or bag for pickup in Apex?
Does Apex's yard waste collection cover my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
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Composting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle composting.