Cary, NC Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- Dusk before collection day
- Curb deadline
- 7:00 a.m. collection day
- Return deadline
- 6:00 a.m. next day
- Repeat noncompliance
- Roll-in fee, 2nd occurrence/year
Summary
Cary residents may set roll-out carts at the curb no earlier than dusk before pickup, must have them out by 7 a.m. on collection day, and must pull them back by 6 a.m. the next morning.
Roll-out carts shall be placed adjacent to the street (on the street side of any drainage ditch or swale) for collection by 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day or no earlier than dusk prior to the collection day. After collection, all roll-out carts shall be removed... by 6:00 a.m. on the day following the collection day... a roll-in fee, established by the annual budget ordinance, will be assessed on the second occurrence within a twelve-month period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2023 S-87_S-57: Current through local ordinance 2022-Code-05, passed 11-17-2022 and effective 11-17-2022 | LDO: Current through local ordinance 2022-LDO-04, passed 11-17-22 and effective 11-17-22).
Full Breakdown
The town's roll-out cart rule fixes both ends of the window: carts go to the curb (on the street side of any ditch or swale) no earlier than dusk the evening before collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled day, then must be returned to a compliant storage spot, screened or inside an enclosed structure, by 6:00 a.m. the following morning. Leaving a cart out past that window isn't free: a roll-in fee attaches starting on the second violation within twelve months.
Violations & Fines
A cart left at the curb past 6 a.m. the day after pickup, or set out before dusk the evening prior, draws a roll-in fee set by the town's annual budget ordinance, beginning on the second occurrence in a 12-month period.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my cart out in Cary?
What happens if I leave my Cary cart at the curb too long?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cary
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle bin placement rules.