Chapel Hill, NC Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Trash and recycling bin placement in Chapel Hill is regulated under Town Code Chapter 8 (Garbage, Trash and Refuse), with cart-specific guidance published by the Town's Public Works Solid Waste Services Division and Orange County Solid Waste Management. Town-issued garbage roll carts and Orange County-issued blue recycling roll carts (95-gallon) must be placed at the curb or along the public right-of-way on the resident's scheduled collection day, with the front of the cart facing the street and flush against the curb to allow automated arm pickup. Trash collection runs early - generally beginning at 6 a.m. - so residents should set carts out either before 6 a.m. on collection day or the evening before. Town Code Chapter 8, Article II (Section 8-21 et seq.) defines refuse receptacles and pre-collection practices, including deposits in the public right-of-way under Section 8-32. After collection, carts must be removed from the right-of-way - persistent leaving of carts at the curb beyond the collection day is enforceable as a Chapter 8 violation. Recycling carts have additional content rules enforced by Orange County: recyclables must be loose inside the cart, not in plastic bags, and recyclable items must be rinsed and source-separated to category (paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, glass). Multi-family complexes generally use shared dumpsters under private contract rather than individual roll carts, and the placement rules in Chapter 8 still apply to dumpster locations, screening, and right-of-way clearance. The Town's Standard Specifications and the LUMO require new development to include adequate dumpster pads with screening and to maintain access for collection vehicles. For street parking conflicts on collection day, the Town can require relocation of vehicles parked within the collection-arm reach of a cart.