Gastonia, NC Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Under section 11-116, bulky item pickup requires a request to the solid waste services division, which schedules the collection, and eligible items must sit at curbside separate from regular trash. The service excludes appliance changes tied to running a business, items from home-based businesses, fire-damage cleanouts beyond a single item, and specific categories like oxygen tanks, propane tanks, large household oil tanks, camper or boat parts, and automotive parts including motors, doors, fenders, seats or batteries. The administrator decides whether a specific item qualifies and can refuse anything too large for the collection vehicle.

Large furniture must be dismantled so two people could reasonably load it, though pianos are exempt from that requirement. Gasoline must be drained from lawn mowers before pickup, and any item with a large glass surface, such as a mirror, window or door, needs an X taped across the glass so it will not shatter during collection. Dangerous items like broken glass, light bulbs, sharp metal, fluorescent tubes and TV tubes cannot go out unless securely wrapped and marked to prevent injuring collection staff, and hypodermic needles are barred outright except as separately permitted under section 11-91.