Apex, NC Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest curb placement
- 5:00 a.m. on collection day
- Must be removed by
- 7:00 p.m. same day
- Sunday
- No containers displayed at all
- Pickup method
- Curbside only
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, G.S. § 14-4
Summary
Apex requires garbage cans out by 5 a.m. on collection day and removed from curb by 7 p.m.; no cans may sit out on Sunday.
All garbage cans shall be placed at the front of the property as close to the street as possible for collection. Containers shall be placed for collection not later than 5:00 a.m. and all containers shall be removed by 7:00 p.m. each collection day. No containers shall be left or displayed at the front of the property on Sunday for any purpose whatsoever.(b)Items which will not be accepted at the current ultimate disposal site are prohibited.(c)All garbage pick ups shall be curbside only.(d)Appliances, hot water heaters, furniture, and other bulk items will be picked up curbside based on the current fee schedule and curbside trash collection policy.(e)A violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor as provided by G.S. 14-4. (Ord. of 11-10-87, § 1; Ord. No. 2021-1109-36, § 2, 11-9-2021; Ord. No. 2021-1123-40, § 46, 11-23-2021)
Editor's note— See editor's note to article IV 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
Under Apex Town Code § 12-125, residential garbage containers must be placed at the front of the property, as close to the street as possible, and set out no earlier than 5:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. Every container must be pulled back off the curb by 7:00 p.m. that same day, and no container may be left or displayed at the front of the property on Sunday for any purpose. Pickup is curbside only, and the actual collection day itself is set separately by the Town Council under § 12-124 rather than fixed in the code text. This is Wake County, North Carolina town-code language, not Cary's or Raleigh's.
Violations & Fines
Violating the placement/removal window or the Sunday no-display rule is a misdemeanor under G.S. § 14-4, per § 12-125(e).
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my trash can out in Apex, NC?
Can I leave my Apex trash can at the curb on Sunday?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
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Collection Schedule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle collection schedule.