Onslow County, NC Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Chapter 14, the Solid Waste Management Ordinance, governs only "those areas of Onslow County that are outside of the jurisdiction of any incorporated municipality" (Sec. 14-4), so it never reaches Jacksonville, Swansboro, Richlands, or Holly Ridge, each of which runs its own service, and it never reaches Camp Lejeune, which sits on federal land outside county authority. Inside the unincorporated county, Sec. 14-31(a) makes it unlawful for a responsible person to let solid waste accumulate into a nuisance, a health hazard, or a property-value detractor, and Sec.

" There is no county-run truck route, no assigned pickup day, and no franchise fee billed to residents. Instead, residents either self-haul to a county landfill or convenience site under Sec. 14-34, or contract with a commercial collector under Sec. 14-35, which requires those collectors to use vehicles with tight covers that prevent liquids from escaping or waste from blowing onto roads or other property. Section 14-31(d) also makes vehicle owners and occupants responsible for dumping or littering violations committed with their vehicle, and allows first-class mail found in dumped waste to serve as prima facie evidence of who is responsible for it.