Brunswick County, NC Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code § 1-11-23(4)c.2-3
- Bagging requirement
- Bag/tie trash; boxes exempt
- Bag rules
- Any size, thickness, or color
- Sharp/injurious waste
- Must be securely wrapped
- 1st bagging offense
- Warning notice, no fine
- 3rd bagging offense
- Billed 3 months' collection cost
Summary
Brunswick County, North Carolina requires unincorporated residents to keep their trash receptacle clean and odor-controlled and to bag or tie loose household trash before it goes in the cart, with an exemption for bulky items like large cardboard boxes, under Code Sec. 1-11-23(4)c.
Maintaining the cleanliness of the receptacle and to take steps to mitigate odors. ... Bagging and tying or otherwise securing trash placed in receptacle to prevent it from falling or blowing out. Bulky items such as large cardboard boxes are exempt from bagging requirements. Bags may be of any size, any thickness adequate for its contents, and any color.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 3). Bulky items such as large cardboard boxes are exempt from the bagging requirement, and the code allows bags of any size, any thickness adequate for their contents, and any color, so there is no county-mandated bag brand or color. Sec. 1-11-23(13) separately requires injurious waste such as broken glass, light bulbs, sharp metal, and fluorescent or television tubes to be securely wrapped before it goes in the cart to protect collection crews. Sec. 1-11-24(a) requires anyone generating construction debris, business trash, festival refuse, or other solid waste to provide adequate receptacles for it in the first place.
These pickup rules apply to the unincorporated county only; Leland, Southport, Oak Island, Shallotte, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach, Calabash, and Boiling Spring Lakes each enforce their own household trash rules inside town limits.
Violations & Fines
Failing to bag household trash before setting it out carries a specific escalating response under Sec. 1-11-88(1): a warning notice on the first offense, a letter from the solid waste officer on the second, and billing the customer for three months of collection cost on the third, with an extra month added for every offense after that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to bag my trash before putting it in the cart in Brunswick County?
Does Brunswick County require a specific trash bag brand or color?
What happens the first time I forget to bag my trash?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brunswick County
Compare Brunswick County to another location·View the North Carolina trash & recycling overview
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