Cleveland County, NC Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Division 3 of chapter 11 sets up the county's curbside collection system. Section 11-71 makes it unlawful for anyone to collect or transport residential curbside solid waste for a fee without a current franchise from the board of county commissioners, and each franchise describes the specific territory the holder is authorized to serve. The board decides, under §§ 11-73 and 11-74, whether an applicant can provide prompt, efficient and continuing service with adequate equipment before granting a franchise, and the county's determination of the service area is final.

Under § 11-75, the board of commissioners, not the hauler, sets and approves the fees a franchise holder can charge. Section 11-79 requires a franchise holder to give each customer a written fee schedule in advance and to remove that customer's solid waste from the residence at least once per week, as long as the customer is not more than 30 days behind on payment. The board may make a franchise exclusive to a territory under § 11-77, in which case it is unlawful for any other hauler to collect curbside waste there for a fee, and a franchise can be suspended or terminated under § 11-84 for missed service, fee noncompliance or loss of the hauler's state permits.