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

Section 32-3 of the county code sets the baseline storage and disposal rules for solid waste in the unincorporated county. Subsection (a) prohibits letting solid waste accumulate on any property except in the manner the article prescribes, and subsection (b) requires the owner, occupant, tenant, or lessee to remove or arrange removal of all solid waste at least once every seven-day period. Garbage must be kept in a durable, rust-resistant, nonabsorbent, watertight container with a close-fitting, fly-tight cover and handles or bails, capped at 32 gallons under subsection (c); county-provided solid waste receptacles may substitute for a private container.

Approved disposal outlets under subsection (g) include a North Carolina DEQ-approved sanitary landfill, a permitted incinerator, a director-approved household disposal method, or reclamation and recycling processes DEQ has approved. Residents without private hauling can use the county's staffed solid waste receptacle sites under § 32-5 during posted hours, or contract with a solid waste collector licensed by the county director under § 32-6, which regulates collection vehicle sanitation and coverage. The weekly removal requirement, like the rest of Chapter 32, applies only to unincorporated Union County; Monroe, Indian Trail, Waxhaw, and the other incorporated towns run separate collection contracts and ordinances within their own limits.