Alamance County, NC Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Mandatory participants
- Residential & commercial generators, haulers
- Separation required
- Target Recyclables from solid waste
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days
- Civil penalty cap
- $1,000, assessed by health director
- Territory
- Unincorporated county (unless town opts in)
- Effective date
- November 7, 2022
Summary
Alamance County requires every residential and commercial generator, plus commercial haulers, to participate in the county recycling program and separate Target Recyclables from trash before collection. Mixing garbage into a marked recycling container is a separate violation, with criminal fines up to $500 and civil penalties up to $1,000.
(1) All Persons, including both Residential and Commercial Generators and Commercial Haulers, shall participate in the Alamance County Recycling program as provided herein. (2) All Persons, including both Residential and Commercial Generators, shall separate all Target Recyclables from solid waste prior to collection. (3) It shall be a violation of this Chapter for anyone to place any garbage, trash, or refuse in a clearly marked container for Target Recyclables.
Full Breakdown
S. Chapters 130A and 153A, requires all Persons, including Residential Generators, Commercial Generators and Commercial Haulers, to participate in the county recycling program, and requires both Residential and Commercial Generators to separate all Target Recyclables from solid waste before collection. It is a separate violation to place garbage, trash or refuse in a clearly marked Target Recyclables container, and to collect or pick up Target Recyclables without authorization under the chapter. Target Recyclables are defined to include newspapers, corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, glass, food jars and beverage glass bottles, commercially generated office paper, and rigid plastic containers labeled #1-7 with a neck narrower than the body, excluding containers under 8 fluid ounces or over 5 gallons and those for motor oil or pesticides.
Section 5 makes the chapter apply countywide outside municipal boundaries unless a town adopts it by resolution to apply within its own limits. The ordinance, as amended, took effect November 7, 2022, per Minute Book 45, Page 179.
Violations & Fines
Section 6 makes a violation a misdemeanor under N.C.G.S. § 14-4, punishable by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both, with each day treated as a separate offense. The health director may also assess a civil penalty covering the county's correction costs, capped at $1,000, due within ten days; unpaid penalties are recovered through a civil debt action, and the chapter may also be enforced through equitable remedies under N.C.G.S. §§ 153A-123 and 153A-140.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory in Alamance County?
What happens if I mix trash into my recycling bin?
Does the recycling ordinance apply inside Burlington or Graham?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alamance County
Compare Alamance County to another location·View the North Carolina trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.