Burke County, NC Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cardboard threshold
- 5% or more of load by weight/volume
- First violation
- Written warning
- Second violation
- 4x current tipping fee surcharge
- Third+ violation
- 9x current tipping fee surcharge
- Recycling drop-off
- Provided at county waste management facility
- Effective date
- January 1, 1992
Summary
Corrugated cardboard counts as solid waste subject to a surcharge at the Burke County waste management facility under Code § 58-31, but the county provides a place for citizens and businesses to drop cardboard off for recycling instead. Haulers who bring in loads that are five percent or more cardboard by weight or volume face escalating surcharges on top of the regular tipping fee, rising to nine times that fee by the third violation.
(a)Recyclable corrugated cardboard, that is corrugated cardboard as that term is commonly understood, which businesses and dealers in this area are willing to purchase when it is delivered to them, is a solid waste for which a surcharge will be imposed for disposition at the county waste management facility effective January 1, 1992.(b)The county waste management facility will provide a place and method for citizens and businesses to deposit cardboard for the purpose of recycling.(c)Any haulers disposing of waste at the county facility which contains five percent or more of cardboard, by weight or by volume, shall pay a surcharge in addition to the regular tipping fee based on the following:(1)For the first violation, a written warning.(2)For the second violation, a surcharge equal to four times the then current tipping fee.(3)For the third and any subsequent violation, a surcharge equal to nine times the then current tipping fee.
Full Breakdown
Section 58-31, effective January 1, 1992, treats recyclable corrugated cardboard as a category of solid waste that draws a surcharge when it shows up for disposal at the county waste management facility, because local businesses and dealers are willing to buy that cardboard back when it is delivered to them. To give haulers and residents an alternative, the county waste management facility maintains a place and method for citizens and businesses to deposit cardboard specifically for recycling rather than disposal. The surcharge escalates with repeat violations: a hauler whose load contains five percent or more cardboard by weight or volume gets a written warning for a first violation, a surcharge equal to four times the current tipping fee for a second violation, and a surcharge equal to nine times the current tipping fee for a third or any later violation.
The broader convenience and recycling center article, §§ 58-151 through 58-160, layers on general rules for every county collection site: users must comply with the county's solid waste management plan and general services department policies, operators can refuse loads containing prohibited or hazardous materials, unauthorized entry outside normal operating hours is prosecuted as trespass under § 58-156, and tampering with recycling center equipment is separately unlawful under § 58-157.
Violations & Fines
Delivering a load that is five percent or more cardboard by weight or volume to the county waste facility draws a written warning on the first offense, a surcharge of four times the current tipping fee on the second, and nine times the tipping fee on the third or any later offense under § 58-31(c). Entering a container or recycling site outside normal hours is prosecuted as trespass under § 58-156, and tampering with recycling equipment is a separate offense under § 58-157.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recycle cardboard in Burke County?
What happens if my trash load has too much cardboard mixed in?
Why does cardboard get treated differently from other trash?
Are there rules for using the county's recycling centers generally?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Burke County
Compare Burke County to another location·View the North Carolina trash & recycling overview
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