Cleveland County, NC Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition
- § 11-28, grass/leaves/branches/tree trunks
- License required
- § 11-61, paid yard-waste haulers
- Issued by
- County solid waste director
- Free option
- County convenience centers, self-haul to landfill
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, § 11-29
Summary
Cleveland County defines yard waste narrowly, as grass, leaves, flowers, stalks, stems, tree trimmings, branches and tree trunks, under Code § 11-28. Anyone who collects, transports or disposes of yard waste for a fee in unincorporated Cleveland County must first obtain a non-exclusive license from the solid waste director under § 11-61; residents cannot simply hire an unlicensed hauler.
Yard waste means grass, leaves, flowers, stalks, stems, tree trimmings, branches, and tree trunks. ... Under the provisions of this division, the solid waste director shall have authority to grant non-exclusive licenses for the collection, transportation, and proper disposal of solid waste from commercial, industrial, and business establishments throughout the county for a fee and to grant non-exclusive licenses for the collection, transportation, and proper disposal of bulky waste, yard waste, and/or any other waste that is not subject to a franchise granted under division 3 of this article from any establishments throughout the county for a fee. No person shall collect, transport, or dispose of such solid waste for a fee, hire, or consideration without a license issued by the solid waste director under this division.
Full Breakdown
Section 11-28 sets the county's definition of yard waste, limiting it to grass, leaves, flowers, stalks, stems, tree trimmings, branches and tree trunks, and distinguishing it from 'rubbish' and general 'solid waste' elsewhere in the same section. Because yard waste is not the same category as the residential curbside garbage covered by the weekly franchise system in division 3, the county licenses it separately under division 2. Section 11-61 gives the solid waste director authority to grant non-exclusive licenses for the collection, transportation and disposal of bulky waste and yard waste from establishments throughout the county for a fee, and it is unlawful to collect yard waste for a fee without that license.
A licensee must sign a solid waste collector agreement covering the terms in § 11-62, including insurance, licensed drivers and covered, leak-proof vehicles. The county's own convenience centers accept yard waste from residents alongside regular solid waste, since § 11-40 lists only hazardous, liquid, infectious, radioactive, construction/demolition and similar materials as excluded, and yard waste is not on that exclusion list; residents may also self-haul yard waste to the sanitary landfill under § 11-34(a)(5)b.
Violations & Fines
Collecting or transporting yard waste for a fee without a division 2 license is a violation of § 11-61 and, under § 11-29, a misdemeanor. The solid waste director can also revoke a license under § 11-64 after written notice and a ten-day cure period if a licensee's equipment or practices violate state or local rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to haul my own yard waste to the dump?
Can any landscaper haul away my yard debris for money?
Does the county pick up yard waste at the curb for free?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland County
Compare Cleveland County to another location·View the North Carolina trash & recycling overview
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