Gastonia, NC Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Section 11-86 of the city code limits yard waste collection to single-family and special residential units on the same day as regular curbside trash pickup, once a week. Trimmings must be separated from trash and bagged or bundled properly; collection is capped at one truckload of tree and shrubbery trimmings per residence per week unless the administrator approves more. Private yard waste containers cannot exceed 32 gallons and must have lids removed and handles attached, or residents can get a city-provided 96-gallon yard waste cart from the solid waste division.

Limbs collected by city crews cannot be larger than 4 inches in diameter or longer than 5 feet, must be stacked in neat piles a single person could carry, and each pile cannot weigh more than 50 pounds or exceed 4 feet in height or 5 feet in length. Tree trunks over 4 inches in diameter and tree stumps are never collected. Loose leaves can go in the 96-gallon cart anytime, but the city's vacuum leaf-loading equipment only runs October 15 through February 15 each season; outside that window, leaves must be bagged or carted, and loose leaf or grass clipping pickup requires a scheduled appointment and an extra fee set by the administrator or council. The solid waste division will not collect yard waste generated by a paid commercial yard service or a land-clearing job.