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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Yard waste defined
Brush, limbs, vegetative material
Barred from
General landfill area
Also barred from
Solid waste containers
Misdirected-load surcharge
Greater of fee or $25
Cited at
§2, §4(3)(t), §4(14)(d)(xx)

Summary

Alamance County's Solid Waste Management Ordinance defines yard waste as brush, tree limbs, and similar vegetative material from landscaping, and specifically bars it from both the sanitary landfill's regular disposal area and standard solid waste containers, steering it toward separate handling rather than the household trash stream.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Alamance County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Yard waste means solid waste resulting from landscaping and yard maintenance such as brush, tree limbs, and similar vegetative material... The following wastes may not be disposed of in the landfill: ... (t) Yard waste... The following wastes may not be deposited in solid waste containers: ... xx. Yard waste.

Full Breakdown

Section 2 of the ordinance defines yard waste as "solid waste resulting from landscaping and yard maintenance such as brush, tree limbs, and similar vegetative material," distinguishing it from construction/demolition debris and land-clearing debris, which are defined separately and also excluded from ordinary disposal. Section 4(3) lists the materials that may not be disposed of in the landfill during a resident's use of the county sanitary landfill, and yard waste is item (t) on that list, alongside white goods, tires, and other Target Recyclables the county tracks separately.

Section 4(14)(d), governing use of solid waste containers at the county's convenience centers, repeats the exclusion at item (xx): yard waste may not be deposited in solid waste containers any more than it can go to the general landfill face. Together the two provisions mean a resident cannot bag brush or limbs with household garbage or drop them at the standard landfill tipping area; the material has to go through whatever separate yard-waste or land-clearing handling the Solid Waste Department designates. Section 4(12) backs that split with a surcharge equal to the tipping fee or $25, whichever is greater, against anyone who dumps a load that is at least 50% Target Recyclables into the general landfill or containers instead of the area set aside for them.

Violations & Fines

Depositing yard waste in the general landfill area or a solid waste container is enforced the same as any other Chapter violation: a misdemeanor under N.C. Gen. Stat. §14-4 carrying up to a $500 fine and 30 days in jail, or a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for the county's correction costs. Loads found to be at least half misdirected recyclable or excluded material also draw the Section 4(12) surcharge, the greater of the standard tipping fee or $25.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put brush and tree limbs in my regular trash container in Alamance County?
No. Section 4(14)(d)(xx) of the Solid Waste Management Ordinance lists yard waste among the materials that may not be deposited in solid waste containers, and Section 4(3)(t) separately bars it from the general landfill disposal area, so it has to be handled through the county's dedicated yard-waste process.
What counts as yard waste under Alamance County's ordinance?
Section 2 defines it as solid waste from landscaping and yard maintenance such as brush, tree limbs, and similar vegetative material, a narrower category than the ordinance's separate definitions for construction/demolition debris and land-clearing debris, which cover building materials and site-clearing stumps and grass instead.
What happens if I mix yard waste into a load of regular trash at the landfill?
Section 4(12) imposes a surcharge equal to the tipping fee or $25, whichever is greater, on any load that is at least 50% Target Recyclables or otherwise excluded material dumped into the general landfill or containers instead of the area designated for it.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Alamance County

All Alamance County rules

Compare Alamance County to another location·View the North Carolina trash & recycling overview

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