Guilford County, NC Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Removal frequency
- At least once every 7 days
- Recyclables removal
- At least once every 14 days
- Hauling requirement
- Must be enclosed or tarp-covered
- Watershed dumping penalty
- $500 civil penalty, +25%
- General chapter penalty
- Up to $3,000 civil penalty
- Criminal exposure
- Up to $500 fine, 30 days jail
Summary
Guilford County treats leaves, grass clippings, and other yard debris as regulated solid waste: it must be removed from your property weekly, hauled in a covered load, and never dumped on land, in ditches, or in streams.
Yard waste means solid waste consisting solely of vegetative matter resulting from landscaping maintenance per. 130A-290(a)(45). ... (e) Discarding of solid waste regulated. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, discard, bury, store, dispose, leave or dump any trash, debris, garbage, litter, electronics, recyclables, discarded cans or receptacles, land-clearing debris, construction and demolition debris, white goods, yard trash, scrap tires or any other solid waste upon any property, including any street or highway, within Guilford County unless such solid waste is placed in an authorized and lawfully designated location, landfill or container for removal by an authorized solid waste collector. ... (f) Frequency of removal. The owner or occupier of all premises upon which solid waste is accumulated or stored shall remove or cause to be removed or disposed of all such materials from such premises at least once each week, meaning once each seven (7) days.
Full Breakdown
5 of the Guilford County Code defines "yard waste" as solid waste consisting solely of vegetative matter from landscaping maintenance (Sec. 5-1). Under Sec. 5-3(f), the owner or occupier of any premises where solid waste, including yard waste, accumulates must remove it at least once every seven days; recyclable materials get a longer 14-day window. 5-3(e) makes it unlawful to place, discard, bury, or dump yard trash on any property, street, or highway unless it goes to an authorized disposal location, landfill, or container serviced by a licensed solid waste collector.
Transporting yard waste in an open truck bed or trailer is also barred: Sec. 5-3(b) requires the load be in an enclosed vehicle or container, or covered by a metal or fabric tarp. Dumping yard debris in an open lot, ditch, creek, or pond is separately declared a public nuisance under Sec. 5-2(2)-(3). A separate stormwater provision, Sec. 12(E), assesses a distinct civil penalty when yard waste is improperly disposed of in a way that reaches receiving streams or the drainage network, and Sec. 12(G) adds a 25 percent surcharge if the violation occurs in a designated water-supply watershed area, which covers much of the county feeding the Randleman Lake and Greensboro reservoirs.
Violations & Fines
General yard-waste dumping or uncovered hauling draws a civil penalty up to $3,000 under Sec. 15.5-4(e) and a misdemeanor of up to $500 or 30 days in jail under Sec. 15.5-4(g). Improper disposal reaching a stream or drainage system carries its own $500 civil penalty under Sec. 9-4.12(E), increased 25 percent in a watershed area.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must I clear yard waste from my property in Guilford County?
Can I haul grass clippings loose in my truck bed?
What if I dump leaves or clippings in a ditch instead of the landfill?
Is the penalty higher near Randleman Lake or the Greensboro watershed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Guilford County
Compare Guilford County to another location·View the North Carolina trash & recycling overview
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