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

Raleigh Solid Waste Services collects yard waste, leaves included, under City Code § 7-2005. The city's Leaf Collection Options page states that on September 8, 2026, loose-leaf collection was replaced with weekly yard waste pickup and that your collection day remains the same. The code leaves the calendar to the Director of Solid Waste Services, who sets collection day through a published schedule, so neither the code nor the city page prints a list of leaf dates or zones.

The city page gives residents three choices. Bin it: put leaves in the yard waste cart, with no need to separate them from pinecones, pine straw, grass clippings or bark. Bag it: leaves that do not fit in the cart go in paper biodegradable bags, and the page allows up to 15 additional bags at the curb next to the cart or carts, plus up to 5 bundles of sticks or twigs. Leave it: skip collection and mulch the leaves into the lawn, rake them into garden beds, or compost at home. Section 7-2005(a)(3)a backs the same preparation methods: the bright green 95-gallon cart, a maximum of 15 biodegradable paper bags, and a maximum of 5 bundles tied with natural materials, each no longer than 5 feet, 18 inches in diameter and 50 pounds.

Placement rules sit in § 7-2005(a)(3)b. The collection point is the curb line at the street, the area between the sidewalk and the curb, or a point the Director authorizes. Yard waste goes out no earlier than 6:00 a.m. on the day before the designated collection day. It must not block any street or public right-of-way, must be at least 5 feet from other objects, and crews must have direct access. A cart lid open 12 inches or less counts as closed. Under § 7-2005(d)(1), carts come off the curb by 7:00 p.m. the day after collection and stay out of bike lanes and traffic lanes.

Subsection (b)(5) still describes a seasonal loose leaf program run by the Transportation Department, and adds that for collection by Solid Waste Services, leaves are prepared under § 7-2005(a)(3). The city page says loose-leaf collection was replaced, so prepare leaves under (a)(3).

A second yard waste cart is allowed under § 7-2005(a)(3)a.1 for a one-time fee plus a recurring monthly fee. Neither the code nor the leaf page prints the amounts. Order online or call the Customer Support Center at 919-996-3245.