Raleigh, NC Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard waste cart
- 95 gallons, bright green, City-issued
- Paper bags
- capped at 15 per collection day
- Bundle limits
- 5 ft long, 18 in diameter, 50 lbs max
- Bundle cap
- 5 bundles per collection day
- Not eligible
- contractors and HOA common areas
Summary
Raleigh residents can set out yard waste three ways: in the City-issued 95-gallon green cart, in biodegradable paper bags capped at fifteen per collection day, or in bundles tied with natural twine that are no longer than five feet, no more than eighteen inches thick, and under fifty pounds, capped at five bundles per pickup.
(3)Properly prepared yard waste will be collected in the manner described below.a.Yard waste may be properly prepared for collection by using any of the following three (3) methods... 1.Place yard waste in a City-issued, bright green, ninety-five (95) gallon container (yard waste cart)...2.Place yard waste in biodegradable paper bags. A maximum of fifteen (15) yard waste bags may be placed at the collection point on collection day.3.Place yard waste in bundles. Yard waste bundles must be tied with natural materials, including without limitation, natural twine, rope, or fiber, and must be no longer than five (5) feet in length, eighteen (18) inches in diameter, and no heavier than fifty (50) pounds. A maximum of five (5) yard waste bundles may be placed at the collection point on collection day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 7-2005(a)(3) of the Raleigh City Code gives residents three interchangeable ways to prepare yard waste for collection, and all three may be used on the same collection day. The first is the City-issued, bright green 95-gallon yard waste cart with the lid closed (a lid open twelve inches or less still counts as closed); a resident who fills that cart between collections can request a second one for a one-time fee plus a recurring monthly charge. The second is biodegradable paper bags, capped at fifteen bags set out per collection day.
The third is bundles, which must be tied with natural material, twine, rope, or fiber, not plastic or wire, and can't exceed five feet in length, eighteen inches in diameter, or fifty pounds, with a maximum of five bundles per collection day. the day before pickup, must sit at least five feet from other objects, and can't block a street or right-of-way. The service has real limits: Solid Waste Services will not collect yard waste from contractors, from non-residential properties that don't qualify for garbage and recycling service, or from HOA- or property-management-maintained common areas, and contaminated yard waste mixed with garbage or recycling is refused outright.
Violations & Fines
Yard waste that's mixed with garbage, recycling, or unacceptable debris, or that exceeds the bag or bundle limits, will not be collected, and a person who repeatedly contaminates or improperly prepares yard waste is enforced under Sec. 7-2002.2: a warning, then a $250 fee, rising to $500 for a repeat violation or contamination.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bags of yard waste can I put out in Raleigh?
Can I tie tree limbs with wire for yard waste pickup?
Does Raleigh collect yard waste from a landscaping contractor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Raleigh
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Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle yard waste collection.