New Hanover County, NC Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Max limb size
- 6 inches diameter, 4 feet long
- Clippings/leaves
- must be bagged
- Landfill status
- banned from lined cells, § 44-84(a)
- Contamination surcharge
- 100% if load over 15% yard waste
- Approved disposal
- yard waste facility or land-clearing landfill
- Backyard composting
- exempt, allowed under § 44-84(h)
Summary
New Hanover County collects tree limbs, branches and hedge trimmings at the curb under Sec. 44-43(3), but nothing over six inches in diameter or four feet long qualifies, and grass clippings and leaves must be bagged. Separately, Sec. 44-84 bans mixed yard waste from the lined landfill and imposes a tipping-fee surcharge on contaminated loads.
(3)Yard waste collection: Tree trunks, limbs, branches, tree trimmings, hedge cuttings and similar vegetative materials arranged for easy handling will be collected on a regular schedule. Grass clippings, leaves and other small vegetative debris must be placed in bags. In no case shall any individual limb, trunk or similar article larger than six inches in diameter or longer than four feet be collected or placed for collection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 15 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 44-43(3) sets the curbside rule for residential yard waste: tree trunks, limbs, branches, tree trimmings, hedge cuttings and similar vegetative material get picked up on a regular schedule as long as they are arranged for easy handling, while grass clippings, leaves and other small vegetative debris must go out in bags rather than loose. The size cap is explicit: no individual limb, trunk or similar piece larger than six inches in diameter or longer than four feet will be collected or placed for collection.
S. S. per Sec. 44-83, keeps yard waste out of the lined cells of the county secure landfill entirely under Sec. 44-84(a), bars solid waste collectors from commingling it with municipal solid waste under Sec. 44-84(c), and requires it to go to an approved yard waste processing facility or disposal site instead under Sec. 44-84(d), such as the county's land-clearing and inert debris landfill or the City of Wilmington's yard waste processing facility (a separate North Carolina municipal facility). A hauler who delivers an unseparated load that is more than 15 percent yard waste by volume, as the director of environmental management determines, is charged a 100 percent surcharge over the normal tipping fee for the whole load under Sec.
44-84(b). Plastic bags and other noncompostable containers are barred from the yard waste processing or disposal site itself under Sec. 44-84(e), and residents remain free to compost or mulch yard waste themselves under the exemption preserved in Sec. 44-84(h).
Violations & Fines
Putting an oversized limb or a loose pile of clippings at the curb simply means the county leaves it uncollected under Sec. 44-43(3); it is not itself billed as a separate offense. Haulers who deliver unseparated loads exceeding the 15 percent yard waste threshold pay a 100 percent tipping-fee surcharge under Sec. 44-84(b), and any other violation of chapter 44 remains a misdemeanor under Sec. 44-58 punishable by up to a $500.00 fine or 30 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size yard debris will New Hanover County pick up?
Do I have to bag my grass clippings and leaves?
Can I compost yard waste at home instead of putting it out for collection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Hanover County
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