Central Business District Services

The Bag-It Program is a volume based, Recycling & Trash Services disposal and recycling service offered to residential and commercial customers within the Central Business District. The system enables customers to use a color-coded bag system for waste disposal, various options for recycling and offers multiple daily pick-up time options, mitigating trash and recycling material quickly and efficiently eliminating the need for storage space within the CBD.

This program was designed to promote a clean beautiful CBD reducing any source of issues related to trash, recycling and constraints of limited space in our unique historic CBD. You must be a City Recycling & Trash Services Customer to receive trash/recycling pick up service.

Residential Bag Voucher cards are issued annually for each address/customer signed up for city service in the CBD. If your card is lost, please call 910.341.0227 for a replacement. You must be the current account holder for the address and the lost card will be terminated.

Residential units located with in the CBD must have approved trash removal services. The City of Wilmington collects residential refuse seven days per week in this area. The service provides 10 Green residential bags per month. The service also provides curbside recycling in blue City of Wilmington recycling bins once per week. A voucher card is issued to all service subscribers and allows customers to pick-up a two-month supply of bags at the City of Wilmington located at 929 N. Front St. in downtown.

Bags should be tied closed and placed at the curb for collection using the following schedule:

• 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. daily
• 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily
• 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily

Bags or refuse should not be at the street except for at collection times. Possible fines to customers placing refuse at the street outside their scheduled time.

Bulky Item and Yard Waste collection are available when requested, at no additional charge, but specific appointments or schedules must be approved prior to placing items out for collection by calling 910.341.7875.

Residential Green bags are limited to 40 lbs.; and any sharp items, broken glass or needles should be sealed in a container before bagging. No liquids.

Commercial service in the CBD requires the use of City Blue trash bags imprinted with the City of Wilmington logo. Blue bags provide easy visibility for Recycling & Trash Services employees and confirmation of active account. Bags are purchased from Recycling & Trash Services by in quantities of 20 or cases of 100.

Order Blue Bags

The bags can be delivered at no charge during weekday business hours by calling 910.341.0227. Please allow up to two days for delivery.

Level of Service

Commercial customers choose the level of collection service that meets their businesses needs, from two times per week up to two times per day, seven days per week. The Bag program uses a frequency and volume billing system, which allows customers to choose the level of service needed and to only pay for the collection and volume necessary for their operations. The collection choices are listed below; please call for the associated rates.

• 2 times per week (Tuesday and Thursday)
• 3 times per week
• 4 times per week
• 6 times per week
• 7 days a week
• 2 times a day/7 days per week

The volume portion of service is determined by the quantity of Blue City bags needed.

This level of service is designed to accommodate our customers needs and promote a clean atmosphere for visitors, tourist, and your customers.

Proper Pick-up times

The Downtown CBD is on a strict pick-up schedule. In order to provide a clean and enjoyable downtown, trash on the street is monitored continuously.

Please instruct all employees and/or tenants of the Bag it Program guidelines to avoid receiving penalties to the property owners. The Recycling & Trash Services Department will be more than happy to provide informational materials on the program and time schedules.

Trash/Recycle can ONLY be out at your service times.

Pick up Schedule Options and Times

• 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Trash and Cardboard
• 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Trash and Cardboard
• 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.: Trash, Cardboard and ABC Recycling (commercial beverage containers)
• Wednesday Night – Mixed curbside recycling (blue city recycling bins)

Due to the large volume of cardboard materials recycled in the CBD, cardboard is picked up more frequently.

Please break down and leave flattened boxes placed at the curb for collection in designated trash pick-up location. It is recommended that trash bags are placed on top of cardboard to prevent blowing.

Schedule Pick up Options and Times

• 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Trash and Cardboard
• 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Trash and Cardboard
• 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.: Trash and Cardboard and ABC Recycling (commercial beverage containers)
• Wednesday Night – Blue Recycle Bins

The city’s recycling program is a voluntary program, available to all City Recycling & Trash Services Customers for collecting recyclable items at curbside. Recycling is provided as part of your trash collection, at no additional charge. To sign up, call 910.341.7875 and a blue container will be delivered to you at no additional charge.

Recycling collection is on Wednesday Night. Please do not put anything in your blue container that is not recyclable. Rinse out the items and replace caps before placing them in your blue recycling container.

Items that can be recycled include:

• Cans aluminum, tin, steel
• Glass bottles and jars
• Paper newspaper
• Plastic bottles and containers, empty, rinse and put caps back on
• Magazines
• Paper white, colored, and computer paper
• Cardboard boxes (must flatten first)
• Cereal and food boxes
• Phone books with soft covers
• Brochures, junk mail, paper bags
• Catalogs (less than 2 inches thick)
• File folders

Don’t put plastic shopping bags or plastic film in your blue recycling container. Do recycle plastic bags and film at local participating grocery and retail locations. Acceptable materials include clean & dry:

• Retail grocery & shopping bags
• Newspaper bags
• Ziploc & food storage bags
• Bathroom tissue, paper towel, napkin packaging film
• Bubble wrap
• Dry cleaner bags 

In addition to the collection of trash, crews also provide daily litter pick up, alley maintenance, bag delivery, street sweeping, emptying pedestrian recycling & trash receptacles on downtown streets and code enforcement.