Trash

The Recycling & Trash Services Division provides weekly curbside trash pick up for residential and commercial city trash customers within the city limits. The division is funded by monthly fees charged by the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority to City Recycling & Trash Services customers based on their chosen level of service.

Trash and recycling services within the Downtown Central Business District (CBD) are provided by the city's "Bag It" program

Included in your Service

City service includes roll-out trash container/cart, recycling cart, yard waste and bulky collection. Trash and yard waste are collected weekly and recycling is collected bi-weekly. Large (bulky) items are collected upon request by calling the Recycling & Trash Services Office at 910.341.7875. A choice of two trash cart sizes is available: a 95-gallon and a 35-gallon cart. By maximizing the amount you recycle, your household may only require a small cart.

The monthly rates include weekly trash and yard waste collections, bi-weekly recycling, as well as bulky item collection upon request. Extra bagged trash that does not fit in your cart requires the purchase of orange extra trash stickers.

To purchase stickers, call the Recycle and Trash Services Office at 910.341.7875. Stickers will be mailed to you and charged to your utility account. A minimum of 12 stickers must be purchased at one time. Stickers may also be purchased and picked up from the collections office at 929 N. Front St. Solid Waste recommends keeping extra stickers on hand for that unexpected heavy trash week. The stickers do not expire.

Collection Time

All household trash, recycling, yard waste, and scheduled bulky pick-up must be at the curb by 6 a.m. on your weekly pickup day. All materials (refuse, recycling, yard waste, and scheduled bulky/electronic or metal pick-up) may be set out on the public right-of-way after noon the day before your scheduled pick up day. Please make sure trash will not blow away or block traffic or storm drains. All containers must be removed from the city right of way by the end of that day.

Holiday Schedule

The Recycling & Trash Services Office does not collect items on Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day or New Year's Day. Holiday pickup schedules will be announced prior to the date.

The administrative office is closed on all city-recognized holidays:

  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Good Friday
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Veterans' Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

Household Trash Preparation

Household trash must be bagged and placed in a city roll-out cart/container. Please double bag extra smelly trash such as diapers, cat litter, etc. to prevent leakage. Please do not overfill your container. The lid should close. Bagged trash not in the container will not be picked up without orange extra trash stickers.

To purchase stickers, call the Solid Waste Office at 910.341.7875. Stickers will be mailed to you and charged to your utility account. A minimum of 12 stickers must be purchased at one time. Stickers may also be purchased and picked up from the collections office at 929 N. Front St. Solid Waste recommends keeping extra stickers on hand for that unexpected heavy trash week. The stickers do not expire.

Items City Service Will Not Collect

  • Liquids or sharp items, which are dangerous for city crews
  • Dirt, rocks, concrete or commercial demolition materials
  • Hot ashes
  • Wet paint liquids (paint cans must be dried out completely)
  • Hazardous materials
  • Chemicals or pesticides
  • Medical waste: New Hanover County manages two drop-off locations to take prescription drugs to year-round, no questions asked. There is a locked metal container with a drop slot in the first floor lobbies of the County Jail (3950 Juvenile Center Road, Castle Hayne) or the Historic Courthouse (24 N. 3rd St., Wilmington).
  • Flammables
  • Tires (residents may take five tires to the New Hanover County landfill to dispose of at no charge).
  • Items too large or heavy for collection trucks

Many of the above items are available for disposal with New Hanover County.