Raleigh, NC Waste Collection Schedule
Complete waste management schedule including trash pickup, recycling, bulk waste, and special collections for Raleigh.
Population: 474,069
147.6 sq mi
Updated: January 19, 2025
Collection Zones & Pickup Days
Find your neighborhood to see your collection schedule
View Interactive Zone MapDowntown / Central Raleigh
Trash:Tuesday
Recycling:Tuesday
Yard Waste:Tuesday
Neighborhoods:
- •Downtown
- •Oakwood
- •Mordecai
- •Glenwood-Brooklyn
- •Boylan Heights
- •Bloomsbury
- •Person Street
- •Warehouse District
- •Moore Square
- •City Market
- •Capitol District
- •Historic Oakwood
North Raleigh
Trash:Wednesday
Recycling:Wednesday
Yard Waste:Wednesday
Neighborhoods:
- •North Hills
- •Wakefield
- •Six Forks
- •Crossroads
- •Falls River
- •Bedford
- •Springdale
- •Bent Tree
- •Stonehenge
- •North Ridge
- •Brookhaven
- •Quail Corners
Northeast Raleigh / Brier Creek
Trash:Thursday
Recycling:Thursday
Yard Waste:Thursday
Neighborhoods:
- •Brier Creek
- •River Glen
- •Hedingham
- •Abbington
- •Piper Ridge
- •Wakefield Forest
- •Neuse Crossing
- •Foreston
- •Barton's Creek
- •Midtown
- •Townside Square
West Raleigh / Five Points
Trash:Friday
Recycling:Friday
Yard Waste:Friday
Neighborhoods:
- •Five Points
- •Hayes Barton
- •Glenwood South
- •Hillsborough Street Corridor
- •Budleigh
- •Ridgewood
- •Cameron Park
- •University Park
- •University Woods
- •NCSU Campus Area
- •Method
- •Lake Johnson
Southeast Raleigh
Trash:Tuesday
Recycling:Tuesday
Yard Waste:Tuesday
Neighborhoods:
- •Chavis Heights
- •Walnut Terrace
- •Southgate
- •South Park
- •Idlewild
- •Anderson Heights
- •Eastgate
- •Barwell
- •Millbrook Exchange
- •Oakwood South
Southwest Raleigh
Trash:Wednesday
Recycling:Wednesday
Yard Waste:Wednesday
Neighborhoods:
- •Brentwood
- •Western Manor
- •Trinity Park
- •Gorman
- •Tryon Hills
- •Lake Park
- •NCSU Centennial Campus
- •Ashe-Gorman
- •Caraleigh
- •Blue Ridge
Service Provider
municipalCity of Raleigh Solid Waste Services
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM; Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Bulk Waste Pickup
Frequency
Once every 90 days (Free) or On-demand (Paid)
Registration
Required
Accepted Items
- •Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, desks)
- •Mattresses and box springs
- •Appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers)
- •Push lawnmowers
- •Bicycles (no tires)
- •Grills (propane tank must be removed)
- •Small metal items
- •Wood furniture
- •Exercise equipment
- •Electronic items (up to 4 items per week, free)
Not Accepted
- •Tires
- •Automobile parts
- •Construction and demolition debris
- •Contractor materials
- •Yard waste (use regular yard waste collection)
- •Tree limbs over 5 feet
- •Loose leaves
- •Items that fit in regular garbage cart
- •Propane tanks (take to HHW facility)
- •Hazardous waste
- •Concrete, bricks, rocks
- •Dirt or soil
Free bulky load collection is available once every 90 days, up to 4 cubic yards per address. Must call (919) 996-3245 to schedule. Place items at curbside. Special load collection available for $70 per 4 cubic yard load. E-waste collection is FREE, up to 4 electronic items per week. Items containing Freon must be clearly marked.
Recycling Program
Type
single-stream
Frequency
Bi-weekly (alternates with yard waste on the same collection day)
Cart Color
Blue or Green (varies by schedule)
Accepted Materials
- •Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars with lids (water bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles, dairy containers)
- •Glass bottles and jars (all colors - wine, beer, sauce jars, baby food jars)
- •Metal cans (aluminum and steel beverage cans, soup cans, food cans)
- •Paper products (newspaper, magazines, office paper, envelopes, brown paper bags)
- •Cardboard (cereal boxes, shipping boxes - flatten all boxes)
- •Cartons (milk cartons, juice boxes, soup cartons)
- •Paper towel and toilet paper rolls
- •Chip cans (cardboard with metal bottom)
- •Disposable coffee cups (paper)
Not Accepted
- •Plastic bags, plastic wrap, or plastic film (take to retail drop-off at grocery stores)
- •Plastic cups and lids
- •Styrofoam or foam containers
- •Straws
- •Shredded paper
- •Food-tainted items (greasy pizza boxes, food-soiled paper)
- •Aerosol cans (take to HHW facility)
- •Batteries (take to HHW facility)
- •Electronics
- •Textiles and clothing
- •Aluminum foil
- •Ceramics and pottery
- •Household glass (drinking glasses, mirrors, windows)
- •Medical waste
- •Hazardous materials
- •Tanglers (cords, hoses, wires, chains)
- •Tires
- •Toys
- •Diapers
Place all recyclable items LOOSE in your recycling cart - NEVER bag recyclables. Empty and rinse all containers before recycling. Flatten cardboard boxes. Recycling is collected bi-weekly on either Schedule A or Schedule B - use the Raleigh Reuse Web Tool to determine your schedule. Place cart at curb by 6:00 AM on collection day. Contamination (non-recyclable items) can cause entire loads to be rejected.
Holiday Schedule
Raleigh observes Thanksgiving Day as the ONLY holiday affecting collection schedules. When Thanksgiving falls on a regular collection day, service is delayed by one day for the remainder of that week only. Collections scheduled for Thursday move to Friday, and Friday collections move to Saturday. Other major holidays (New Year's Day, Christmas Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day) DO NOT affect the regular collection schedule - service continues as normal. Always check the Raleigh Reuse Web Tool or Mobile App for the most current holiday schedule information.
Important Information
City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services provides comprehensive waste collection to single-family residential properties within Raleigh city limits:
COLLECTION SCHEDULE:
- Garbage: Weekly collection (Tuesday through Friday, depending on your address)
- Recycling: Bi-weekly collection (Schedule A or Schedule B)
- Yard Waste: Bi-weekly collection (alternates with recycling)
- Bulky Items: Free once every 90 days (must schedule), or $70 per special load
- E-Waste: Free weekly collection (up to 4 items, must schedule)
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- Place all carts and bags at curb by 6:00 AM on collection day
- Remove carts from curb by end of collection day
- Carts must be within 5 feet of curb with handles facing your property
- Keep lids closed on all carts
- Do not block sidewalks, driveways, or mailboxes
- Maintain clear access for collection trucks
FIND YOUR COLLECTION DAY:
Raleigh uses address-based scheduling. To find your specific collection day and schedule:
- Raleigh Reuse Web Tool: https://raleighnc.gov/fix-it-report-it-request-it/services/find-your-services
- Raleigh Reuse Mobile App: Available for iOS and Android
- Call: (919) 996-3245 during customer service hours
- Email: sws@raleighnc.gov
CART LIMITS:
- City limits customers to TWO carts per collection type, regardless of container size
- 65-gallon and 95-gallon carts are available for purchase
- Additional yard waste cart: $2/month
MISSED COLLECTION:
Report missed collections by calling (919) 996-3245 and pressing 1. Allow until end of business day before reporting as missed, as collection times vary throughout the day. Report online at cityworks.raleighnc.gov/missedcollection/
RECYCLING RIGHT:
- Place items LOOSE in cart - never bag recyclables
- Empty and rinse all containers
- Flatten cardboard boxes
- When in doubt, throw it out - contamination ruins entire recycling loads
WAKE COUNTY RESOURCES:
Raleigh residents can use Wake County facilities for:
- Household hazardous waste disposal (three locations)
- Food scrap composting drop-off (Convenience Centers #2, #4, and #7)
- Additional recycling options
- Electronics recycling
YARD WASTE CHANGES (Effective July 5, 2022):
- NO PLASTIC BAGS accepted
- Use biodegradable paper bags, city-issued carts, or bundles only
- Customer-owned containers no longer accepted
- Limits: 15 bags (25 lbs each) or 5 bundles (50 lbs each) per collection
Official Data Sources
- https://raleighnc.gov/departments/solid-waste-services
- https://raleighnc.gov/landfill-and-reuse/services/solid-waste-fees
- https://raleighnc.gov/trash-recycling-and-clean/collection-schedules-garbage-recycling-and-yard-waste
- https://raleighnc.gov/landfill-and-reuse/services/recycling-residents/recycling-dos-and-donts
- https://raleighnc.gov/landfill-and-reuse/services/bulky-special-and-e-waste-collection
- https://raleighnc.gov/landfill-and-reuse/services/garbage-recycling-and-yard-waste-preparation
- https://raleighnc.gov/fix-it-report-it-request-it/services/find-your-services
- https://www.wake.gov/departments-government/waste-recycling/facilities/household-hazardous-waste-facilities
- https://www.wake.gov/departments-government/waste-recycling/outreach-and-education/community-programs/food-scraps-composting
- https://cityworks.raleighnc.gov/missedcollection/