Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Matthews
North Carolina residential routes run Monday through Friday. Please refer to your city or county zoning map for your specific curbside collection day.
State Mandate
NC DEQ strictly bans aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and electronics from landfill disposal.
Green with Blue Lid Bin (Trash)
All garbage MUST be bagged before being placed in the cart. Place the cart at the curb by 7:00 a.m.. Trash outside the cart is not collected, except during designated post-holiday weeks.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
- ✓Standard household refuse
96-Gallon Cart Bin (Recycling)
Collection is bi-weekly. All recyclables must be empty, clean, dry, and placed LOOSE inside the cart. Do NOT bag your recycling.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Paper and magazines
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Electronics
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Hoses and tanglers
Yard Waste Bin
Collected weekly. Bags must weigh 40 lbs or less. Limbs must be under 4 feet long and 5 inches in diameter, arranged in stacks no larger than 3 feet high (maximum 3 stacks). Tree trunks and root balls are not accepted.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Small tree limbs
- ✓Shrubbery trimmings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
On-Call / By Appointment Only
Placement
Once scheduled, place bulk items at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day, ensuring they are clear of overhead wires and tree branches.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (couches, tables, chairs)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Appliances (refrigerators, washers, water heaters)
- ✓ Non-spoilable household goods
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction and demolition (C&D) waste
- ✕ Electronic waste (e-waste)
- ✕ Batteries
- ✕ Household hazardous waste
- ✕ Tree trunks and stumps
A small fee is required for bulk collection, which must be paid in advance over the phone when scheduling with Waste Pro.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a holiday falls on a weekday, collections for the remainder of the week are typically delayed by one day. For all other holidays, there are no service interruptions.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and bulk collections follow the same holiday delay schedule as regular trash.
Always refer to the official Waste Pro Matthews calendar to confirm exact date shifts for the Red and Gray recycling weeks.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Do Not Bag Your Recyclables
While your trash must be bagged, your recycling must remain loose. Plastic garbage bags jam the equipment at the recycling processing center. Dump your clean recyclables directly into the cart.
Keep Food and Liquids Out
Ensure all bottles, cans, and jars are completely empty, clean, and dry before recycling them. Liquid and food residue can contaminate an entire truckload of clean paper and cardboard.
Hazardous Waste is Prohibited
Never place used motor oil, wet paint, batteries, or medical waste (like needles) into your trash or recycling carts. These must be taken to a Mecklenburg County drop-off facility.
Seasonal Information
Winter Holidays
November to JanuaryWaste Pro allows for extra bagged trash to be placed outside of your green cart exclusively during the weeks immediately following Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day [5.1.1].
Spring/Summer
March to AugustDuring peak lawn care season, remember that heavy yard waste bags will be left behind. Keep bags of wet grass clippings under the 40-pound limit to ensure collection.
Fall
September to NovemberWhen clearing autumn leaves and brush, ensure all branches are cut to 4 feet in length and stacked properly. Large piles exceeding town limits require a private removal service.
About Matthews Waste Management
Matthews Partners with Waste Pro for Solid Waste Services
The Town of Matthews exclusively contracts with Waste Pro to manage residential solid waste, recycling, and yard waste [1.1.1]. Residents are provided with specific 96-gallon carts for trash (green cart with a blue lid) and recycling. All garbage must be bagged before being placed inside the cart, and carts must be set out the night before or by 7:00 a.m. on your designated collection day.
Understanding Bi-Weekly Recycling Routes
While trash and yard waste are collected weekly, single-stream recycling is collected every other week on your regular garbage day. The town is divided into 'Gray' (A) and 'Red' (B) recycling weeks. You can download the color-coded calendar from the Waste Pro website to track exactly which week applies to your specific street.
On-Call Bulk Waste Collection System
Unlike municipalities that offer open curbside bulk collection, Matthews requires residents to actively schedule their large item pickups. If you have furniture, mattresses, or white goods (appliances), you must call Waste Pro at 980-325-3640 to request a pickup and pay a small fee in advance. Once scheduled, the items will be collected on your standard trash day.
Strict Yard Waste Size Limits
Yard waste is picked up weekly, but only if properly prepared. Yard debris bags cannot exceed 40 pounds. For tree limbs and branches, they must be cut to maximum lengths of 4 feet and diameters no larger than 5 inches. Furthermore, branches must be neatly stacked to a maximum height of 3 feet, and residents are limited to three stacks per week.
Holiday Overflow Exceptions
As a strict rule, Waste Pro will not collect garbage placed outside of the 96-gallon cart. However, Matthews has a special exception for holiday overflow: during the weeks immediately following Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day, crews will collect excess bagged trash left beside your cart to accommodate the seasonal surge in household waste.
Drop-off Facilities
Foxhole Recycling Center (Mecklenburg County)
17131 Lancaster Highway, Charlotte, NC 28277
Materials Accepted
Compost Central and Recycling Center
140 Valleydale Road, Charlotte, NC 28214
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Matthews have free bulk trash pickup?
No. Matthews residents must call Waste Pro at 980-325-3640 to schedule a bulk waste collection and pay a small fee in advance [1.1.1]. Items placed at the curb without scheduling will not be collected.
What should I do if my garbage doesn't fit in my cart?
Waste Pro requires all trash to be placed inside the 96-gallon cart. They will not collect bags placed on the ground, except during the specific holiday exception weeks following Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
How do I know if it is my recycling week?
Recycling is collected bi-weekly on a 'Gray' (A) or 'Red' (B) schedule. You can determine your street's assigned week by downloading the official color-coded calendar from the Waste Pro Matthews website.
Are there size restrictions for tree branches left at the curb?
Yes. Tree limbs must be cut to a maximum length of 4 feet and cannot be thicker than 5 inches in diameter. They must be stacked no higher than 3 feet, and you are limited to three stacks per week.