Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Salisbury
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 Bin (Trash)
All garbage must be securely bagged before going into the green cart. Place the cart at the curb by 7:00 a.m. with the handle facing your house and keep it three feet away from all obstacles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Standard household refuse
Blue or City-Branded Cart Bin (Recycling)
Recycling is collected bi-weekly on your regular trash day. All items must be placed loose in the cart. Glass is strictly prohibited and must be taken to a county drop-off site.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs (Numbers 1 and 2)
- ✓Paper, junk mail, and magazines
- ✓Flattened corrugated cardboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass bottles and jars
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Tanglers and cords
Yard Waste Bin
Yard debris is collected weekly. Do not set out piles of dirt. Limbs and yard debris are limited to one truckload per week. Place separate from your garbage and recycling carts.
Accepted Items
- ✓Limbs and branches
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Shrubbery clippings
- ✓Leaves and vegetation
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By appointment on your regular collection day
Placement
Place scheduled items at the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on your regular trash day, keeping them at least three feet away from your roll-out carts.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (couches, tables, chairs)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Appliances (refrigerators, washers)
- ✓ Treadmills and exercise equipment
- ✓ Drained lawnmowers
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste and chemicals
- ✕ Propane tanks
- ✕ Fuel-filled equipment
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Soil and dirt piles
Fees start at $10 for the first two bulky items, plus $5 for each additional item. Bags or boxes of extra trash cost $2.50 each. Payments must be made in advance.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Regular garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection occurs on EVERY holiday, except Christmas. When Christmas falls on a weekday, collections for the rest of the week are typically delayed by one day.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste collections follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as regular garbage and recycling.
Because Salisbury crews work through major holidays like Thanksgiving and July 4th, always have your bins out by 7:00 a.m. on those days.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Winter Holidays
DecemberChristmas is the only holiday where standard garbage and recycling collections are suspended. Service will shift by one day for the remainder of the week following Christmas Day.
Autumn/Winter
October to JanuaryTake advantage of the city's loose leaf collection. Rake leaves to the edge of your yard (no more than five feet deep) and keep them out of the street and away from storm drains to prevent flooding.
Spring/Summer
March to AugustIf your spring yard cleanup produces more than one truckload of brush and limbs, you will be subject to a minimum $75 bulk brush removal charge. The exact fee is determined by the Public Services Director.
Local Tips & Community Info
Salisbury Trash and Recycling Schedule Overview
For residents of Salisbury, North Carolina, keeping the community clean is a shared priority. The City of Salisbury Public Services department provides dependable curbside waste collection for both households and businesses. Your standard household garbage, recycling, and yard waste are all collected on the same designated day each week. The city provides a dedicated roll-out cart for each home at no additional charge. When you move to a new location, remember to leave this cart at the residence for the next occupant. Regular collection helps keep the neighborhoods looking beautiful and prevents the buildup of unwanted debris.
Rules for Cart Placement and Timings
To ensure a smooth pickup process, the city has established specific guidelines for how and when to place your bins. You must roll your trash and recycling carts to the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. Once emptied, the carts need to be pulled back from the street by midnight. Proper positioning is crucial for the automated trucks to work effectively. Place your carts within two feet of the roadside, making sure the handle faces toward your property. Allow a minimum of three feet of clearance between your cart and any other objects like mailboxes, telephone poles, or a second bin.
Yard Waste Collection Guidelines in Salisbury
Disposing of organic outdoor debris is straightforward if you follow the local rules. Yard waste—which includes grass clippings, leaves, and tree limbs—is picked up weekly on the same day as your regular trash. Tree branches must be cut to lengths of six feet or shorter and cannot exceed eight inches in diameter. Stack these limbs neatly near the curb without blocking water meters or fire hydrants. From mid-October through mid-March, the city runs vacuum machines for loose leaves. Outside of these months, all leaves must be securely bagged. Please note that dirt piles are not accepted, and heavy loads exceeding one and a half tons will incur a $75 assessment fee.
How to Schedule a Bulky Waste Pickup
Got an old couch or extra-large boxes that will not fit in your standard rollout cart? Any items left outside your city-issued bins are classified as bulky waste and require special scheduling. To get these large items collected on your regular trash day, you must schedule and pay for the pickup by 2:30 p.m. on the previous business day. The minimum charge is $10 for up to two bulky items, plus $5 for each additional piece. Extra bags or boxes cost $2.50 each. You can set this up by calling the Public Works department or visiting the Administration Building on West Franklin Street.
Holiday Delays and Service Adjustments
Holiday schedules often disrupt normal utility routines in many cities, but Salisbury keeps it remarkably simple. The Public Services department runs regular garbage collection on almost every single holiday throughout the year. The only exception to this rule is Christmas Day. If your regular trash day falls on Christmas, the city will provide alternate collection dates in advance. For all other major holidays like Thanksgiving, Labor Day, or Independence Day, simply roll your carts out by 7:00 a.m. as usual.
Drop-off Facilities
Rowan County Recycling Processing Center
1102 N Long Street, Salisbury, NC 28144
Materials Accepted
Rowan County Landfill
785 Campbell Road, Woodleaf, NC 27054
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should I put my trash cart out in Salisbury?
All trash and recycling rollout carts must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your designated collection day. You must remove the carts from the curb by midnight on the same day.
How do I properly dispose of tree limbs and yard debris?
Tree limbs must be cut to a maximum of six feet in length and eight inches in diameter. Stack them neatly at the curb with a three-foot clearance from other objects. Do not mix other household trash with your yard waste.
Are holidays observed for trash pickup?
The City of Salisbury maintains its regular garbage collection schedule on every holiday of the year, with the sole exception of Christmas Day.