Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Wilmington
Trash Day
Trash is collected once weekly, Monday through Friday, depending on your street route zone.
Recycling
Collected every other week on the same weekday as your trash collection (on alternating Blue or Green week schedules).
Yard Waste
Collected weekly on the same day as your trash collection.
Set Out Time
By 6:00 AM on collection day (may be set out after 12:00 PM the day before)
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Solid waste services are billed on your monthly Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) utility statement, with tiered volume savings if you opt for a smaller 35-gallon cart.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail, In-Person
Green or City-Issued Cart Bin (Trash)
All trash must be bagged and fit inside the cart with the lid closed. Carts must be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. Extra bags require an ORANGE trash sticker.
Accepted Items
- ✓Regular household garbage
- ✓Bagged pet waste
- ✓Food wrappers
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Collection is every other week on your normal trash day. Do not bag recyclables. Extra recycling can be placed in a cardboard box next to the cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs (#1-#7)
- ✓Newspapers, magazines, and office paper
- ✓Flattened cardboard and chipboard
- ✓Drink boxes and juice cartons
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Styrofoam/foam plastic
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Cords, hoses, and ropes
- ✕Household trash
Yard Waste Bin
Collected weekly on trash day. Max limit of 7 cubic yards. Loose items must be in a personal 30-gallon container or box. Do not use tarps, wheelbarrows, or city trash carts.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves and pine straw
- ✓Vines
- ✓Tree limbs (max 4 feet long and 6 inches in diameter)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By Appointment Only
Placement
Place items curbside by 6:00 a.m. on the scheduled day. You must separate bulk trash, electronics, and metal into distinct piles. Remove nails from lumber.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, mattresses)
- ✓ Large appliances/white goods
- ✓ Electronics (TVs, computers, printers)
- ✓ Oversized wood and metal items
Not Accepted
- ✕ Contractor debris
- ✕ Demolition/construction materials
- ✕ Hazardous materials and chemicals
- ✕ Wet paint and hot ashes
- ✕ Tires
There is no extra fee for standard residential customers, but appointments must be scheduled by 4:30 p.m. the business day prior.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Service that falls on a major holiday is typically delayed by one day for the remainder of the week. Saturday services usually run as normal.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste is collected on the same delayed schedule as regular household trash during holiday weeks.
Holidays like Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day often have normal collection schedules, though the solid waste office may be closed.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Summer/Fall
June - NovemberDuring Atlantic Hurricane Season, secure all rollout carts during high wind events. Do not place bulk items or yard debris at the curb if a tropical storm or hurricane warning is in effect.
Spring
March - MaySpring yard maintenance yields heavier yard waste volumes. Remember to bundle limbs under 4 feet and keep loose debris in open 30-gallon personal containers to ensure collection.
Winter
December - JanuaryPost-holiday excess trash that doesn't fit in your 35- or 95-gallon cart must have an ORANGE sticker to be collected. Break down and recycle all shipping boxes in your blue cart.
Local Tips & Community Info
Solid Waste Operations in the Port City
Maintaining the pristine coastal environment of Wilmington starts with proper residential waste management. The city provides a standardized rollout cart system to all eligible single-family homes. For regular household refuse, residents utilize the provided green cart. To guarantee your garbage is successfully collected, you must maneuver the bin to the curb no later than 7:30 a.m. on your assigned neighborhood service day. The container should be positioned as close to the street as possible, with the lid hinges facing your property. Because narrow coastal streets can get congested, always leave a three-foot buffer zone between your cart and any parked cars, mailboxes, or fire hydrants. Empty bins must be removed from the public right-of-way by the end of your collection day to avoid municipal citations.
Blue Cart Recycling for a Cleaner Coast
To reduce the amount of waste entering the New Hanover County Landfill, Wilmington operates a robust, bi-weekly recycling program. Residents are issued a blue rollout cart, which is collected every other week on an alternating schedule. The city utilizes a single-stream sorting process, meaning you do not need to separate your materials. You can freely mix rinsed glass bottles, metal cans, rigid plastic containers, and flattened cardboard boxes. However, the municipal facility strictly prohibits the inclusion of flimsy plastic grocery bags, styrofoam products, and tanglers like old fishing lines or garden hoses. These prohibited items cause catastrophic damage to the automated sorting gears and should be thrown in your regular green trash cart instead.
Handling Yard Waste and Storm Debris
Living in a heavily wooded coastal region means residents generate a significant amount of organic yard debris. Wilmington collects yard waste weekly on the exact same day as your standard garbage. Homeowners must place grass clippings, pine needles, and small leaves inside biodegradable paper yard sacks or a personal, reusable container that does not exceed a 32-gallon capacity. If you are trimming trees, limbs must be cut to lengths of four feet or less and neatly stacked parallel to the street. Plastic bags are explicitly banned for yard waste disposal. Following severe tropical storms or hurricanes, the city will typically announce specialized, large-scale debris removal routes via local news outlets.
Coordinating Bulky Item Collections
When upgrading your living room furniture or replacing a broken washing machine, you cannot simply abandon the old items on the sidewalk. Wilmington requires residents to schedule specialized bulk waste collections in advance. This service is designed for large household items that cannot safely fit inside the standard green refuse cart. To reserve a spot on the route, you must call the city's solid waste customer service line at 910-341-7875 during normal weekday business hours. Keep in mind that certain hazardous materials, wet paint, and electronic waste like old televisions are entirely excluded from this program and must be transported directly to the county's household hazardous waste facility.
Holiday and Weather-Related Interruptions
The standard sanitation calendar is occasionally disrupted by recognized municipal holidays and severe coastal weather events. Wilmington typically suspends all collection operations on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. When your normal pickup day aligns with one of these holidays, your service will be delayed by one full day, and the remainder of the week's schedule will cascade forward to compensate. In the event of an approaching hurricane, the city will instruct all residents to secure their rollout carts indoors to prevent them from becoming dangerous projectiles in high winds.
Drop-off Facilities
New Hanover County Landfill
5210 US Hwy 421 N, Wilmington, NC 28401
Materials Accepted
NHC Household Hazardous Waste Facility
3002 Hwy 421 North, Wilmington, NC 28401
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do I need to roll my trash cart to the curb in Wilmington?
Your green garbage cart and blue recycling bin must be placed at the edge of the street by 7:30 a.m. on your designated collection morning.
How do I get rid of an old couch or refrigerator?
Large furniture and appliances require a scheduled bulk pickup. You must contact the Wilmington solid waste dispatch center at 910-341-7875 to arrange a specialized collection.
Can I use plastic garbage bags for my raked leaves?
No. The city strictly prohibits plastic bags for organic debris. You must utilize compostable paper yard bags, or a personal 32-gallon rigid container for your leaves and grass clippings.