Yard Waste Preparation

How to prepare your yard waste to ensure it gets collected.

• Yard waste is collected at the curbside on the same day as recycling and garbage. Service days in the NW quadrant are Tuesdays, the NE on Wednesdays, the SW on Thursdays, and the SE on Fridays. To check or verify your particular collection day, click on the link Find My Service Day in the upper right hand corner.
• Do not use the City-issued garbage cart or recycling bin or cart for yard waste. Yard debris cannot be disposed of at the same facilities as garbage or recyclable materials.
• Use one of these containers or ways to prepare the material:
  1. Permanent container with lifting handles, such as a plastic or metal garbage can, no larger than 35 gallons, and weighing no more than 75 pounds;
  2. Biodegradable paper bags; or
  3. CLEAR plastic bags.

(Paper yard-waste bags and transparent plastic bags are sold at many local hardware, home improvement and discount stores.)

• Limbs and brush must be securely tied into bundles of not more than five feet in length, 18 inches in diameter and weighing no more than 75 pounds.
• Limit the number of bags set out for collection to 15.
• Logs and limbs more than six inches in diameter or over five feet in length, stumps and rocks will not be collected.
• Black plastic bags containing yard waste will not be collected.
• Yard waste cannot be placed on the curb until noon on the day before your assigned collection day. This includes yard waste produced from weekend work. Yard waste on the curb before noon on the day before your assigned collection day, and yard waste on the curb after 7 p.m. on the day after your assigned collection day, may incur a $50 citation for violation of the Solid Waste Code.
• Improperly prepared yard waste that was not collected, and yard waste containers must be removed from the curbside by 7 p.m. on the day after your collection.
• Yard waste produced from contracted jobs or land clearing will not be collected.

Residents living within the Raleigh city limits may also take yard waste to the City's Yard Waste Recycling Center at 900 N. New Hope Road however a minimum charge applies. The Yard Waste Center is open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for recycling yard waste materials.

*** Most grass species do better when they are kept at least 2 1/2 inches tall. The length creates more surface area to absorb sunlight, which creates thicker turf and deeper roots, which means you will not have to water as often! ***