Raleigh Trash Pickup & Garbage Schedule 2026

Raleigh Solid Waste Services provides weekly garbage collection and weekly yard waste collection on the same weekday, while recycling is picked up every other week. The best way to confirm your exact calendar is the Raleigh Reuse tool, which also shows holiday impacts, lets you print a year-long schedule, and supports reminder subscriptions.

How to Find Your Raleigh Trash Pickup Day

Raleigh does not expect residents to guess their service week. The city’s Raleigh Reuse web tool and app are the official place to check garbage, recycling, and yard waste dates for your household.

1. Open the Raleigh Reuse tool. Go to Raleigh Reuse Web Tool and Mobile App.
2. Enter your service address. The tool will display your current monthly calendar and collection dates.
3. Print or subscribe to the full calendar. Raleigh allows you to print the year-long collection calendar or subscribe through Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook.
4. Check holiday impacts there. Raleigh specifically directs residents to the Reuse tool for holiday-adjusted collection information.
5. Set reminders. This is the easiest way to avoid missing your recycling week.

Raleigh Trash Pickup Schedule: What Runs When

Raleigh uses a simple residential pattern for most single-family homes: garbage and yard waste are weekly, and recycling is biweekly. Weather and holiday delays can still affect routes, so the city tells residents to check the Raleigh Reuse tool when needed.

Raleigh’s MyRaleigh service finder also confirms that garbage and yard waste are collected on the same day every week, while recycling is every other week. If your route changes because of a holiday or weather event, the Raleigh Reuse calendar is the official place to verify the update.

Raleigh Garbage Cart Rules

Raleigh uses city-issued garbage carts for regular household trash. If you consistently have more trash than fits into one cart, the city allows you to purchase an additional garbage cart.

If your cart was at the curb by 6 a.m. on the assigned day and was not serviced, Raleigh says to check for an education tag explaining why it was not collected. If no tag is present, contact Customer Support at 919-996-3245.

Raleigh Recycling Schedule: Every Other Week

Raleigh recycling is collected every other week. The city provides a complimentary recycling cart for single-family households, and extra recycling carts may be purchased if needed.

Raleigh recycling basics:

• Use the Raleigh Reuse tool to confirm your week
• The city delivers a 95-gallon recycling cart as the standard container
• You may request a smaller 65-gallon primary recycling cart if a 95-gallon cart is more than you need
• Additional recycling carts can be purchased through Customer Support

Raleigh also notes that the primary city recycling cart should be used only for recyclable materials. If you need more capacity, it is better to order the right cart size than to overload the existing one.

Raleigh Yard Waste Preparation Rules

Raleigh has detailed yard waste rules, and this is one of the areas where residents get tagged most often for improper prep. The city accepts yard waste in a 95-gallon city-issued cart, biodegradable paper bags, or tied bundles of sticks.

Raleigh says yard waste cannot be placed on the curb until noon on the day before your assigned collection day. Black or clear plastic bags containing yard waste will not be collected. Improperly prepared material and containers that were not collected must be removed by 7 p.m. on the day after collection.

Raleigh Bulky, Special, and E-Waste Collection

Raleigh offers scheduled bulky, special-load, and e-waste collection for residents who already receive curbside garbage service. These services are not automatic and must be arranged through Customer Support.

How Raleigh bulky service works:

• Call 919-996-3245 to schedule
• The collection fee depends on the service type and amount
• Bulky load collection is for household items that do not fit in the city garbage cart
• Special load collection is for larger items like appliances, exercise equipment, excess yard waste, and excess bags of garbage
• E-waste collection is also available by request

1. Call before placing anything out. Raleigh schedules these services rather than treating them as regular curbside collection.
2. Describe the items clearly. That helps the city determine whether it is a bulky load, special load, or e-waste pickup.
3. Place items out on the scheduled day. Raleigh says bulky and special items must be five feet away from mailboxes, cars, poles, and similar obstructions.
4. Keep items on a flat area. Do not place them in the street or where trucks cannot safely access them.
5. Cancel in time if needed. Raleigh says cancellations must happen by noon on the business day before the scheduled collection.

Raleigh 2026 Holiday Trash Pickup Schedule

Raleigh does not publish a single flat “holiday table” on the main solid waste page. Instead, the city directs residents to use the Raleigh Reuse tool for the exact collection impact at their address. That is important because holiday shifts and weather delays are reflected there in real time.

For example, Raleigh’s January 2026 city-office alert for Martin Luther King Jr. Day specifically said trash and recycling service would not be affected by that holiday. That is exactly why checking the actual tool or alert for your week matters more than assuming every city holiday causes a delay.

What to Do If Raleigh Missed Your Pickup

Raleigh has both an online form and a phone line for missed garbage, recycling, or yard waste collection. The city also tells residents to leave carts out long enough for possible recovery service.

1. Leave carts at the curb. Raleigh says carts should remain at the curb from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
2. Report it online or by phone. Use the Missed Collection page or call 919-996-3245.
3. Do not submit twice. Raleigh says if you submit online, you do not need to call because that creates a duplicate work order.
4. Allow time for return service. The city says if carts have not been collected within two business days, call Customer Care.
5. Check for an education tag. Sometimes the issue is preparation, not a missed route.

Raleigh Yard Waste Center

If you have more yard material than curbside rules allow, Raleigh residents living within the city limits may also take yard waste to the City’s Yard Waste Center.

Raleigh Cart Orders and Fees

Raleigh lets residents request additional carts for a fee. The city’s solid waste fee page lists the following cart pricing for residential service.

• 95-gallon garbage cart: $55 per cart
• 65-gallon garbage cart: $50 per cart
• 95-gallon recycling cart: $55 per cart
• 65-gallon recycling cart: $50 per cart
• 95-gallon yard waste cart: $55 per cart

Raleigh says carts are city property and should stay with the address unless returned to the city. There is also a two-cart limit per dwelling for each collection type.

Frequently Asked Questions About Raleigh Trash Pickup

Official Raleigh Waste Collection Resources

Raleigh Solid Waste Customer Support: 919-996-3245 or sws@raleighnc.gov. Use this number for missed collection reports, cart orders, bulky pickup scheduling, and general collection questions.