Charlotte Trash & Recycling Pickup Schedule (2025)
Complete guide for Charlotte, NC: weekly trash & yard waste, every-other-week recycling (Green/Orange week), bulky items by appointment, holiday changes, drop-off options, and how to report missed service.
Trash
Weekly curbside collection on your assigned day. Set carts by 6–7 a.m.; lids must close.
Recycling
Every other week (Green/Orange week). Check the **2025 recycling calendar** or use the lookup.
Yard Waste
Weekly; use paper yard bags or personal containers ≤32 gal (no plastic bags).
📍 Address Lookup (Official) & CLT+ App
Find your exact trash day, recycling week (Green/Orange) and next pickup date in the City’s tools. You can also see any scheduled bulky pickups and get calendar reminders.
Open CLT+ — Pickup Day Inquiry
Garbage & Recycling (City site)
🗓️ Weekly Pickup & Set-out Rules
- Frequencies: trash weekly; recycling every other week; yard waste weekly.
- Set-out: place carts curbside by early morning (routes run daytime); keep ~3 ft from obstacles and other carts; lids closed.
- Cart size & spacing: city carts only for recycling; keep wheels toward the house/serial to street as directed.
- Text alerts: you can sign up for service-day texts and updates.
- Missed windows: wait until end of service day before reporting a miss (see below).
♻️ Recycling — Accepted & Not Accepted
Accepted (Blue Cart)
- Paper & cardboard (flatten)
- Glass bottles & jars
- Metal cans (aluminum/steel)
- Rigid plastics (bottles, jugs, tubs)
- Cartons (juice, soup)
Not Accepted
- Plastic bags/film; tanglers (hoses, cords)
- Food/liquids; foam foodware
- Batteries, propane tanks, electronics
🌿 Yard Waste (Weekly) — Paper Bags / Personal Cans
- Weekly pickup on your trash day, if prepared correctly.
- Use paper yard bags or uncovered personal containers ≤32 gal. No plastic bags (City policy). Weight limit typically ≤75 lb per bag/can; bundle brush per size limits.
📦 Bulky Item Pickup (By Appointment)
- Bulky items (furniture, mattresses, appliances, etc.) must be scheduled in advance — online, via the **CLT+ app**, or by calling **311 (704-336-7600)**. Items placed out without a request will not be collected.
- Set items out no earlier than the day before and no later than 6:00 a.m. on your confirmed date; keep 3 ft between items.
🎉 Holiday Schedule (One-Day Delay)
- On City-observed holidays (e.g., MLK Day, Juneteenth, Thanksgiving, Christmas), all curbside services run on a one-day delay for the rest of that week (Friday customers served Saturday). Check the City’s holiday page for the 2025 list.
🚚 Missed Pickup — What to Do
- Confirm set-out (by 6–7 a.m.), spacing, and lids closed; verify you’re on the right recycling week.
- If still missed, report it to **CharMeck 311** or via **CLT+** — generally within 48 hours of your service day.
🏗️ Drop-off & County Resources
For items not suited for curbside service (HHW, large loads, special recyclables), use Mecklenburg County’s drop-off network. Check sites, hours and accepted items on the County portal.
📞 Contacts (City of Charlotte)
- Solid Waste Services: program overview, guidelines, and news.
- CharMeck 311: (704) 336-7600 — schedule bulky, report issues, request carts.
- CLT+ App / Web: pickup lookup, reminders, requests.
🔗 Data Sources
- Collection Guidelines (trash weekly; bulky rules)
- Recycling — biweekly & rules
- 2025 Recycling Calendar (Green/Orange weeks)
- CLT+ — Pickup Day Inquiry & Requests
- My Charlotte Lookup (address tool)
- SWS Administrative Policy — Yard Waste weekly; paper bags
- Holiday schedule overview (one-day delay)
- Mecklenburg County Solid Waste & Recycling
- News: plastic bag ban for yard waste (context)