🗑️ Wilmington Trash Pickup
Who collects in Wilmington, North Carolina, how to find your pickup day, bulk item pickup, holiday delays and what it costs. Checked October 31, 2026.
⚡ Quick Answer
In Wilmington, residential trash is collected by City of Wilmington Solid Waste Services. Pickup days depend on your address, so use the official lookup (Online address search tool (Trash Routes)) to find yours. Questions: (910) 341-7875 (Solid Waste Services); (910) 332-6550 (CFPUA). Bulk item pickup: Free; included in the monthly Solid Waste Services fee for customers with City curbside trash service.
📅 Find my pickup dayOfficial trash page
Checked October 31, 2026 against the city's and its hauler's own pages. We never print a pickup day for a whole city, because it changes by street.
🗓️ How Pickup Works
Trash and yard waste are collected weekly; recycling every two weeks. Carts must be at the curb by 6 a.m. on pickup day; you can set out materials after noon the day before. Remove containers from the right-of-way by the end of pickup day.
City Solid Waste Services provides weekly curbside trash pickup inside city limits. Billing and sign-up are handled by Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA). Downtown Central Business District uses the City's "Bag It" program. Apartments generally contract with private haulers.
| Cart | Sizes | How often |
|---|---|---|
| 🗑️ Trash | 95 gallon (maxi) or 35 gallon (mini) | weekly |
| ♻️ Recycling (blue) | 95 gallon | every two weeks |
| 🍂 Yard waste | one pile up to 7 cubic yards per customer per week; limbs no more than 4 feet long and 6 inches in diameter | weekly |
🛋️ Bulk Item Pickup
- 💵Cost: Free; included in the monthly Solid Waste Services fee for customers with City curbside trash service.
- 📞How to book: Call Solid Waste Services at 910-341-7875 or use the online form at www.wilmingtonnc.gov/bulky. Say what material types you have (wood, metal, plastic) so the right trucks are sent. Do not pile items at the curb before calling. Stack items by material in separate piles and set out by 6 a.m. on pickup day. Electronics and some bulky items are by appointment only.
- 📏Limits: Items too large or heavy for crews are not collected. Not accepted: tires, rocks, concrete, liquids, dirt or pallets. Extra bagged trash is not a bulky item. No item count limit printed.
Too long a wait, or over the limit? Haul it yourself: 2 public drop-off sites in New Hanover County, or get a junk removal quote below.
🎄 Holiday Delays
No collection on Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and July Fourth; all other holidays have a normal collection schedule. Holiday schedules are announced in advance, and a reminder tag is left on your cart with the revised schedule. Holidays named: Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day.
💵 What Residents Pay
| 35-gallon trash service | $25.29 per month billed on CFPUA utility bill; covers trash, recycling, yard waste and bulky collection; no effective date printed |
| 95-gallon trash service | $31.12 per month billed on CFPUA utility bill; no effective date printed |
Copied from the city or hauler rate page. Rates usually change once a year.
🏡 New Resident? Starting Service
Sign up with Cape Fear Public Utility Authority using the online form or at the CFPUA office, 235 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403 (910-332-6550). On private streets, service requires a petition from the HOA or neighbors (call 910-341-7893 for the form).
Cost: Account reactivation and cart delivery require a service fee (amount not printed).
♻️ Recycling
Recycling carts and curbside recycling collection are included at no additional charge.
🚛 Drop It Off Yourself
- 📍New Hanover County Landfill, Wilmington · $5
- 📍New Hanover County Recycling Center and Household Hazardous Waste, Wilmington
📚 Where This Comes From
- 🔗Trash (City of Wilmington)
- 🔗Solid Waste Services (City of Wilmington)
- 🔗Solid Waste Services FAQ (City of Wilmington)
- 🔗Recycling and Trash Information Guide (City of Wilmington, PDF)
- 🔗City of Wilmington Trash Services sign-up form (CFPUA)
Checked October 31, 2026. Trash rules and rates change; the official pages above are the final word. See something out of date? Tell us.
🚚 Skip the trip. Get junk removal quotes near Wilmington
No truck, or no time? Tell us what you have and we will reply with your options for getting it hauled. Free to ask, no obligation.