Charlotte, North Carolina resident guide
Charlotte trash, recycling, bulky pickup & yard waste schedule
Schedule Charlotte bulky waste, find weekly garbage and yard service, check green or orange recycling weeks, and review every 2026 holiday collection pattern.
Official source links checked on August 31, 2026.
Regular household service
Trash and recycling service
Start here for the recurring household collections residents use most often.
Charlotte collects household garbage every week on the address's designated day. Bag ordinary trash inside the cart and close the lid. My Charlotte Lookup shows the weekday.
Charlotte collects recycling every other week on the address's green or orange week. Yard waste is collected weekly with garbage except during the three 2026 holiday weeks when the City suspends yard service.
Need it gone before the city service?
Get a LoadUp quote when the local date is too far away or an item is excluded.
Start here
Schedule Charlotte service
Schedule online, use the CLT+ app, or call CharMeck 311 at 704-336-7600. Save the collection date and confirmation number. Call 311 by noon on the business day before service to cancel or change the request.
Charlotte 2026 resident collection guide
Charlotte collects bulky items only after scheduling
Eligible City customers receive a confirmed collection date and request number for furniture, mattresses, appliances, and other approved large items. Weekly yard waste and every other week recycling follow separate address calendars.
Use the online request, CLT+ app, or CharMeck 311.
Do not set items out earlier than the day before the confirmed date.
Separate items and keep them away from carts, vehicles, mailboxes, and poles.
Three holiday weeks suspend yard waste while other routes are completed.
My Charlotte Lookup identifies the correct every other week calendar.
Fall leaf and yard waste pickupCharlotte collects leaves and prepared yard waste every weekWeekly collection with three holiday suspensions
Leaves, grass, small branches, and prepared brush normally follow the weekly garbage day. Yard waste is suspended during the MLK Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day holiday weeks in 2026.
Use My Charlotte Lookup for the assigned collection day.
Use paper bags or a personal container for leaves and grass.
Leave two feet between prepared brush piles.
What residents should do
- Find the address collection day in My Charlotte Lookup.
- Use paper bags or a personal container for leaves, grass, and small branches.
- Cut limbs to less than four feet long and under six inches wide.
- Do not place yard waste out during the three published 2026 suspension weeks.
City rules at a glance
Local limits before placement
Charlotte confirms the eligible items and collection date during scheduling rather than publishing one universal pile allowance. Every item must be included in the request, and unscheduled material will not be collected.
Place scheduled items within six feet of the curb no earlier than the day before collection and no later than 6 a.m. on the confirmed day. Leave three feet between items and from carts, vehicles, mailboxes, poles, and other obstacles.
Local detail that matters
What makes Charlotte service different
Charlotte's weekly yard route accepts leaves in paper bags or a personal container up to 75 pounds. Branches must be under four feet long and six inches wide, and prepared brush piles have separate size and spacing rules.
Item guidance
What may go in the bulk item pile
Accepted examples
Scheduled bulky service accepts many household furnishings, mattresses, box springs, appliances, lawn equipment, and similar items that are too large for the garbage cart and are not eligible for recycling or yard waste service.
Not accepted
Food, clothing, ordinary trash, flammable liquids, hazardous waste, electronics, construction debris, concrete, and any item not included in the confirmed request are outside ordinary bulky collection.
Holiday collectionCharlotte published its full 2026 collection changes2026 schedule confirmed
Charlotte uses three different patterns: delayed completion without yard waste, a one day delay, or normal collection.
No holiday collection; routes completed Tuesday, Friday
Set carts out on the normal day and leave them. No yard waste or Saturday collection occurs that week.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Monday, January 19
- Memorial Day. Monday, May 25
- Labor Day. Monday, September 7
One day delay
Thursday and/or Friday routes move one day later.
- Thanksgiving. Thursday routes Friday; Friday routes Saturday, November 28
- Christmas. Friday routes Saturday, December 26
Normal collection
No service delay during these holiday weeks.
- New Year’s Day. January 1
- Presidents’ Day. February 16
- Good Friday. April 3
- Juneteenth. June 19
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day. October 12
- Veterans Day. November 11
Common questions
Charlotte collection FAQ
How do I schedule Charlotte bulky waste pickup?
Use the City online request, the CLT+ app, or call CharMeck 311 at 704-336-7600. Save the assigned date and confirmation number.
Can I place Charlotte bulky items out without an appointment?
No. Charlotte does not collect unscheduled bulky material. Wait until the day before the confirmed pickup before moving items to the curb.
What time should Charlotte bulky items be ready?
Place every scheduled item within six feet of the curb by 6 a.m. on the confirmed date and leave three feet of space between items and obstacles.
How often does Charlotte collect recycling?
Recycling is collected every other week on either the green or orange calendar. My Charlotte Lookup identifies the address's assigned week.
How does Charlotte collect leaves and yard waste?
Yard waste is collected weekly with garbage. Put leaves and grass in paper bags or a personal container no heavier than 75 pounds and prepare branches within the City's size limits.
Which Charlotte holiday weeks suspend yard waste in 2026?
There is no yard waste collection during Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, or Labor Day weeks while crews complete garbage and recycling routes.
Sources used for this guide
Official supporting information
TrashDayFinder used these public sources to prepare the resident guidance above. They were checked on August 31, 2026 and are provided here as evidence.
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