Wake County

Don’t want Raleigh’s new, bright green yard waste cart? Time is running out to opt-out.

An example of what the new yard waste carts will look like in Raleigh.
An example of what the new yard waste carts will look like in Raleigh.

Raleigh is changing how it picks up leaves, small sticks and other yard waste this summer.

City residents who get curbside service will get a new cart for yard waste that will be picked up every other week.

Not interested in adding a 95-gallon, bright green cart to your rotation? Or don’t have space for the cart?

Homeowners can opt-out by submitting a form online, cityworks.raleighnc.gov/yardwastecart, by Tuesday, Feb. 1.

Property management companies and homeowner associations can opt out entire communities by listing each resident’s name and address in a spreadsheet and completing an authorization form. The spreadsheet should be sent to sws@raleighnc.gov. The deadline for HOAs or property management companies is Feb. 18.

The new carts will arrive this summer and were purchased through a $1 garbage fee increase in July 2021.

Once the carts arrive, other changes to yard waste will take effect.

Residents will no longer be allowed to place yard waste in their personal containers, and residents who wish to bag their yard waste must use biodegradable bags instead of plastic.

This story was originally published January 27, 2022 at 12:20 PM.

Anna Roman
The News & Observer
Anna Roman is a service journalism reporter for the News & Observer. She has previously covered city government, crime and business for newspapers across North Carolina and received many North Carolina Press Association awards, including first place for investigative reporting. 
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