Charlotte trash & bulky-item rules

Charlotte bulky waste must be scheduled before it is placed at the curb. Residents can request service through 311, the CLT+ app or the City's online service request system. The household must already receive City of Charlotte garbage collection to qualify.

Items left out without a scheduled collection are not collected. Charlotte's current City guideline says bulky material must be at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on the scheduled day and no sooner than the day before. There should be about 3 feet of space between bulky items and between the material and collection obstacles.

Eligible bulky items include couches, chairs, tables, recliners, bed frames, mattresses, box springs, carpeting, rugs and many other household furnishings. Large appliances such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, water heaters and window air conditioners can also be scheduled.

Refrigerators and freezers must be empty with the door removed. Preparation rules vary by item, so residents should check Charlotte's eligibility list when scheduling an unusual appliance or object.

Charlotte explicitly accepts many electronics through scheduled bulky collection. The current eligibility list includes computers, printers, televisions, monitors and computer accessories.

Televisions must weigh less than 75 pounds, and Charlotte instructs residents to tape an X across glass surfaces. This is a useful distinction from cities that ban televisions from curbside bulky pickup entirely.

Charlotte accepts residential automobile, motorcycle, van, minivan and small-pickup tires through scheduled bulky service. Rims must be removed, and the current maximum is eight tires in one collection. Commercial/heavy-equipment tire rules are different and should not be inferred from the residential allowance.

Charlotte allows some material from a homeowner's own repair project when it meets the City's preparation requirements. Lumber and boards, for example, can qualify when nails are flattened or removed and the pieces are properly sized.

That exception does not turn bulky collection into a general construction-debris service. Bricks, concrete, cinderblocks, drywall, roofing shingles, tile, dirt and rock are excluded, and material generated by a commercial contractor is not eligible.

Yard waste is a separate weekly collection stream. Current Charlotte rules limit brush and limbs to 5 feet in length and 4 inches in diameter; logs must also be under 4 inches in diameter, and tree stumps are not collected.

Paint, solvents, pesticides, automotive fluids, batteries, fluorescent bulbs and other household hazardous waste do not belong in bulky collection. Mecklenburg County full-service recycling facilities provide the appropriate HHW route.

For Charlotte, start with the local authority links below. Recheck them before a special trip or unusual set-out because programs, prices and facility hours can change.

• Charlotte Collection GuidelinesScheduling, 6 a.m. set-out, spacing, service eligibility and yard-waste dimensions.
• Bulky Item Eligibility ListItem-level rules for appliances, electronics, tires and homeowner-generated material.
• Charlotte Hazardous WasteHHW categories and Mecklenburg County disposal routing.