Lawn Watering Days, Waste and Recycling Collection Dates and Special Pickup Procedures

Lawn & Watering

Cary has year-round water conservation. You may hand water anytime, however, all lawn watering devices must comply to the following schedule

Monday – NO watering
Tuesday – Odd Street Addresses
Wednesday – Even Street Addresses
Thursday- Odd Street Addresses
Friday- Even Street Addresses
Saturday- Odd Street Addresses
Sunday- Even Street Addresses

In drought periods there may be further restrictions, so keep informed via the news.

Waste Collection Schedules

https://www.townofcary.org/services-publications/garbage-recycling-yard-waste

Solid Waste Pickup – Every Thursday, some schedule changes occur on holiday weeks. Green containers are to be put curbside no later than the previous evening.  If one container is not enough for your household, call (919) 469-4090 to request another container for only $3 extra per month.

Yard debris is also picked up every Thursday and must be in paper bags or small garbage cans. Branches / limbs must be bundled.  Yard waste consists of vegetative matter collected as a result of landscaping – grass clippings, brush, leaves, and limbs. Limbs should be no longer than 4 feet and should not exceed 4 inches in diameter.  All soil and rocks must be removed. Must be curbside by 7AM as this pickup is often very early.  Per our subdivision rules, bags and cans should be put out one night before pickup, not placed out at the curb for several days.

Recycle Container (Brown Containers) picked up every other week.  We are the YELLOW weeks, here is the pickup schedule.

Dead animals found in the street will be collected by Town crews. Call (919) 469-4090

Computer items are collected curbside for recycling. This is a free service for Town of Cary residential solid waste customers, but you must make an appointment, please call (919) 469-4090.

Bulky trash such as large televisions, couches mattresses/box springs, furniture, gas grills, wheelbarrows, bicycles, and lawn mowers – Call the town for scheduled curbside pickup of these items at your home for a fee of about $11 for the first item, and $7 for each additional item picked up during the same trip. Large appliances such as washer, dryers, or refrigerators are also collected curbside by appointment for a fee of $15 per item.

Christmas trees are collected during a one-time town-wide sweep during early January.  Remove all tinsel, nails, wire, ribbon, or other non-vegetative material.

During Leaf Collection season (November-March), residents may rake their leaves behind the curb (or, where no curb exists, off the street pavement, between the roadside ditch and the front property line) to be vacuumed by the Town.  Please do not block sidewalks with leaves or rake leaves into the street as they may reduce the safety of vehicles as well as block storm drains. All leaves raked to the curb will be collected according to a published schedule.  See current LEAF COLLECTION SCHEDULE – We are in the purple zone

Up to five gallons of motor oil can be collected from the curbside and recycled. Call (919) 469-4090 to request a used motor oil collection.  As of Oct 1 oil filters are also included as they are now banned from landfills. Motor oil must be placed in a closed container labeled “USED MOTOR OIL” and oil filters must be triple-bagged for collection.

Hazardous wastes such as antifreeze, pesticides, paint, paint thinner, and household cleaners can be taken to either of the Wake County household hazardous waste sites.  Here is the closest dump location, off Rt 55 in Apex.

*Burning of trash or yard debris is strictly prohibited in Cary Town limits.

Recycling Accepted Materials

You can mix up all recycle items in your brown recycling cart.  Do not leave any items outside of the cart.  If you have a lot of material, take it to the Cary Citizen Convenience Center located at 313 N. Dixon Street

Accepted items include:
All white paper and color paper – copy paper, printer paper, letterhead, computer paper, notebook paper, fax paper
Legal pad and scratchpad papers
Junk mail and paper envelopes (manila envelopes and plastic windows OK)
Brochures and manila file folders
Card stock
Shredded paper is NOT accepted.

You may also recycle:
Chip board like cereal boxes and cardboard tubes.
Corrugated cardboard – all must fit in the bin
Newspaper, including inserts (Use a bungee cord to securely fasten any loose items.)
Glossy magazines/catalogs
Glass bottles & jars (clear, brown & green)
Plastic bottles and tubs #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Plastic lids, take out (clamshell) containers and frozen entree trays are not accepted for recycling in your curbside bin or at the Citizen’s Convenience Center.
Aluminum cans, foil, and pie pans (no food residue)
Tin/Steel food cans
Cartons with a gable top (including juice, milk, dairy creamers, and fabric softener refills)
Drink boxes
Corrugated cardboard

The residential mixed paper does NOT include books or the following items:

Food contaminated papers
Napkins, tissue, paper towels
Wax paper
Carbon paper
Parchment paper or synthetic fiber envelopes such as Fed Ex envelopes
No shredded paper
No paper clips or binder clips
No pizza boxes
No container lids even if metal as they are sharp