Collection Center Locations and Hours of Operation

There are 12 Collection centers throughout the county; 4 centers are open 6 days a week and 8 centers are closed on Wednesdays. All centers are closed on Sundays. More can be found on the Collection Center Locations & Hours of Operation page.

Chatham County Residents Only- Decal Required

Only Chatham County residents with a current decal can use the Collection Centers. Residents must show a decal every time they use a center. No out-of-county residents can use the centers.

Businesses are not allowed to use any of the Collection Centers. Businesses are defined as any income-generating endeavor, which includes builders, contractors, developers, rental properties, farms, livestock, home businesses, etc. All business waste must go to a transfer station or landfill for disposal or contract with a private hauler for service. 

Accepted and Unaccepted Items

The Collection Centers can accept most household trash and recycling items, but not all items you might need to dispose of. Visit Items Accepted and Not Accepted at the Collection Centers for more details. Also, learn about what is accepted in our Mixed Recycling and Glass Recycling programs. 

Visit our online disposal guide for details on how to dispose of these and many other items. If you do not see guidance for your item on the "How Do I Dispose of…" guide, contact the Main Office Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm at (919) 542-5516 or email us anytime at recycle@chathamcountync.gov.

Maximum Amounts

Some materials have limits to how much can be disposed of at the Collection Center at one time to make sure we have enough space for all residents.

Large Load Limit- Residents may bring a maximum of one pickup truck sized load in a 7 day period to the Collection Centers. A pickup truck sized load is 120 cubic feet (8 ft. long x 5 ft. wide x 3 ft. high). Residents with large loads will be asked to sign a form to be able to dispose of any materials. 

Residents who have more than a large load can dispose of the equivalent of a large load and either bring the remaining back in 7 days or take the rest to a transfer station or landfill.

Motor Oil- Residents may bring a maximum of 5 gallons of motor oil or other accepted liquids in a 7-day period. Residents with oil will be asked to sign a form to be able to dispose of any materials. 

There is no limit to the amount of oil that can be disposed of at Household Hazardous Waste events.

Tires- Residents may bring 4 tires in a 6-month period. Tires must be smaller than 20 inches in diameter and must be removed from the rim. Residents with tires will be asked to sign a form to be able to dispose of any materials. 

Residents can bring tires larger than 20 inches and an unlimited amount to the Main Facility.

Discard Items in their Designated Containers

Much of what is thrown away and buried in a landfill still has value, and can be returned to the economy. By simply taking a few minutes to separate your items and place them in their designated containers, you have the biggest impact on the wise use of your annual fees. You help decrease the amount spent on landfill disposal tipping fees; you help the county comply with applicable state laws; you help generate revenue to cover some operational costs; and you help to keep your annual fees low.

Additional Policies

Equipment Safety- Only trained employees may operate site equipment. For everyone’s safety, residents are not permitted to press any buttons, open or close gates or doors, or climb on or in any equipment at the centers. Residents should not unload from the back of their vehicles into a compactor or pre-crusher. The safety equipment on these machines is set up so people cannot fall in; if a resident is in their vehicle they are bypassing the safety equipment. 

Children and Pet Safety- Due to the potential for serious injury, children are not permitted near the trash compactors or pre-crushers. We encourage parents to allow their children to participate in the disposal of safer items like plastic bottles or aluminum cans in their designated containers. Pets must be on a leash or remain in your vehicle. 

5 Mile Speed Limit- We do our best to maintain clean and safe sites, and we also ask everyone to contribute by respecting the posted 5 mile per hour speed limit as you enter, drive through, and exit the collection centers. Watch for children, pets, fellow residents, staff, other vehicles, containers, or any other potential obstacles. 

No Tobacco Use- Tobacco use is not allowed on any Chatham County property, including the Collection Centers. This includes the use of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, etc. Additionally, lit cigarettes present a serious fire hazard where trash and other potentially combustible materials are being disposed.

No Scavenging- Once an item is placed at the center for recycling or disposal, it becomes the property of Chatham County. Scavenging is strictly prohibited by state and local law. Residents are not allowed to remove items from any containers at the Collection Centers. Only employees and contractors are authorized to remove items from containers to ensure items are disposed in their proper containers. Residents are encouraged to take or leave any reusable items in the Swap Shop.

Visitation- Residents with a current decal may visit a Collection Center twice a day, for a maximum of 15 minutes per visit. This policy applies to the entire Collection Center, not only the Swap Shop. 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have additional questions about decals, the solid waste fee, or Collection Centers, visit the frequently asked questions.

Contact Us

We cannot address issues or give credit where credit is due if we don’t hear from you. If you have any comments, concerns, questions, suggestions, reports of illegal or questionable activity, center operations, employees, or customer service experiences. We always welcome your feedback. Please contact the Main Office Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm at (919) 542-5516 or email us anytime at recycle@chathamcountync.gov.

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