Chatham County, NC
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Frequently Asked Questions
The following items are frequently asked questions related to the Chatham County Collection Centers, recycling, Solid Waste Fee, and decals.
If you do not see any answer to your question 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. We will be able to give you the answer and also add it to this list.
Expand/Contract Questions and Answers
Additional decals are available for purchase for $10 per set through the Main Office. Please use the Decal Request Form (versión en español) or contact our Main Office.
Chatham County residents who their property tax bill by the deadline, should receive decals in the mail each year. Decals are mailed out by the end of January. If you have not received your decals by the middle of February contact the Main Office.
There are several reasons decals are not received in the mail. Please contact the Main Office, so they can look into it.
The decal is the only way an attendant working at a Collection Center knows you are allowed to use the center. Decals are dwelling specific, which means they should not be given to other people to use. You do not have to put your decal on your windshield, but do need to show it before unloading your waste.
Why do I have to pay a Solid Waste Fee? Don’t my county property taxes pay for the services at the Collection Centers?
The Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling Division is an enterprise fund, meaning it does not receive funding from the general fund tax dollars, like most county departments. SW&R relies on the Solid Waste Fee and other sources of revenue, such as the sale of recyclables, grants, and state funding. All funding is used to provide all of our programs and services, including the 12 Collection Centers, Household Hazardous Waste events, household recycling, tire disposal, scrap metal recycling, electronics recycling, illegal dumping, litter clean-ups, educational programming, and more.With the fiscal year 2024 budget, the Solid Waste Fee was increased to $137. The Solid Waste & Recycling (SW&R) division is an enterprise fund. This means the department receives no funding from the County’s general fund. The largest funding source for SW&R is the Solid Waste Fee. Other funding sources include the sale of recyclables, grants, and state funding. In addition to operating the Collection Centers, and the transportation and disposal of household garbage, SW&R provides collection for household recyclables, tire disposal, scrap metal recycling, electronics recycling, household hazardous waste events, illegal dumping enforcement, and educational programming in the community and schools.
The previous Solid Waste Fee of $125 had not increased since 2009. ALL costs for the department have increased significantly over the last several years, most notably: fuel cost, waste disposal cost, and personnel cost. Since Chatham County does not have a landfill or transfer station, all garbage is hauled out of the county.
As an example of cost increases, the amount spent on disposal of household garbage at the transfer stations and the landfill in 2019 was approximately $593,000. This year, we are expecting to spend approximately $644,000 for disposal at the transfer stations and landfill. Also, in 2019, SW&R spent approximately $94,000 on fuel for our vehicles. The fuel cost for this fiscal year is projected to be $175,000.
- If the previous tenants did not return their decals to you, then you, or your new tenants, may purchase additional or replacement sets of decals through the Main Office once we verify the Solid Waste Fees have been paid, and proof of address has been provided. Please use the Decal Request Form (versión en español) or contact our Main Office.
The decals are mailed to the property owner and it is their responsibility to get it to the tenants. If renters have not received their decals, they should first contact their landlord. Renters are able to purchase an extra set of decals for $10 through the Main Office though, provided the landlord has paid the Solid Waste Fee.
Chatham County landowners who pay the Solid Waste Fee through their tax bill by the deadline should receive decals in the mail for their rental properties by the middle of February each year. A set of two decals are issued per qualified dwelling. Landlords are responsible for distributing decals to their tenants.
If the previous tenants did not return their decals to you, then you, or your new tenants, may purchase additional sets of decals through the Main Office for $10 once we verify the Solid Waste Fees have been paid and proof of address has been provided. Please use the Decal Request Form (versión en español) or contact our Main Office.
Although the towns offer curbside collection of trash and recycling, residents living in the town limits of Cary, Goldston, Pittsboro, or Siler City who wish to have access to the Collection Centers can choose to pay the $137 Solid Waste Fee per year. Please use the Decal Request Form (versión en español) or contact our Main Office.
Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling does not provide curbside pickup service in the County; those services are provided by a private hauler. If you live in the town limits, contact the town about that service. Otherwise, the name of the company should be written on the side of your trash/recycling can.
Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling does not provide curbside pickup service in the County; those services are provided by a private hauler. If you live in the town limits, contact the town about that service. Otherwise, the name of the company should be written on the side of your trash/recycling can.
Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling does not provide dumpster rental service in the County; those services are provided by a private hauler.
As the owner of a rental property, may I use the collection centers when I am cleaning out or making repairs to a dwelling?
No, this is considered business waste. The centers are designed for regular household trash and recyclables. Business waste can be taken to a transfer station or can hire a private hauler. Contact the Main Office with additional questions about business waste.
Solid Waste & Recycling offers free recycling for businesses at our Main Facility. Learn more details about business recycling.
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. We have several items that have maximum amounts, including general trash and recycling. Learn more about maximum amounts.
The Collection Centers have Mixed Recycling bins for resident to recycle aluminum cans, metal cans, paper, cardboard, and plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars. The centers also have recycling bins for glass bottles and jars.
Learn what is accepted in our recycling program.
When items are placed in recycling that are not recyclable they are considered contamination. If too much contamination ends up in the recycling, it is too difficult to sort out and therefore will likely be disposed of in the landfill.
Lots of people put items in the recycling bin when they are not sure it is recyclable. Either because it looks similar to an item that is recyclable or they are hoping it will ultimately be recycled. If you are not 100% sure an item can be recycled, do not put it in the recycling bin. When it doubt, throw it out!
Learn what is accepted in our recycling program.
SW&R staff want residents to know that if they are placing an accepted item in the Mixed Recycling bin it has a really great chance of being recycled. Not all plastics are the same and everything made of plastic cannot be recycled.
Plastic clamshells and other to-go containers have a very small chance of being recycled as there are very few markets for them. There are also few recycling markets for rigid plastics, like toys and buckets. Additionally, plastic to-go containers and rigid plastics can easily end up being sorted with the wrong material, which leads to contamination.
Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars are more easily recycled because they have established recycling markets and will continue to be accepted in the Mixed Recycling.
Learn what is accepted in our recycling program.
Recycling markets have changed dramatically in the past few years, making it harder to recycle certain items. Plus, recycling in the U.S. continues to be contaminated. Contamination occurs when items that are not recyclable end up in the recycling bin.
All mixed recyclables go to a material recovery facility (MRF) to be sorted, through a series of machines and manual labor, and then the items are sent to a processor for recycling. MRFs have had to slow down their lines and add more people to try and reduce contamination and ensure the truly recyclable items are being sorted correctly. Individuals can help prevent contamination by making sure the correct recyclables are going in their bin.
SW&R conducted a recycling characterization study in September 2019 to learn what is in our Mixed Recycling. The study found that across the 12 Collection Centers and Main Facility, there is an average contamination rate of 8%, which is very good. However, the study also showed that a lot of contamination comes from materials that are look-a-likes: items that look similar to items that are recyclable, but are not. There also seems to be confusion on what is recyclable in general. So, in November 2019 we removed several items from our Mixed Recycling. See the results of the past recycling and waste characterization studies.
Learn what is accepted in our recycling program.
Yard waste is banned from being disposed of in landfills in North Carolina. That is why we cannot accept it at the Collection Centers and residents cannot put it in their curbside trash can, for those with that service.
Yard waste is accepted at the Solid Waste & Recycling Main Facility, for a fee. Learn more about yard waste disposal.
Alternatively, yard waste can be put in a compost bin or left on your property to decompose.
Chatham County’s landfill closed in 1993. There is no landfill in Chatham County. There also is no transfer station. All waste from the Collection Centers is taken to a landfill in Randolph County or transfer stations in Durham and Sanford, where the waste is taken to a landfill in Sampson County. Find a transfer station or landfill.
Residents without a decal will be charged $5.00 per television, monitor, desktop computer, laptop computer, printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine. There will be no charge for smaller electronics accepted in our program, such as cell phones, routers, radios, and hard drives. Residents without a decal do not pay the annual solid waste fee, which helps to cover the cost of recycling electronics.
The Electronics Recycling at our Main Facility at 28 County Services Road, Pittsboro. We are open Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Learn more about what is accepted in the Electronics Recycling program.
We can only accept items in the Electronic Recycling at the Collection Centers if they have a screen less than 25 inches across and any electronic less than 50 pounds. At most centers an individual is picking up electronics with a box truck and pallet jack. The size limit helps to minimize the potential for injury to our staff who are handling these items.
Larger and heavier electronics are accepted at the Main Facility. Learn more about what is accepted in the Electronics Recycling program.
No. Scavenging is strictly prohibited. Due to safety and privacy concerns, items placed in the containers at the Collection Center and Main Facility become the property of Chatham County.
We encourage residents to recycle or put gently used items in the Swap Shop for reuse, but once an individual chooses to place an item in a certain bin, no one can remove it. The exception is if attendants or staff have to move an item because it was placed in the wrong bin.
Residents with a current decal may leave items in the Swap Shop so that they can be reused by other residents. All personal information should be removed first.
Learn more about what is accepted in the Swap Shop.