North Carolina household hazardous waste drop-off
Pick your county to see its drop-off sites, collection events and home pickup. Check who can use each program, and call before you go.
North Carolina counties
- Alamance
- Alexander
- Alleghany
- Anson
- Ashe
- Avery
- Beaufort
- Bertie
- Bladen
- Brunswick
- Buncombe
- Burke
- Cabarrus
- Caldwell
- Camden
- Carteret
- Caswell
- Catawba
- Chatham
- Cherokee
- Chowan
- Clay
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Craven
- Cumberland
- Currituck
- Dare
- Davidson
- Davie
- Duplin
- Durham
- Edgecombe
- Forsyth
- Franklin
- Gaston
- Gates
- Graham
- Granville
- Greene
- Guilford
- Halifax
- Harnett
- Haywood
- Henderson
- Hertford
- Hoke
- Hyde
- Iredell
- Jackson
- Johnston
- Jones
- Lee
- Lenoir
- Lincoln
- Macon
- Madison
- Martin
- McDowell
- Mecklenburg
- Mitchell
- Montgomery
- Moore
- Nash
- New Hanover
- Northampton
- Onslow
- Orange
- Pamlico
- Pasquotank
- Pender
- Perquimans
- Person
- Pitt
- Polk
- Randolph
- Richmond
- Robeson
- Rockingham
- Rowan
- Rutherford
- Sampson
- Scotland
- Stanly
- Stokes
- Surry
- Swain
- Transylvania
- Tyrrell
- Union
- Vance
- Wake
- Warren
- Washington
- Watauga
- Wayne
- Wilkes
- Wilson
- Yadkin
- Yancey
No county matches that name.
Counties in gray have no current listing yet: call the county for local options.
North Carolina metro areas
Upcoming collection events in North Carolina
- Tue, Nov 3, 2026 (also Tue, Dec 1, 2026) · Alexander, Buncombe CountyWho can attend: No hazardous waste from businesses
- Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · Hickory, Catawba CountyWho can attend: Catawba County residents only; no trailers; no business waste
- Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · Lillington, Harnett CountyWho can attend: Harnett County residents
- Sat, Nov 7, 2026 · Sanford, Lee CountyWho can attend: All residents of Lee County (households and farmers only); no business waste
- Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · High Point, Guilford County
- Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · Dallas, Gaston CountyWho can attend: Gaston County residents
- Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · Rocky Mount, Nash County
- Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · Boone, Watauga CountyWho can attend: Watauga County residential households only; no commercial or business waste
- Sat, Nov 21, 2026 · Pittsboro, Chatham CountyWho can attend: County decal required, except residents of the town limits of Cary, Pittsboro and Siler City; Apex and Goldston town residents without a decal cannot use it. Show a…
- Sat, Nov 28, 2026 · Statesville, Iredell CountyWho can attend: Iredell County residents only (windshield decal from Iredell County Solid Waste or proof of residency); no commercial or business waste
No upcoming collection events are listed right now. Your county page lists permanent drop-off sites and home pickup.
Soonest first. Events usually serve only residents of the city or county that runs them, and many need an appointment. Events with addresses and phone numbers →
About North Carolina programs
North Carolina has no statewide household hazardous waste collection; counties and cities run their own. Larger counties such as Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Forsyth, Durham, Cumberland and New Hanover have year-round drop-off sites, while many smaller counties hold one or two collection days a year and some have none. We check each county’s and city’s own page.
Many North Carolina counties hold household hazardous waste collections only once or twice a year, and some have none. Where we list no current program, call the county’s solid waste office about the next collection day.
State rules and programs
- Agency: the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) permits household hazardous waste facilities and collection events, but counties, cities and other local groups run them. NC DEQ says many counties have permanent collection centers and that many also take used oil.
- Landfill bans: state law bans used oil, antifreeze, motor vehicle oil filters and lead-acid batteries from North Carolina landfills, and adds lithium-ion batteries to the list starting December 1, 2026.
- Residents only: most North Carolina programs serve only residents of the county or city that runs them, and some ask for proof of residence. Business waste is usually not accepted.
- Paint: North Carolina has no PaintCare program, so stores are not required to take leftover paint. NC DEQ suggests letting latex paint air dry and mixing it with litter; many sites we list take paint. See the paint guide.
- Pesticides: the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program takes unwanted pesticides free from farmers and homeowners at collection days around the state, and helps pay for pesticide collection at many county household hazardous waste programs.
Batteries in North Carolina
The law: North Carolina law bans lead-acid batteries from landfills and requires stores that sell them to take back used ones, at least as many as the customer buys. Lithium-ion batteries are added to the state’s landfill ban starting December 1, 2026.
Stewardship program: North Carolina has no battery stewardship program for household batteries. Many county household hazardous waste sites and collection days take household and car batteries; check each listing for the kinds it accepts.
Where to take them: 23 North Carolina programs we list accept batteries. Some take only certain kinds, so check each listing. Programs that list batteries include Compost Central Disposal and Recycling Center, Cumberland County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center and New Hanover County Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Pick your county above for every program.
Which batteries can go in the trash, how to tape and bag them, and other states’ rules: How to dispose of batteries.
Sources (checked Sat, Oct 24, 2026): North Carolina General Statutes § 130A-309.10: Landfill disposal bans, North Carolina General Statutes § 130A-309.71: Retailers must accept lead-acid batteries.
Motor oil and car fluids in North Carolina
The law: North Carolina law bans used oil, motor vehicle oil filters and antifreeze from landfills, and makes it illegal to pour used oil into sewers, storm drains, septic tanks or waterways, or to mix it with trash going to a landfill.
Collection program: North Carolina has no state used oil collection for households, and we found no law requiring stores to take used oil back. NC DEQ says many household hazardous waste centers and many auto parts retailers accept used oil.
Antifreeze: Antifreeze is banned from North Carolina landfills. NC DEQ says to use it up or bring it to a household hazardous waste collection site.
Where to take it: 16 North Carolina programs we list accept motor oil and 16 accept antifreeze. Programs that list motor oil or antifreeze include 3RC EnviroStation, Guilford County Household Hazardous Waste Center and Compost Central Disposal and Recycling Center. Pick your county above for every program.
How to pack used oil and filters, what to do with antifreeze, brake fluid and gasoline, and other states’ rules: How to dispose of used motor oil and car fluids.
Sources (checked Sun, Oct 25, 2026): North Carolina General Statutes § 130A-309.10: Landfill disposal bans, North Carolina General Statutes § 130A-309.15: Prohibited acts regarding used oil, NC DEQ: Household hazardous waste.
Pesticides and garden chemicals in North Carolina
Household rules: NC DEQ lists pesticides among common household hazardous wastes and points residents to household hazardous waste collection sites. Many of the county sites and collection days we list take pesticides and other garden chemicals, often with help from the state Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program.
State pesticide collection: The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program is a free, non-regulatory program for farmers and homeowners. It holds about 35 to 40 pesticide collection days a year in a spring season (January to June) and a fall season (July to December), aiming to reach every county at least every other year, and posts dates on its collection calendar. It also manages the pesticides collected at many county household hazardous waste programs.
Where to take them: 23 North Carolina programs we list accept pesticides and 17 accept pool chemicals. Programs that list pesticides or pool chemicals include South Wake Household Hazardous Waste Facility, Compost Central Disposal and Recycling Center and 3RC EnviroStation. Pick your county above for every program.
How to store and pack leftover pesticides, weed killer and pool chemicals, what to do with empty containers, and other states’ rules: How to dispose of pesticides and garden chemicals.
Sources (checked Thu, Oct 29, 2026): NCDA&CS: Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program, NCDA&CS: Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program collection calendar, NC DEQ: Household hazardous waste.
FAQ
Is household hazardous waste disposal free in North Carolina?
Usually, for residents. Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Forsyth and Cumberland counties list free drop-off for their residents, and most county collection days are free. Some programs charge for certain items, such as paint at the Buncombe County Landfill. Check each listing before you go.
Can I use a household hazardous waste site outside my county in North Carolina?
Usually not. Most sites and collection days serve only residents of the county or city that runs them. A few programs serve more than one county, such as the 3RC EnviroStation in Winston-Salem, which serves Forsyth and Davie County residents.
What if my county has no household hazardous waste program?
Call your county’s solid waste office about the next collection day; many counties hold one or two a year. For unwanted pesticides, the NCDA&CS Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program holds free collection days around the state. Used motor oil and car batteries can often go back to auto parts stores.