The town collects bulk items once a month on regular garbage collection days. The collection must fit into a pickup truck bed. A fee is assessed for items exceeding the typical load or for collection outside the regular collection week. See the special collections section.

Collection Week

The monthly collection occurs the second full week of the month. Sunday is considered the start of the week. See the curbside collections calendar for exact weeks.

Residents may place bulk items by the street up to seven calendar days before their scheduled collection.

Bulk Items Collected

• Appliances
• Furniture
• Grills, if clean and free of charcoal and fuel tanks
• Mattresses
• Scrap metal, if clean
• Unmounted (rimless) tires
• Water heaters

For questions about other items, contact the Public Works Division.

Household garbage collection is provided once a week to single-family homes.

• Use town-provided carts. Each household is allowed up to two carts. For a second cart, see the sections on rollout carts and fees. 
• Follow town requirements for when and how carts may be placed. See the section on rollout carts.
• Place only bagged household garbage in rollout carts.
• Dispose paint cans with household garbage if they are dried, flattened and lidless.
• Completely close the cart lid.
• Remove all rollout carts and uncollected trash from the street by 6 a.m. the day after collection.

The town does not collect the items below. See Orange County's A to Z Waste and Recycling Guide and Solid Waste Management website for how to recycle or dispose of these items.

• Batteries
• Cardboard (must be recycled)
• Chemical byproducts
• Construction or demolition materials (includes lumber)
• Fuel cans or tanks
• Hazardous waste
• Medical waste
• Plastic bottles other than oil bottles (must be recycled)
• Pressurized containers
• Radioactive waste
• Shock sensitive waste
• Used oil

Garbage Collection for Residents with Disabilities

The town provides free, special garbage collection for residents with disabilities who live alone or have no able-bodied person in the household. Public Works employees retrieve the rollout trash carts from the homes of those who qualify.

• To qualify, a doctor must provide written confirmation that the individual cannot move the rollout cart.
• To continue the service, a doctor’s letter must be provided yearly by May 1.

The town will not request personal or health information. For more information or to apply, contact the administrative support specialist.

Special Bulk Items Collection

Special collection of bulk items includes:

• Items that exceed a typical load.
• Collection outside of the regular collection week.

The special collection requires a work order and fee. The fee begins at $50 and is based on the nature and amount of materials and on the estimated time required to collect them. Fees must be paid before collection is scheduled.

Submit a work order or call the administrative support specialist.

Independent vendors provide trash collection to multi-family housing communities, businesses, churches and nonprofits.

Businesses may use any vendor they choose if town standards are met. See the regulations below and an application for a dumpster exemption.

• Application: Dumpster Exemption
• Code of Ordinances Chapter 11: Solid Waste and Environmental Regulations

Composting food waste reduces disposal fees the town must pay and benefits the environment. 

Drop-off Sites

Food waste can be dropped off for free at six sites in Orange County, including:

• Eno River Farmers Market in downtown Hillsborough.
• Orange County waste and recycling center on Walnut Grove Church Road, north of Hillsborough.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality adds public and private composting sites to the NC Food Donation and Compost Resource Map as they become available.

Acceptable Items

Items that can be dropped off for composting at these sites includes:

• Food scraps.
• Food-related paper, including napkins, greasy pizza boxes and staple-free tea bags.
• BPI-certified compostable products.
• Flowers and trimmings from small indoor plants.

For more information on the drop-off sites and a comprehensive list of acceptable items, see the Orange County food waste page.

Composting at Home

Composting can be done at home and can reduce fertilizer, herbicide and water needs for plants. Learn how to get started on the Orange County Cooperative Extension website.

For those without the space, conditions or desire for backyard composting, countertop composters can be purchased to provide a soil additive with less effort. Countertop composters may use a combination of grinders and heat to reduce food volume and create compost.

Fees can be paid several ways. Contact the administrative support specialist for more information.

• Cash or check at the Town Hall Annex, 105 E. Corbin St.
• Credit or debit card through the town's payments and donations website.

Violations

If requirements for collection are not followed, the garbage or bulk items will not be collected. An employee will leave information on the town's policy for the resident.

If trash carts and uncollected garbage are not removed from the street as required, a notice of violation will be delivered to the resident by mail or by town staff. A fee of $25 per day will be assessed if the resident does not comply with the ordinance within five days of the notice date.

Orange County collects recycling at curbs on Wednesdays in Hillsborough. See the county's Urban and Town Curbside (Weekly Collection) page for requirements.

The county also provides other trash services to Hillsborough residents. Contact Orange County Solid Waste Management for these services, including:

• Recycling drop-off sites.
• Household hazardous waste collection.
• Construction and demolition waste collection.
• Solid waste convenience centers.

For collection and safety, carts must be:

• Placed at the curb between 4 p.m. the day before collection and 6:30 a.m. the day of collection.
• Placed within 3 feet of the curb, with the handle facing away from the street.
• Placed at least 4 feet from parked cars, trees or other obstructions.
• Removed from the street by 6 a.m. the day after collection.

See our video Position Your Solid Waste and Recycling Carts Properly.

Rollout Cart Delivery and Repair

Residents in single-family homes with active utility accounts may receive one free trash rollout cart after account activation if they live in town limits on a publicly owned road. See the Services for Your Property page to determine whether a property is in town limits.

A fee is charged for a second cart. Payment must be received before delivery is scheduled. See the fees section for how to pay the fee.

Place a work order or call the administrative support specialist to request:

• Cart delivery or repair
• Second cart