Trash and recycling pickup in Holly Springs: schedule and holidays

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Town of Holly Springs garbage and recycling page and the pages linked below.

The Town of Holly Springs provides curbside garbage and recycling through its contractor, GFL Environmental, and runs its own yard waste collection. You sign up for trash service when you open a water account with the town’s Finance Department, and the charges appear on the monthly utility bill, the town says.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, new or broken cart, bulk item pickup: Holly Springs 311, dial 311 inside town limits or 919-577-3111 from outside, or use the online 311 request form
• Public Works office: 409 Innovate Ave., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; after-hours emergencies 919-557-9111
• Commercial service and Dumpsters: Public Works, 919-552-5920
• Extra cardboard or moving boxes for a fee: GFL Environmental, 919-662-7100
• Household hazardous waste: Wake County Waste and Recycling, 919-856-7400

Your pickup day

Garbage is collected every week. Recycling is collected every other week on the same day, and the brown yard waste cart goes out every other week on your recycling day. Trucks can come any time from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on your scheduled day.

Look up your day and sign up for reminders with the town’s garbage, recycling and yard waste schedule tool.

• Set carts at least 5 feet from the nearest mailbox or post.
• Keep lids closed, or no more than about 6 inches open.
• Bag household garbage. Do not bag recyclables.
• Anything left outside the cart is not collected, and a car parked in front of the cart can cause a missed pickup, according to the town’s garbage and recycling FAQs.

Holiday schedule for the rest of 2026

From the town’s holiday schedule:

The yard waste convenience center closes on each of those holidays.

What goes in the recycling cart

Lightly rinsed glass bottles and jars, metal cans, aluminum trays, plastic bottles, tubs and jars, drink boxes and cartons, paper, junk mail and flattened paperboard boxes. Leave out plastic bags, foam, flat plastic lids, deli trays and anything smaller than 2 inches. GFL will take up to seven flattened cardboard boxes tied in a 3-by-3-foot bundle next to the cart, according to the town’s recycling details page.

Yard waste, leaves and the fall sweep

Grass, leaves, pine needles and small limbs go loose in the brown cart. Dirt, root balls, mulch, rocks, lumber and debris cut by a landscaping company are not collected.

• Fall Yard Waste Sweep, Oct. 12-16: any volume of acceptable yard waste at the curb is collected free during the week, Zone A through Zone D, according to the sweep page.
• Leaf season, Oct. 26, 2026, to February 2027: leaves that do not fit in the cart can sit behind the curb for a vacuum truck once a month in your zone. Put them out by 7 a.m. Monday of your zone’s week, away from storm drains, with no sticks mixed in.

Find your zone on the town’s leaf season map. Live Christmas trees, stripped of decorations, are collected at the curb Jan. 4-29, 2027, by leaf zone: A on Monday, B on Tuesday, C on Wednesday and D on Thursday.

The yard waste convenience center at 361 Bumgardner Drive takes any amount of yard waste free from residents, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. Bring a driver’s license or utility bill.

Bulk items and appliances

Call 311 before you put anything out. The town collects one larger household item under 50 pounds, or several small items that will not fit in the cart, at no extra charge. Appliances and larger loads carry a fee paid in advance. Mattresses, box springs, sofa beds and construction materials are not collected, according to the town’s household items page.

Wake County’s convenience center off Old Smithfield Road at the South Wake Landfill takes white goods at no charge at 6025 Old Smithfield Road, Apex. Household hazardous waste goes to the county’s drop-off at 6130 Old Smithfield Road.

What this means for you

• Put any yard waste out by Sunday night, Oct. 11, for this week’s free sweep.
• Check your leaf zone now; Zone A’s first week starts Oct. 26.
• Thanksgiving moves Thursday and Friday garbage back a day.

More guides: who to call in town government and moving to Holly Springs.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Holly Springs?

It depends on your address. Garbage is collected weekly and recycling every other week on the same day; look up your day with the town’s schedule tool. Trucks run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Is recycling every week in Holly Springs?

No. Recycling is collected every other week on your garbage day. Yard waste carts are collected every other week on the same day as recycling.

How do I get rid of a couch or appliance in Holly Springs?

Call 311 or 919-577-3111 to schedule a household item pickup. One item under 50 pounds is free; appliances carry a fee paid in advance. Mattresses, box springs and sofa beds are not collected.

When does leaf collection start in Holly Springs?

Leaf season runs Oct. 26, 2026, through February 2027. Vacuum trucks visit each of four zones once a month; put leaves at the curb by 7 a.m. Monday of your zone’s week.

Where is the Holly Springs yard waste convenience center?

At 361 Bumgardner Drive on the town’s Operations Campus in the Holly Springs Business Park. It is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, free to residents with proof of address.