FAQs • City of Lenoir, NC • CivicEngage

Why do I have to pay for an extra cart? That’s not fair.: The reason we are charging for extra carts is because the City is moving to a volume-based approach to fees. It takes our staff more time to collect more garbage. Also, the City has to pay tipping fees to put trash in the county landfill. Some residents produce a lot more trash every week than other residents. The City actually has to pay more for the residents who produce more trash than for people who put out one bag a week. We think it’s fair and reasonable to charge an extra fee for an extra cart for those residents who produce more garbage. Also, the City is assuming responsibility to maintain the carts, and the extra fee will help cover the maintenance of the extra carts.

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Garbage Carts

1. How do I properly place my garbage cart on collection day?

STEP #1: CLOSE THE LID & ROLL TO CURBSIDE
Place all items in trash bags in the cart(s) and make sure the lid is completely closed. ROLL the cart to the edge of the curb.

STEP #2: MAKE SURE THE CART HANDLE IS FACING YOUR HOME.
PLACE the cart(s) at the edge of the curb with the wheels and handle facing your house and the lid opening facing the street.

STEP #3: CARTS MUST HAVE 5 FEET OF SPACE.
Make sure there is nothing in front of the cart. There MUST be 5 FEET of space on all sides of the cart(s). Do NOT place any trash on the lid or beside the cart. All garbage must be inside the cart with the lid completely closed. Garbage Cart Placement Graphic

2. Can I place my cart right beside my mailbox?: No. There must be five feet of clearance on both sides of your garbage cart. If you have two or more carts, there must be at least five feet of clearance between all of your carts and on the outside of your carts. The mechanism on our trucks that we use to pick up the carts requires this clearance.

3. How do I get additional garbage carts?: You can contact Public Works and request additional carts. Residential properties are allowed up to two extra carts, and commercial properties are allowed up to four extra carts. Each extra cart pickup costs an extra $5 per month. You have to have enough road frontage to maintain five feet of clearance for your carts. Contact info is on our website at https://www.cityoflenoir.com/213/Garbage-Collection.

4. My street is really narrow and putting carts in the street might block traffic, or make it hard for cars to pass. Do I have to put my cart in the street?: If you think your street is too narrow to safely place the cart in the street, you can place it out of the street at the edge of your property or curb. Your cart needs to be at street level, not down in a ditch. Also, there must be five feet of clearance around your cart(s).

5. What should I do with my old, green City of Lenoir garbage cart?: Residents can use the old, green carts they bought from the City for yard waste. Public Works plans to pick up yard waste on Wednesdays.

6. Can I put my house number on my cart?: Customers can use removable stickers to put house numbers on the cart(s). DO NOT use a permanent marker or paint. Customers who paint or permanently deface a cart will be assessed fee to repair or replace the cart.

7. The cart is too big and heavy for me to roll to the curb every week. What do I do?: Staff will be happy to work with people who have disabilities that prevent them from rolling the cart to the curb every week. Please call Public Works at 828-757-2154.

8. I live in an apartment. Do all residents in an apartment get a cart?: The City provides one garbage cart per utility account at no cost. If each resident at an apartment has a separate utility account, they will each get a cart. For large apartments, it’s up to the complex owner to work out a sanitation contract with the City.

9. Why do I have to pay for an extra cart? That’s not fair.: The reason we are charging for extra carts is because the City is moving to a volume-based approach to fees. It takes our staff more time to collect more garbage. Also, the City has to pay tipping fees to put trash in the county landfill. Some residents produce a lot more trash every week than other residents. The City actually has to pay more for the residents who produce more trash than for people who put out one bag a week. We think it’s fair and reasonable to charge an extra fee for an extra cart for those residents who produce more garbage. Also, the City is assuming responsibility to maintain the carts, and the extra fee will help cover the maintenance of the extra carts.

10. I have the same exact trash can as the new City garbage cart. It’s just a different color. Why do I have to rent one?: Automated collection is pretty rough on the garbage carts. The City purchased carts that we know will work with our trucks and are designed to withstand the stresses from the truck. The City is also assuming responsibility for maintaining the carts, so we only want to use carts that we know are strong enough to handle the stress. If we let people use their own carts, then it’s possible the automated collection truck could damage the cart. At that point, residents would likely expect the City to replace their cart. By requiring that residents only use City-provided carts, we can take responsibility for maintaining or replacing the carts if they get damaged during the garbage collection process.

11. I take my garbage to the dump. Why do I have to pay the sanitation fee?: The City does not exempt residents from paying a service fee for services provided to all residents. To provide the sanitation service, the City has to run trucks and staff members down every street and by every home and business in the City limits. In addition to garbage, the sanitation fee covers yard waste collection, monthly bulk pickup for all residents, and annual leaf collection. Residents can choose to not use the service(s), but residents are still required to pay the fee.

12. Why do I have to roll my cart back to my house within 24 hours? What if I’m out of town?

Neighborhoods and streets look better when people don’t leave their trash cans on the street year-round. The City believes it’s fair to ask people to roll their carts back to their houses. Helping your neighborhood look nice and clean is the neighborly thing to do.

If you are going out of town for work or a vacation, maybe you could ask your neighbors to roll your cart in for you. If that isn’t an option, you can contact Public Works and let staff know. Our staff is willing to work with residents when various circumstances arise. Of course, if a resident goes out of town every week and can’t roll their cart back to their house on a regular basis, then that could be a problem.