Understanding Trash Collection Schedules in Wilmington

Trash collection is an important municipal service that impacts all residents and businesses. Having a reliable trash pickup schedule enables households and companies to properly dispose of waste and keep neighborhoods clean.

The city of Wilmington has two main trash collection systems – one in Wilmington, Delaware and another in Wilmington, North Carolina. While both offer weekly garbage pickup, there are some key differences in scheduling that residents should understand.

Trash Collection in Wilmington, DE

The Delaware city of Wilmington provides weekly curbside trash collection for residents. Pickups occur on a set schedule that depends on which side of Interstate 95 your home is located.

• East of I-95: Trash pickup is on Mondays
• West of I-95: Trash pickup is on Wednesdays

Trash should be placed curbside in secured bags or bins between 6:00pm the evening before and 4:00am on the scheduled pickup day. Cans must be removed from the curb by 6:00pm on collection day.

The city provides guidelines on properly preparing trash for collection:

• Place only items that will spoil or cannot be recycled
• Close and tie trash bags, use SMART trash bins
• Bundle or containerize any items over 50 lbs like mattresses

Wilmington offers printable calendars and an online lookup tool to check your individual trash day.

Contact the city’s 24/7 call center at 302-576-2620 or 311 online if you need to schedule bulk or special trash pickup.

Trash Collection in Wilmington, NC

The North Carolina city of Wilmington manages trash collection a bit differently, using a public-private partnership model. Waste Industries provides household garbage pickup under a city contract.

Trash collection occurs once per week on a regular schedule based on your home’s location:

• East of 17th Street: Monday
• Between 17th Street and I-40: Tuesday
• West of I-40: Thursday

Residents should place bagged trash in cans at the curb between 3:00am-7:00am on your scheduled day. Cans must be removed by the evening of pickup.

You can view the full collection map to lookup your pickup day. The city also provides an online search tool.

Wilmington allows up to 12 bags or 6 trash cans to be placed curbside each week. Any overflow should be tagged with extra trash stickers available at local retailers.

Mattresses, appliances and other bulky items require a special pickup scheduled by calling Waste Industries at 910-762-7984. There is an extra fee for this service.

Key Differences Between Cities

While both Wilmington cities offer trash collection once per week, there are some notable differences:

• Service Provider – Wilmington, DE uses city employees while Wilmington, NC contracts a private company
• Schedule – DE bases pickup on I-95 proximity, NC uses geographic collection days
• Bulk Pickup – NC charges extra fees for hauling large items away

What Happens on Holidays?

Official holidays can disrupt normal trash collection schedules in Wilmington. Both cities tend to follow similar makeup pickup plans:

• If the holiday falls on a Monday, Wednesday trash pickup slides to Thursday that week
• Any other holiday delays trash pickup by one day until Friday
• Schedules resume normally the following week

Check with your city’s sanitation department for specific dates impacted by holidays each year. Trash pickup is sometimes cancelled due to inclement weather between November 15 and March 15 as well.

Recycling and Yard Waste Schedules

In addition to standard garbage collection, the Wilmington cities provide separate pickup services for recyclables and yard debris on alternating weeks:

• Wilmington, DE – Recycling is collected on Fridays based on I-95 proximity
• Wilmington, NC – Recycling and yard waste pickup is on Wednesdays

Review your city’s full trash and recycling schedule to ensure you are putting out the right materials each week. Proper sorting helps increase recycling rates and keep costs down.

Getting Trash and Recycling Answers

Understanding your local waste collection schedule is important for responsible household management. If you have any questions about trash, recycling or yard waste pickup in Wilmington, contact:

Wilmington, DE

• 24/7 City Call Center: 302-576-2620
• Online 311 Request

Wilmington, NC

• Customer Service: 910-343-4850
• Online inquiries

Referencing your city’s published collection maps, online tools and guidelines can also help avoid any trash or recycling confusion throughout the year.