Cary Dump, Landfill & Recycling — Hours, Fees & What They Take
If you live in Cary, this is the year to work out your plan B. The Citizen's Convenience Center on N. Dixon Avenue loses general drop-off on January 1, 2027. Today it takes trash, recycling, appliances and electronics. After that only food and yard waste will be accepted there. The site sits largely inside the North Carolina Railroad right-of-way, and federally funded rail improvements mean operations have to come off it.
It's open as normal through December 31, 2026. Here's what the site still does today, what changes, and where to go afterwards.
Closed on Town holidays. No commercial use or contractor waste (landscapers included), and no box trucks or enclosed trailers.
Changing January 1, 2027: only food and yard waste drop-off stays open here. Construction on the site starts in October 2026. For everything else, the Town points residents to two Wake County sites: the convenience center at 266 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville and the South Wake complex on Old Smithfield Road in Apex (both below). If you've been putting off a garage clear-out, 2026 is the easier year to do it.
The Apex site (Site 2) is the one to know. It's one of five centers that take mattresses (two a day) and homeowner construction debris, with residency verification, and one of three that take food waste. Morrisville takes household trash, bulky items and recycling. Closed on major holidays. Appliances, electronics, batteries and chemicals are not taken at any center; see the recycling and hazardous-waste facilities below.
This is where appliances go for free. The Cary center charges $10 each, and the convenience centers don't take them. TVs, computers and any corded device go here too.
Household and commercial waste — $37 per ton (includes the $2/ton state excise tax)
Mattress or box spring — $15 each
Cash, check or credit card (card payments up to $200)
Accepts: Household trash, Commercial waste, Mattresses, Oversized items that won't fit convenience-center containers
The landfill mostly takes waste from licensed haulers on credit accounts, but residents can bring loads on a limited basis. All waste must come from inside Wake County. Wake County doesn't publish walk-in hours online, so call (919) 856-7400 before you load up. It sits in Apex, next to the convenience center, recycling and hazardous-waste sites, so one trip down Old Smithfield Road covers most things. Raleigh residents drive considerably further to reach it.
Accepts: Paint, Household batteries, Car batteries (limit 6), Chemicals, Pesticides, Gasoline (5 gallons max), Propane tanks up to 20 lb, Fluorescent bulbs
It's on the same road as the landfill and the recycling facility. Motor oil and antifreeze go to the recycling facility next door, not here. North Wake HHW (9037 Deponie Drive, Raleigh) is temporarily closed after fire damage, with a collection event there every Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. East Wake HHW (5051 Wendell Blvd., Wendell) opens Saturdays and Sundays. Lithium-ion batteries become illegal to landfill in NC on December 1, 2026.
Before you load a sofa into a truck, note that the Town of Cary will come and get it. Bulky trash collection is by appointment: $15 for the first item and $8 for each additional item collected on the same trip. Furniture and gas grills are typical. Request collection online or call 311. Appliances can also be picked up at the curb for a fee.
For two or three large items that's $15–$31 without borrowing a truck, lifting anything, or making the drive. It gets more attractive once trash drop-off on Dixon Avenue ends in 2027.
Cary dump hours
The hours picture in Cary is about to change, so it's worth holding both versions in your head.
Through December 31, 2026, the Citizen's Convenience Center on N. Dixon Avenue is open Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m. for trash, recycling, food waste, yard waste, appliances and electronics.
From January 1, 2027, only food and yard waste drop-off continues there. For everything else: Wake County's convenience centers, open every day 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the closest in Morrisville and Apex. Appliances and electronics go to the South Wake recycling facility in Apex, Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call the County before taking a load to the South Wake Landfill, since its hours aren't posted online.
What it costs to dump in Cary
For a normal Cary household, disposal is close to free, and that doesn't change in 2027. Only the location does.
Household trash & recycling — no gate fee at Wake County convenience centers, which are funded by a $20 annual fee on Wake County homeowners.
Yard waste — free at the Cary Citizen's Convenience Center, one of the two services continuing past January 1, 2027.
Appliances — $10 each at the Cary center, or free at the South Wake Multi-Material Recycling Facility.
Bulky items — $15 first item, $8 each additional, collected from your curb by appointment.
Larger loads — $37 a ton at the South Wake Landfill, and $15 per mattress or box spring. Cash, check or card up to $200.
With free county centers and $15 curbside bulky pickup, small jobs in Cary barely justify a truck. The case for help is a whole-house clear, an estate, or a remodel — and it strengthens in 2027, when the in-town drop-off for bulky items goes away. Two options:
Haul it yourself — cheapest by a long way if you have a vehicle and can lift it. The gate rates above are the whole cost.
Junk-removal crew — a crew does the loading and hauls it away — curbside and in-home collection are usually priced differently. Usually the better call for heavy furniture, appliances, or a cleanout on a deadline.
Not sure which is cheaper for your load? Check an upfront junk-removal price and weigh it against the gate fee — no obligation either way.
Partly. It's open as usual through December 31, 2026 (Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 1–6 p.m.). From January 1, 2027 only food and yard waste drop-off remains. Most of the site sits in the North Carolina Railroad right-of-way, and federally funded rail work requires operations to move off it. Construction starts in October 2026.
Where do I dump after it closes?
Wake County convenience centers, open every day 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Town names the Morrisville center at 266 Aviation Parkway and the South Wake site on Old Smithfield Road in Apex. There's no gate fee; the centers are funded by a $20 annual fee on Wake County homeowners. Appliances and electronics go to the South Wake Multi-Material Recycling Facility, and larger loads go to the South Wake Landfill at $37 a ton.
What does bulky item pickup cost in Cary?
$15 for the first item, $8 for each additional on the same trip, by appointment. Request online or call 311. Furniture and gas grills are typical.
Is yard waste free in Cary?
Yes. It's free at the Citizen's Convenience Center, 313 N. Dixon Ave., as long as it's within the Center's size limits. It's one of the two services continuing there after January 1, 2027. Contractors can't use the Center.
What does the South Wake Landfill charge?
$37 a ton for household and commercial waste (including the $2/ton state excise tax), and $15 per mattress or box spring. Pay by cash, check or credit card (card up to $200). It's at 6300 Old Smithfield Road in Apex. The landfill mostly serves licensed haulers, and Wake County doesn't post walk-in hours online, so call (919) 856-7400 before you go.
Do I need proof of residency?
The Wake County convenience centers are for Wake County residents hauling their own waste; businesses and contractors aren't permitted. Residency verification is required for mattresses and construction debris. If you're bringing a box truck, dual-axle trailer or enclosed trailer, apply for a free Trash Pass first. The Cary Citizen's Convenience Center doesn't allow commercial use, box trucks or enclosed trailers.
