GFL collects Apex trash and recycling weekly; yard waste goes biweekly from Oct. 19 in Zones A and B. Missed pickup or bulk items: Ask Apex, 919-249-3311.
Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Town of Apex’s garbage, recycling and yard waste pages. This page is updated each year and whenever the town changes the schedule.
The Town of Apex contracts with GFL, formerly Waste Industries, for weekly household trash and recycling pickup. The town’s own Public Works Department collects yard waste, and that service changes on Monday, Oct. 19, when it moves to every other week.
Who to call
- Missed trash, recycling or yard waste; damaged or missing cart; bulk pickup: Ask Apex, 919-249-3311
- Report a missed trash or recycling pickup online: Public Works service request form
- Utility billing: 919-362-8676
- Official page: Garbage, Recycling and Yard Waste
What day is my pickup?
Trash and recycling are collected weekly on the same day. The town publishes every address’s schedule through the Apex Collects app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Enter your address to see your calendar and sign up for reminders and alerts about holiday and weather delays. The app also has a Waste Wizard that tells you where an item goes.
According to the town’s garbage collection page:
- Roll the cart to the curb the night before your pickup day.
- Everything goes inside the cart with the lid closed. Overflow bags beside the cart are not collected.
- Set the trash and recycling carts 3 to 4 feet apart so the truck’s automated arm can reach them.
- Bag your trash, but do not bag recycling.
- Yard waste, construction debris, tires, metal, hot ashes, paint and oil do not go in the trash cart.
The town is replacing every 65-gallon recycling cart with a 95-gallon cart with a green bottom and black lid, at no charge. Crews began in February 2026 and expect the job to take two years. The recycling page lists the neighborhoods due each month. Leave the old, empty cart at the curb until 5 p.m. on your replacement day.
Holiday schedule
The Wake County landfill closes for six holidays: Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. If your pickup day falls on one of them, trash and recycling move one day later for the rest of that week. A holiday on a weekend changes nothing.
| Holiday | Date | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thursday, Nov. 26 | Thursday pickup moves to Friday, Nov. 27; Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Nov. 28 |
| Christmas | Friday, Dec. 25 | Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Dec. 26 |
| New Year’s Day | Friday, Jan. 1, 2027 | Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Jan. 2 |
The dates apply the town’s one-day rule to the 2026 calendar. Check the app before you roll the cart out. In bad weather the town postpones the route until it is safe and asks you to leave carts at the curb until they are emptied.
Yard waste: every other week from Oct. 19
The town is moving yard waste to biweekly collection in two zones, according to its yard waste page. Use the town’s zone map to find yours.
- Zone A (west of I-540): weeks of Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Nov. 16, Nov. 30, Dec. 14, Jan. 11 and Jan. 25.
- Zone B (east of I-540, plus Sunset Hills): weeks of Oct. 26, Nov. 9, Nov. 23, Dec. 7, Jan. 4, Jan. 18 and Feb. 1.
During Peak Leaf Season, Oct. 19 to Feb. 5, 2027, crews can come any day of your zone’s week, so put yard waste out by 6 a.m. Monday. From Feb. 8, 2027, each home gets a set collection day and piles may go out no more than 48 hours before it.
The rules that took effect July 1, 2026:
- Up to 2 cubic yards a cycle, about a pile 6 feet long, 3 feet deep and 3 feet high. Extra can be collected for a fee by service request.
- Do not bag yard waste. Keep leaves apart from sticks and limbs.
- Limbs under 6 feet long and 6 inches across, cut ends together.
- Piles within 3 feet of the curb, at least 10 feet from a storm drain and side property lines, and 6 feet from mailboxes, cars and fire hydrants.
- Not accepted: dirt, sod, mulch, root balls, rocks, lumber, pallets, trash or pet waste. Contractors must haul away what they cut.
Christmas trees, stripped of lights and decorations, are collected at the curb through January. Pumpkins are food waste: put them in the trash cart, or drop them at the Public Works facility, 105 Upchurch St., the first week of November or the week after Thanksgiving.
Bulk items
Bulk pickup is a paid service for houses, not apartments or businesses. Request it with the online bulk item form or by calling 919-249-3311. The town emails your pickup date within one or two business days; items must be at the curb by 6 a.m. that day. According to the bulk item page, the fee goes on your next utility bill:
| Items | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 or 2 bulk items | $30 trip fee |
| 3 or more items | $15 per item |
| Mattress or box spring | $15 each, plus the $30 trip fee ($45 minimum); Fridays only |
Not collected: building and remodeling materials (toilets, vanities, mirrors, cabinets), hazardous waste, electronics, recycling and yard waste. New residents get one free pickup of empty, flattened moving boxes.
Paint, chemicals and electronics
Household hazardous waste goes to the South Wake Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 6150 Old Smithfield Road in Apex, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, according to the town’s hazardous waste page. It takes oil-based paint, large amounts of latex paint, antifreeze, batteries, pesticides, household cleaners and solvents. Small amounts of latex paint can go in the trash once fully dried with cat litter or sawdust. For TVs, computers and clothing, see the town’s recycling resources page.
New to Apex? Our Apex property tax guide explains how the town and Wake County bill you.
Frequently asked questions
What day is trash pickup in Apex?
It depends on your address. Enter it in the Town of Apex’s Apex Collects app or online calendar to see your weekly trash and recycling day, or call Ask Apex at 919-249-3311.
Who picks up trash in Apex?
GFL, formerly Waste Industries, collects household trash and recycling under contract with the town. The town’s own Public Works Department collects yard waste.
Is yard waste pickup changing in Apex?
Yes. Starting Oct. 19, 2026, yard waste is collected every other week. Zone A is west of I-540 and Zone B is east of I-540 plus Sunset Hills.
How much does bulk pickup cost in Apex?
The town charges a $30 trip fee for one or two items and $15 an item for three or more. Mattresses and box springs are $15 each on top of the trip fee and are collected only on Fridays.
Is trash pickup delayed for Thanksgiving in Apex?
Yes. Thursday pickup moves to Friday and Friday pickup moves to Saturday on Thanksgiving week.
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