We pulled these rules from the City of Mount Airy and Surry County websites in October 2026. Hours, fees and rules change, so check the official page before you go. Get a free quote
The short answer
In Mount Airy city limits, bagged household trash goes in your city roll cart for weekly curb pickup. Everywhere in Surry County, you can take bagged trash to one of the county's 13 staffed convenience centers with a county sticker. Appliances, tires, electronics, scrap metal, furniture and building debris go to the Surry County landfill on Landfill Road in Mount Airy.
Got trash, an old couch or a broken fridge to get rid of in Mount Airy or anywhere in Surry County? Where it goes depends on what it is. This guide sorts it out by item, based on what the City of Mount Airy and Surry County publish. We link to each official page so you can check the latest rules.
Household trash
Bagged household trash has two homes in Surry County.
Inside Mount Airy city limits: The city picks up trash once a week at the curb. It only takes trash from the city’s 96-gallon roll cart. Bag all trash and put it in the cart. The cart goes to the curb by 7 a.m. on your pickup day and back by 7 p.m. See the City of Mount Airy sanitation page for your pickup day.
Anywhere in the county: Surry County runs 13 staffed convenience centers for household trash and recycling. Bagged household garbage is free at these centers. You need a county sticker on your vehicle. Ask for one with the convenience center sticker form. The full list of centers is on the county’s locations page.
All centers also take newspaper, magazines, cardboard, plastic, aluminum cans and car batteries. The county does not collect glass at the convenience centers. Glass goes to the landfill.
Bulky items and furniture
Couches, mattresses and other big items go to the county landfill, not the convenience centers. The county says the centers handle household waste only. Wood and metal from cleanout projects must go to the Mount Airy landfill.
The City of Mount Airy does not pick up mattresses, carpet or building materials at the curb. The city warns that if you put these in your cart, your trash may not get collected.
The landfill charges by the ton for furniture, mattresses and box springs. See the Surry County landfill fee page for current rates.
Where the landfill is: The Mount Airy landfill is at 237 Landfill Road, off Old Hwy. 52. Check the county website before you go, since hours and fees change.
Appliances (white goods)
Refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters are called “white goods.” North Carolina bans white goods from landfills, so they get recycled instead.
In Surry County, appliances go to the landfill only. The landfill has a separate area for them. The county’s fee page lists white goods and scrap metal as free. The City of Mount Airy does not pick up appliances at the curb.
Tires
Scrap tires are also banned from North Carolina landfills. In Surry County, take them to the Mount Airy landfill. It has a separate tire area. Take the tires off the rims first.
The county’s fee page lists tires off the rim as free with a completed state form. Tires that don’t qualify are charged by the ton. Ask the landfill about the form before you load up.
Electronics
Computers and TVs are banned from North Carolina landfills, so they get recycled. In Surry County, electronics go to the landfill only, not the convenience centers. The county says its Mount Airy center takes computers, TVs, fax machines, copiers and other electronics.
Home electronics are free, except TVs and computer monitors. The county lists a small fee for each of those. Businesses pay by the pound. See the county recycling page for the full list.
Yard waste and brush
Yard waste can’t go in a regular landfill in North Carolina. Here is where it goes in Surry County.
Inside Mount Airy city limits: The city picks up loose brush on Mondays at no extra charge. Branches must be under 5 feet long and under 3 inches across. Stack them neatly at the curb, not in the road or on the sidewalk. Bag or box leaves and fine clippings and set them in or next to your cart. Small clippings can go in the cart with your trash.
Anywhere in the county: The landfill has a separate yard waste area. The county charges by the ton for brush and yard waste. Check the fee page for current rates.
Paint and hazardous waste
Surry County does not take liquids, paint or hazardous waste at any of its disposal sites. For these items, the county points you to the store you bought them from or the maker of the product.
The one exception is the yearly Household Hazardous Waste and Pesticide Event. Surry County Public Works runs it with NC Cooperative Extension and the NC Department of Agriculture. The 2025 event was on October 25. It was for Surry County households only, with no business waste. Check the county page for the next date and what it takes.
Car batteries are the easy one. Every convenience center takes them.
Quick reference
| Item | Where it goes in Surry County |
|---|---|
| Bagged household trash | City cart (Mount Airy) or any convenience center with a sticker |
| Cardboard, cans, paper, plastic | Any convenience center |
| Furniture, mattresses, carpet | County landfill |
| Appliances and scrap metal | County landfill |
| Tires (off the rim) | County landfill |
| Computers and TVs | County landfill |
| Brush and leaves | City curb pickup (Mount Airy) or county landfill |
| Paint and chemicals | Yearly county hazardous waste event |
| Car batteries | Any convenience center |
When it’s easier to have it hauled
The county’s system works well if you have a truck and a free Saturday. Sometimes you don’t. Maybe the fridge is in the basement, or the couch won’t fit in your car. Maybe a whole house needs to be cleared out.
That’s where we come in. Medleys Junk Removal & Hauling is a family-run crew based in State Road. We load furniture, appliances, yard debris and whole-house loads, then haul them off. We donate and recycle what we can. We don’t take paint, chemicals or other hazardous waste, so save those for the county event.
- See our junk removal service or our Mount Airy junk removal page.
- Wondering what it costs? Read our junk removal cost guide.
- Ready to clear it out? Get a free quote or call 336-756-2117.