Greensboro, NC Waste Collection Schedule

Complete waste management schedule including trash pickup, recycling, bulk waste, and special collections for Greensboro.

Population: 302,296
134.2 sq mi
Updated: January 19, 2025

Collection Zones & Pickup Days

Find your neighborhood to see your collection schedule

View Interactive Zone Map

Central Greensboro / Downtown

Trash:Monday
Recycling:Monday
Yard Waste:Monday

Neighborhoods:

  • Downtown
  • Center City
  • Southside
  • Glenwood
  • Aycock
  • Fisher Park
  • Westerwood
  • Sunset Hills
  • Irving Park

Northeast Greensboro

Trash:Tuesday
Recycling:Tuesday
Yard Waste:Tuesday

Neighborhoods:

  • Lake Jeanette
  • Lake Brandt
  • Summerfield
  • Lawndale
  • Pomona
  • Brightwood
  • Lindley Park
  • Latham Park

Southeast Greensboro

Trash:Thursday
Recycling:Thursday
Yard Waste:Thursday

Neighborhoods:

  • Sedgefield
  • Guilford Hills
  • Friendly Center Area
  • Jamestown
  • Guilford College
  • New Irving Park
  • Starmount
  • Starmount Forest

Southwest Greensboro

Trash:Friday
Recycling:Friday
Yard Waste:Friday

Neighborhoods:

  • Adams Farm
  • High Point Road Area
  • West Greensboro
  • Piedmont Triad Area
  • Brassfield
  • Holden Road Area
  • Oak Ridge Area

Northwest Greensboro / College Hill

Trash:Friday
Recycling:Friday
Yard Waste:Friday

Neighborhoods:

  • College Hill
  • Hamilton Lakes
  • Battleground
  • Forest Oaks
  • Lake Daniel
  • Country Club Area
  • North Greensboro

East Greensboro / Wendover

Trash:Thursday
Recycling:Thursday
Yard Waste:Thursday

Neighborhoods:

  • Wendover Heights
  • Eastchester
  • Greentree
  • Phillip Randolph
  • Windsor Square
  • Gate City

Service Provider

municipal

City of Greensboro Solid Waste & Recycling

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Bulk Waste Pickup

Frequency
Bi-weekly (every other week on recycling day)
Registration
Not Required

Scheduling Method:

Automatic - follows recycling schedule

336-373-CITY (2489) for appliances and special items

Accepted Items

  • Large furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, dressers, desks)
  • Mattresses and box springs
  • Carpets (rolled and tied, maximum 5 feet in length)
  • Exercise equipment
  • Wood furniture
  • Small metal items
  • Bicycles
  • Basketball goals (concrete bases must be removed)
  • Items following the "2-2-2 Rule" (not too big for 2 people to handle)

Not Accepted

  • Extra trash bags (not considered bulk items)
  • Appliances (require separate scheduling by calling 336-373-2489)
  • Electronics (TVs, computers - take to HHW facility)
  • Car parts and tires
  • Construction debris (fee-based pickup available)
  • Hazardous waste
  • Batteries
  • Paint
  • Chemicals

Bulk trash items are collected every other week on the same day as recycling pickup. Items should be at the curb by 7:00 AM on collection day. For appliances, call 336-373-CITY (2489) to schedule a separate pickup appointment. Appliance doors must be removed or secured, and all food/debris must be removed before pickup.

Recycling Program

Type
single-stream
Frequency
Bi-weekly (every other week on your regular collection day)
Cart Color
Brown

Accepted Materials

  • Paper (office paper, newspaper, magazines, catalogs)
  • Cardboard (flattened boxes)
  • Metal cans (aluminum and steel)
  • Plastic bottles and containers (#1-7)
  • Note: Glass is NO LONGER accepted in brown recycling carts - take to drop-off locations

Not Accepted

  • Plastic bags (not recyclable in carts or at city locations)
  • Glass bottles and jars (take to White Street Landfill or Transfer Station drop-off)
  • Styrofoam or foam containers
  • Food waste
  • Yard waste
  • Electronics
  • Batteries
  • Hazardous materials
  • Shredded paper
  • Textiles and clothing
  • Wire or plastic hangers

Greensboro monitors recycling carts under the "Recycle Right" program. If you have contamination (non-accepted items) in your cart, truck drivers may tag your address and you will receive a postcard. If you contaminate recycling three times within six months, your recycling cart will be removed for non-compliance. All recycling must be placed loosely in carts - do NOT bag recyclables. Cardboard boxes should be broken down. Use the GSO Collects app "Waste Wizard" feature to check if items are recyclable. Glass recycling drop-off available at White Street Landfill and Transfer Station - all recycling must be placed loosely in dumpsters.

Holiday Schedule

Greensboro observes the following holidays with adjusted collection schedules: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4th), Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. IMPORTANT: When a holiday falls on Monday, both Monday and Tuesday collections occur one day later. When a holiday falls on Tuesday, Tuesday collection occurs one day later. When a holiday falls on Wednesday, there is NO CHANGE in collection services (Wednesday is normally a non-collection day). When a holiday falls on Thursday, Thursday collection occurs one day earlier (Wednesday). When a holiday falls on Friday, both Thursday and Friday collections occur one day earlier. Use the GSO Collects app to stay informed about holiday schedule changes and receive automatic notifications.

Important Information

City of Greensboro Solid Waste & Recycling provides comprehensive waste collection to single-family residential properties within Greensboro city limits: COLLECTION SCHEDULE: - Trash: Weekly collection in green roll-out cart - Recycling: Bi-weekly collection in brown cart - Yard Waste: Weekly collection in 95-gallon gray cart or paper bags - Bulk Items: Bi-weekly collection (same day as recycling) - Appliances: By appointment only (call 336-373-2489) WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Most collection crews work four-day weeks (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) with NO collections on Wednesdays unless adjusted for holidays. This schedule may change during holiday weeks. IMPORTANT REMINDERS: - Place all carts and items at curb by 7:00 AM on collection day - Use only paper bags for yard waste - NO PLASTIC BAGS - Do NOT bag recyclables - place items loose in brown cart - Glass is no longer accepted in recycling carts - use drop-off locations - Extra trash bags outside your green container are NOT bulk items FIND YOUR COLLECTION DAY: Greensboro uses address-based scheduling. To find your specific collection day: - GSO Collects App (iOS and Android) - download from app stores - GSO Collects Online Tool: www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/solid-waste-and-recycling/gso-collects - Call the City Contact Center: 336-373-CITY (2489) GSO COLLECTS FEATURES: - Enter your address for personalized collection calendar - View trash, recycling, yard waste, and bulk item pickup days - Waste Wizard tool to check if items are recyclable - Automatic holiday schedule adjustments - Download printable calendars - Set up collection day reminders RECYCLE RIGHT PROGRAM: Greensboro monitors recycling carts for contamination. Non-accepted items will result in: 1st offense: Cart tag and postcard notification 2nd offense: Additional warning postcard 3rd offense (within 6 months): Cart removal for non-compliance SEASONAL YARD WASTE LIMITS: - Leaf Season (Nov 1 - mid-Feb): Up to 15 bags/bundles per week + 95-gallon cart - Non-Leaf Season (mid-Feb - Oct): Up to 10 bags/bundles per week + 95-gallon cart RECYCLING DROP-OFF LOCATIONS: For glass and overflow recycling, use these FREE drop-off sites: - White Street Landfill: 2503 White Street (M-F 7:50am-4:50pm, Sat 7am-1pm) - Transfer Station: 6310 Burnt Poplar Road (M-F 6am-5pm, Sat 7am-1pm) All recycling must be placed loosely in dumpsters (dump bags out if used for transport). FOOD WASTE COMPOSTING: The city does not offer curbside compost collection, but residents can: - Drop off food waste at CUCC on West Radiance Drive or Deep Root Market on North Eugene Street - Purchase discounted compost bins from the city (sold annually in spring) - Compost yard waste at home - Buy compost/mulch at White Street Landfill ($20/ton; leaf mulch FREE) MISSED COLLECTION: Report missed collections to 336-373-CITY (2489) within 48 hours. Collection times vary throughout the day - allow until end of business day before reporting. BUSINESS SERVICES: Small businesses qualifying for residential-style service receive one green roll-out trash cart at no charge. Contact the city for commercial service options.

Official Data Sources