Trash and recycling pickup in Greensboro: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Updated each year when the city posts its new holiday schedule. Facts on this page come from the City of Greensboro’s Solid Waste and Recycling pages.

The city of Greensboro’s own crews collect household trash, recycling, yard waste and bulk items. Most crews work a four-day week, so there is no collection on Wednesdays except when a holiday moves a route, according to the city’s residential collection page. Everything goes to the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, extra cart, appliance pickup, bulk questions: City Contact Center, 336-373-CITY (2489)
• Household hazardous waste center: 336-373-2196
• White Street Landfill: 336-373-7658
• Your pickup day: GSO Collects address lookup

What day is my pickup?

Search your address in GSO Collects, online or in the GSO Collects app for iPhone and Android. It shows your trash day, whether you are on a red or blue recycling week, and can send reminders by app or email that adjust for holidays and bad weather.

• Trash (green cart): weekly.
• Yard waste (gray 95-gallon cart, paper bags or bundles): weekly, on your trash day.
• Recycling (brown cart): every other week, on a red or blue week. Print the 2026 red calendar or the 2026 blue calendar.
• Bulk items: every other week, on your recycling day.

Holiday schedule for the rest of 2026

The city’s rules, from its collection schedule page: a Monday holiday moves Monday and Tuesday routes one day later; a Tuesday holiday moves Tuesday one day later; a Wednesday holiday changes nothing; a Thursday holiday moves Thursday one day earlier; and a Friday holiday moves both Thursday and Friday one day earlier. Collection can run even when City Hall is closed.

The White Street Landfill and the transfer station are closed on Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2027, according to the city’s solid waste FAQs.

Bulk pickup

Bulk trash is anything too big for the green cart: furniture, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, swing sets, bikes, chairs, doors, toilets, rolled carpet and lawn mowers drained of gas and oil. It goes out by 7 a.m. on your recycling day, according to the city’s bulk items page. No appointment is needed for homes outside downtown.

Crews will leave items behind if:

• Any one item weighs more than 50 pounds. The city’s 2-2-2 rule: never too big for two people to handle.
• It is extra bagged trash. Extra bags beside the cart are not bulk.
• It is an appliance. Call 336-373-2489 to schedule an appliance pickup.
• It is a TV or computer. Take electronics to the household hazardous waste center.
• It is construction debris, unless it fits in the green cart or a 32-gallon can. The city hauls larger amounts for a fee; call for a quote.
• Carpet is not rolled and tied in bundles no longer than 5 feet.
• It is tires or car parts. Tires go to the Guilford County Tire Facility, 2138 Bishop Road; call 336-294-9431 for hours.

Yard waste

Yard waste is collected every week on your trash day, according to the yard waste page. No loose leaves may go in the street or right of way, even for a short time.

• Use the city’s gray 95-gallon cart with the lid closed, biodegradable paper bags under 50 pounds, or bundles tied with twine no longer than 5 feet and under 50 pounds. Plastic bags are not collected.
• Limit: 10 bags or bundles a week from March through October, and 15 from November through February.
• No more than two city yard waste carts at the curb.
• Christmas trees go out on your trash day with lights, ornaments and stands removed; cut trees taller than 5 feet in half.

Recycling and glass

The brown cart takes only paper and cardboard, metal food and drink cans, and plastic bottles, tubs and jugs, empty, clean, dry and loose, according to the city’s recycling page. Glass is not accepted in the cart. Drop it at one of the city’s glass sites, including Glenn McNairy Library (4860 Lake Jeanette Road), Hemphill Library (2301 W. Vandalia Road), Kathleen Clay Edwards Library (1420 Price Park Drive), McGirt Horton Library (2501 Phillips Ave.), several fire stations, the transfer station and the White Street Landfill. Extra recycling can also go to the transfer station or the landfill.

Drop-off sites

Arrive at least 30 minutes before closing at the transfer station and the landfill. Cars pay $15 a trip at both, according to the city’s transfer station page. From Dec. 1, 2026, state law bans lithium-ion batteries from landfills; the city asks residents to take all batteries to the household hazardous waste center.

What this means for you

• No pickup on Wednesdays, except in holiday weeks.
• Bulk rides with recycling every other week; check whether you are red or blue.
• Paper bags only for leaves, and nothing loose in the street.
• Glass and batteries never go in a city cart.

More city services: who to call at City Hall and property taxes.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Greensboro?

City crews pick up trash weekly Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday; there is no collection on Wednesdays. Look up your day by address in the city’s GSO Collects tool or app.

Is recycling every week in Greensboro?

No. Recycling goes every other week on a red or blue week schedule. The city publishes a printable 2026 red and blue calendar, and GSO Collects shows which week your address is on.

How do I get bulk trash picked up in Greensboro?

Put bulk items at the curb by 7 a.m. on your recycling day; bulk goes every other week with recycling. Items over 50 pounds, appliances and electronics are not collected as bulk.

Can I put glass in my Greensboro recycling cart?

No. Glass is not accepted in city recycling carts. Take clean, empty glass bottles and jars to one of the city’s glass drop-off sites, including several libraries and fire stations.

Is Greensboro trash pickup delayed for Thanksgiving?

There is no collection on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Thursday pickup moves to Wednesday, Nov. 25, and Friday pickup stays the same.