Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Greensboro
Trash Day
Trash is collected once weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday depending on your assigned route (there is no regular collection on Wednesdays).
Recycling
Recycling is collected every other week on your regular trash collection day according to your assigned Red or Blue calendar schedule.
Yard Waste
Yard waste is collected weekly on your regular trash collection day using the gray City cart or biodegradable paper bags.
Set Out Time
By 7:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Solid waste and recycling service fees are bundled together on your regular City Services Billing Statement along with water, wastewater, and stormwater charges.
Billing Cycle
Monthly or Quarterly
Accepted Methods
Online (GSO WaterWise), Auto-Pay (Bank Draft), Phone, Mail, Drop Box, In Person
Pro Tip / Discount
Eligible low-income homeowners and renters experiencing hardship can receive up to $250 per fiscal year through the City's GSO Helps Low-Income Water Assistance (LIWA) Program, which applies to water, sewer, and solid waste charges.
Green Cart Bin (Trash)
All trash must be bagged before placing it in the green cart. Place the cart at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day, leaving 2-3 feet of clearance from other objects.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Gabled cartons (milk and juice boxes)
Brown Cart Bin (Recycling)
Items must be placed loosely in the brown cart. Never bag recyclables. Carts must be completely free of food waste and liquids. Collection occurs every other week based on your Red or Blue calendar schedule.
Accepted Items
- ✓Paper and flattened cardboard
- ✓Metal food and drink cans
- ✓Plastic bottles, tubs, and jugs
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass bottles and jars (use drop-off locations)
- ✕Plastic bags or wrap
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Gabled cartons (milk/juice boxes)
- ✕Shredded paper
Yard Waste Bin
Place organic material inside your 95-gallon gray yard waste cart first. Excess must be in 100% biodegradable paper bags or tied bundles (max 5 feet long, 50 lbs). Never use plastic bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Small branches and twigs
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Every other week
Placement
Items must weigh 50 lbs or less each. Appliances (white goods) and electronics are handled separately and require a scheduled pickup or drop-off.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, dressers)
- ✓ Rolled and tied carpet (max 5 feet per bundle)
- ✓ Clean lumber and wood (no nails or screws)
- ✓ Small power yard equipment (gas and oil fully drained)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Paint and automotive fluids
- ✕ Electronics (TVs, computers, phones)
- ✕ Batteries and propane tanks
- ✕ Construction and remodeling debris (rocks, dirt, concrete)
Standard bi-weekly bulky item collection is free of charge for Greensboro residents.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Greensboro uses a unique shift: Monday and Tuesday holidays push collection days one day later. Thursday and Friday holidays push collection days one day earlier (to Wednesday or Thursday). Wednesday collections do not occur.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and bulk collection follow the exact same holiday adjustments as regular trash and recycling routes.
Because the shifting logic is complex, the City heavily advises downloading the GSO Collects app to receive automatic push notifications for your specific address during holiday weeks.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Late Fall to Winter
November through FebruaryDuring peak leaf season, Greensboro increases the weekly limit for extra paper bags or branch bundles from 10 to 15 per household to accommodate heavy leaf drops. Never pile loose leaves directly in the street or gutter.
Post-Holiday
Late December to JanuaryReal Christmas trees are collected curbside as regular yard waste on your normal collection day. Remove all lights, ornaments, and stands. Trees over five feet tall must be cut in half before being placed at the curb by 7 a.m.
Year-Round
January through DecemberWhen placing bulk items out, follow the city's safety protocol known as the '2-2-2 rule' for standard items: items should never be too big for two people to carry. Extra-large items may require a special scheduled pickup.
Local Tips & Community Info
The Greensboro Four-Cart Sanitation System
Keeping the streets of Greensboro clean relies on a unique four-stream waste management approach. Every household is provided with specific color-coded bins, starting with the green cart for regular weekly household garbage. All approved bins must be wheeled to the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on your designated service day. For convenience, residents are allowed to set out their bins the evening before. Once the municipal trucks have emptied them, all carts must be rolled back to your property by 7:00 a.m. the following morning to comply with the city's Cart Rollback Program and prevent neighborhood clutter.
Brown Cart Recycling and the Glass Ban
In Greensboro, recyclables are collected every other week using a brown cart, operating on either a Red or Blue calendar schedule that can be verified via the GSO Collects app. All paper, flattened cardboard, metal cans, and plastic jugs should be placed loosely inside the brown bin. One major distinction for this city is that curbside glass collection is strictly prohibited. Residents must instead transport their empty glass bottles and jars to designated community drop-off sites. Additionally, make sure your brown cart lid is fully closed and avoid using any plastic bags to prevent contamination.
Gray Cart Yard Debris and Leaf Season Rules
Because North Carolina law mandates that organic material be separated from standard trash, the city provides a dedicated 95-gallon gray cart for yard waste, which is serviced weekly. You can dispose of grass clippings, twigs, and leaves directly inside this container. If your yard produces more debris than the cart can hold, you may supplement it with tied bundles or biodegradable paper bags. During most of the year, you are permitted up to 10 additional bags or bundles. However, during the peak leaf season running from November through February, that limit increases to 15 items per household.
Curbside Bulk Collections
Disposing of old mattresses, worn-out furniture, and rolled carpets is easy thanks to the city's bi-weekly bulk item collection, which occurs on the exact same day as your recycling pickup. Greensboro residents follow the helpful 2-2-2 rule for loose bulky items: they should never be too big for two people to carry. Make sure not to set out prohibited materials such as hazardous chemicals, wet paint, propane tanks, or old electronics like televisions, as these require specialized disposal at the household hazardous waste center.
Holiday Collection Shifts
Whenever a major holiday disrupts the standard work week, Greensboro adjusts its sanitation routes in a way that differs from many other cities. Instead of pushing service days backward, collections often happen a day earlier. For example, if a recognized holiday falls on a Thursday, Thursday routes are serviced on Wednesday. If the holiday is on a Friday, both Thursday and Friday collections shift forward by one day. To stay updated on these unique schedule changes, residents are encouraged to download the printable yearly calendar online.
Drop-off Facilities
Burnt Poplar Transfer Station
6310 Burnt Poplar Rd, Greensboro, NC 27409
Materials Accepted
White Street Landfill
2503 White St, Greensboro, NC 27405
Materials Accepted
ECOFLO, Inc. Household Hazardous Waste Center
2750 Patterson Street, Greensboro, NC 27407
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What time must my garbage and recycling bins be removed from the curb in Greensboro?
To comply with the city's Rollback Program, all carts must be removed from the street by 7:00 a.m. the day following your collection.
Can I recycle glass bottles in my brown recycling cart?
No. Glass is completely banned from Greensboro's curbside recycling program. You must utilize designated municipal drop-off locations to recycle glass items.
How much yard waste can I place at the curb outside of my gray cart?
Normally, you can set out up to 10 biodegradable paper bags or tied bundles. From November to February, the limit temporarily expands to 15 items to accommodate fallen leaves.