Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Greenville
North Carolina residential routes run Monday through Friday. Please refer to your city or county zoning map for your specific curbside collection day.
State Mandate
NC DEQ strictly bans aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and electronics from landfill disposal.
Green Bin (Trash)
Must be placed in a City-approved green rollout cart with the metal bar facing the road. Keep at least 3 feet of clearance from the recycling cart, mailboxes, and parked cars. Place curbside by 6:00 AM.
Accepted Items
- ✓Everyday household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging and plastics
Blue Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables must be co-mingled and placed loosely in the blue cart. Never bag recyclables. Must be placed 3 feet away from the garbage cart by 6:00 AM on collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cardboard boxes (broken down)
- ✓Plastic bottles, tubs, and jugs
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Mixed paper and newspaper
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses, wires)
- ✕Food waste and liquids
- ✕Electronics and batteries
- ✕Household hazardous waste
Yard Waste Bin
Leaves and limbs must be placed in separate, distinct piles at the curbside. Do not place yard waste in the road, gutter, or near obstacles like mailboxes and fire hydrants.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Tree limbs and branches (max 6 feet long and 6 inches in diameter)
- ✓Brush and hedge trimmings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By Appointment Only
Placement
Place approved items at the curb only after securing an appointment. Keep items well away from utility poles, overhanging wires, parked cars, and your regular rollout carts.
Accepted
- ✓ Large household furniture (sofas, mattresses, dressers)
- ✓ Oversized household junk that will not fit in the green cart
- ✓ Household appliances
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Building materials (drywall, lumber, concrete)
- ✕ Hazardous waste and wet paint
- ✕ Commercial or contractor-generated waste
Basic bulky pickup is generally included for single-family residential properties paying the monthly refuse fee, but extremely large cleanouts or specific heavy items may incur specialized fees or be refused if they violate construction debris bans.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Collection schedules typically shift by one day following a major holiday. Friday routes may be completed on Saturday during these weeks.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and bulky item collections often experience greater delays or temporary suspensions during holiday weeks while crews prioritize household garbage.
Schedule changes are broadcasted on the local Government Access Channel, printed in The Daily Reflector, and automatically updated in the Greenville Collects digital search tool.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Never Bag Your Recyclables
Keep all recyclables loose in your blue cart. Plastic shopping bags jam the sorting machinery at the recycling facility, resulting in delays, equipment damage, and perfectly good recyclables being routed to the landfill.
Break Down All Cardboard Boxes
Intact cardboard boxes take up massive amounts of space and can cause your blue cart to become jammed, meaning it won't empty properly into the automated truck. Always flatten and cut down large boxes before tossing them in.
Keep Leaf and Limb Piles Separate
If you mix tree branches in with your pile of loose leaves, the city yard waste crews will not collect it. Different equipment is often used to process these materials, so keeping them in distinctly separate piles at the curb is mandatory.
Seasonal Information
Fall/Winter
November to JanuaryDuring peak leaf-fall season, residents should continue to keep leaf piles completely free of branches, rocks, and trash. Ensure piles are not blocking storm drains, which can cause severe localized flooding during heavy autumn rains.
Hurricane Season
June to NovemberDuring severe tropical weather threats, the City of Greenville may temporarily suspend all curbside collections. Secure your green and blue rollout carts indoors or strap them down to prevent them from floating away or becoming dangerous projectiles in high winds.
Post-Holiday
December and JanuaryNatural Christmas trees can be collected curbside alongside regular yard waste. However, they must be completely stripped of all lights, tinsel, ornaments, and the tree stand before being placed out for collection.
About Greenville Waste Management
Navigating Greenville's Strict Rollout Cart Policies
The City of Greenville provides single-family homes with curbside refuse service using specialized green rollout carts. To maintain clean neighborhoods and prevent street clutter, the Public Works Department heavily enforces cart retrieval times. Homeowners must place their green garbage carts at the curb by 6:00 AM on collection day, but equally important is pulling them back. All carts must be moved behind the front line of your house no later than noon the day following collection. Failure to do so can result in a quick $25 cart rollback fee added to your Greenville Utilities bill.
Weekly Co-Mingled Blue Cart Recycling
Unlike some municipalities that have scaled back to bi-weekly collections, Greenville maintains a robust weekly recycling schedule. Residents utilize a city-approved blue recycling cart that must be positioned at least three feet away from the green garbage cart to allow automated trucks safe access. All recyclable materials—such as flattened cardboard, rinsed plastics, and metal cans—must be placed loosely inside the blue cart. Bagging your recyclables in plastic will immediately flag your bin as contaminated.
Appointment-Based Bulky Trash Collection
If you are upgrading your furniture or clearing out the garage, you cannot simply leave large items at the curb and expect the sanitation truck to take them. The City of Greenville strictly operates its bulky trash pickup on an appointment-only basis. Residents must call the Public Works Department at (252) 329-4522 to schedule a bulky collection for items that will not fit inside the standard green cart. Be aware that city crews will entirely bypass piles that include construction and demolition debris, which must be hauled privately to the Pitt County Transfer Station.
Proper Preparation for Yard Waste and Limbs
Managing the heavy seasonal foliage in Eastern North Carolina requires residents to adhere to specific yard waste separation rules. The Sanitation Division mandates that leaves and tree limbs cannot be mixed into a single pile. They must be separated into distinct piles behind the curb—never in the roadway, over storm drains, or leaning against utility poles. Furthermore, all limbs must be cut to manageable dimensions, strictly adhering to a maximum length of six feet and a diameter no thicker than six inches.
Leveraging the Greenville Collects Digital Tool
Because different trucks service garbage, recycling, and bulky waste at various times throughout a resident's scheduled collection day, it can be confusing to track when items should be out. The city offers the digital 'Greenville Collects' search tool directly on its website. This portal is essential for finding your exact service zone, downloading a customized household calendar, and receiving real-time alerts about storm delays or shifting holiday schedules.
Drop-off Facilities
Pitt County Transfer Station
3025 Landfill Road, Greenville, NC 27834
Materials Accepted
Bells Fork / County Home Collection Site
4554 County Home Road, Greenville, NC 27858
Materials Accepted
Port Terminal Collection Site
911 Port Terminal Road, Greenville, NC 27858
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need to move my green trash cart back to my house in Greenville?
The City of Greenville requires that all green and blue rollout carts be removed from the curbside and placed behind the front line of your house no later than noon on the day following your scheduled collection. If you leave it at the curb, you may be issued a $25 cart rollback fee.
How do I get rid of an old mattress or couch in Greenville?
You cannot simply leave old furniture at the curb. Greenville handles bulky trash strictly by appointment. You must call Public Works at (252) 329-4522 to schedule a pickup for any items that are too large to fit inside your green rollout cart with the lid closed.
Will the city pick up leftover lumber and drywall from my home renovation?
No. The City of Greenville sanitation crews do not collect construction, demolition, or building debris of any kind. You or your contractor must privately haul these materials to the Pitt County Transfer Station located on Landfill Road.
What are the rules for putting out tree branches and limbs?
All tree limbs and branches must be separated from leaf piles. They cannot exceed 6 feet in length, and no individual limb can be thicker than 6 inches in diameter. Place them behind the curb, ensuring they do not block the roadway or any sidewalks.