Greensboro residents who have gotten used to putting old furniture, mattresses and other large items at the curb every other week will have to change their routine beginning in February 2027.

The city’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department is eliminating regularly scheduled bulk trash collection and replacing it with an appointment-only system.

The change was announced in the department’s 2025–2026 annual report, released Monday, October 26, along with information about a new state restriction on disposing of rechargeable batteries that takes effect December 1.

Currently, Greensboro collects bulk trash every other week on the same day as recycling. Residents simply place eligible items at the curb by 7 a.m. on their scheduled collection day.

Under the new system, residents will have to call the city’s Contact Center at 336-373-CITY (2489) or use the GSO Assist app to schedule a pickup.

According to the annual report, the change is intended to improve efficiency while allowing residents to request service when they need it.

However, the report doesn’t provide some important details about how the new system will work. For example, it doesn’t say whether residents will be limited in the number of pickups they can schedule, how far in advance appointments will have to be made or how long residents can expect to wait between requesting a pickup and having their items collected.

The report also doesn’t say whether the change will save the city money or reduce the number of collection crews needed.

Greensboro has used appointment-only bulk trash collection before: In June 2020, the city announced that residents would no longer need appointments and that bulk items would be collected automatically every other week on recycling days.

The upcoming change will return the city to an appointment-based system after more than six years of regularly scheduled collection.

Bulk trash includes items that are too large to fit in the city’s green garbage containers, such as furniture, mattresses, bed frames, chairs, toilets, doors and certain lawn equipment.

Extra bags of household garbage aren’t considered bulk trash and aren’t eligible for collection under the existing system.

The change to appointment-only service won’t take effect until February – so residents can continue using their regular every-other-week bulk collection schedule in the meantime.

Greensboro already requires appointments for certain other services, including appliance collection.

The city’s just out annual report also addresses a new restriction on disposing of batteries.

Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1, residents will no longer be permitted to place lithium-ion or rechargeable batteries in household garbage. That restriction is tied to a new North Carolina state law prohibiting lithium-ion batteries from being disposed of in landfills.

The department says the batteries pose a significant fire hazard to garbage trucks and waste processing facilities.

Rechargeable batteries are found in many common household products, including power tools, cellphones, laptops and other electronic devices.

The city plans to promote the new restriction through a public education campaign called “Skip the Bin! Turn Your Batteries In!”

Greensboro and Guilford County residents can dispose of lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries at no charge at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at 2750 Patterson St.  The good news is that some area businesses also accept battery disposal.  You might ask your area Staples or Home Depot.

Both changes were included in the annual report’s “Looking Ahead” section rather than highlighted in the city’s news release announcing the report.

The annual report also provides a look at the size of Greensboro’s solid waste operations.

During the fiscal year that ended June 30, the department collected 110,733 tons of residential and commercial garbage, 16,511 tons of residential and commercial recycling and 14,881 tons of yard waste.

The city also reported collecting 98,292 tons of construction and demolition debris.

The department listed a total budget of $57.32 million for fiscal year 2025–2026, including $33.38 million for collections, $21.04 million for disposal and $2.91 million for street cleaning.

City street sweepers covered 13,908 miles and collected 151 tons of litter during the fiscal year.

The report also highlighted the city’s compost certification, environmental education programs and community events.

The full 2025–2026 Solid Waste and Recycling Annual Report is available online at the city’s website.

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