Trash and recycling pickup in Winston-Salem: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Updated each year when the city posts its new holiday calendar. Facts on this page come from the City of Winston-Salem’s Solid Waste Collections pages.

The city of Winston-Salem’s Solid Waste Collections division picks up garbage, recycling and yard waste from single-family homes. Garbage goes every week, recycling every other week and yard waste every week for homes that pay for a yard cart, according to the city’s collections page. Apartments and most businesses use private haulers.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, new or broken cart, start service: CityLink, 311 or 336-727-8000; text 855-481-5465; email citylink@cityofws.org
• Bad-weather schedule changes and dead animal pickup: 336-727-2638
• 3RC EnviroStation (hazardous waste and electronics): 336-784-4300
• Your pickup day: the city’s Winston-Salem Collects app or service finder

What day is my pickup?

Type your address into the Winston-Salem Collects service finder on the collections page, or download the Winston-Salem Collects app. It shows your garbage, recycling, yard waste, leaf and brush schedule and can send reminders.

• Garbage (96-gallon city cart): weekly. All trash goes in heavy-duty bags inside the cart with the lid closed; no extra bags beside it, according to the garbage page.
• Recycling (blue 96-gallon cart): every other week, on a red or blue week. Print the 2026 holiday and red and blue week calendar.
• Yard waste (city-approved 96-gallon cart with a yearly sticker): weekly.

Every home gets one garbage cart and one recycling cart at no cost. Put carts at the curb by 6 a.m. on pickup day, or after 5 p.m. the night before, and bring them back in by 8 a.m. the next day. Keep carts 3 feet from cars, trees, bushes and other carts, with the lift bar facing the street.

Holiday schedule for the rest of 2026

From the city’s 2026 holiday collection schedule on the collections page:

When snow or ice stops collection, the city announces changes on its WSTV channels, WXII 12 and the Winston-Salem Journal, and on its recorded line, 336-727-2638.

Leaf season starts Nov. 2

Loose-leaf collection starts Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, and runs through January or as long as it takes to make three passes through each of the city’s four quadrants, according to the leaf routes page. Crews work two quadrants at a time, moving clockwise. Find your quadrant on the city’s collection map.

• Rake leaves to the edge of the yard, behind the curb, not into the street.
• Leaves only: no sticks, rocks or tarps. Keep piles off storm drains.
• Do not park on or near the pile. Leaf burning is not allowed inside city limits.

From Nov. 1 to Jan. 15, brush pickup is limited. Small branches in a stickered yard cart still go weekly, but no extra brush piles are collected, according to the brush collection page. The rest of the year, brush up to 6 inches wide and 6 feet long goes at the curb, cut ends facing the same way.

Bulky items

Furniture, mattresses, carpet, appliances and toys are picked up by city crews once a year, during your neighborhood’s cleanup week, according to the bulky items page. The 2026 round ran from March 2 to Sept. 4. Check your week on the bulky item schedule map. Trucks make one pass; items go out the weekend before. The service is for single-family homes only. Crews do not take construction materials, car parts, electronics, paint, tires, lumber, rocks or yard waste.

The rest of the year, take bulky items to the Hanes Mill Road Landfill.

Recycling: what goes in the blue cart

Plastic bottles (caps on), aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles and jars with lids removed, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, office paper and flattened cardboard, all empty and rinsed, according to the city’s recycling page. No sorting is needed.

Keep out: plastic bags and wrap, batteries, pizza boxes, foam, shredded paper, clothing, to-go containers, cords and hoses, electronics, diapers and tires.

Drop-off sites

The Hanes Mill Road Landfill is closed Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2027, and keeps short hours on Veterans Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Dec. 28, according to the city’s landfill information page. The 3RC EnviroStation asks for a driver’s license as proof of Forsyth County residency and takes up to two televisions per household a year.

What this means for you

• Garbage weekly, recycling every other week: check whether you are on a red or blue week.
• Bulky items go once a year in your cleanup week; otherwise, to Hanes Mill Road.
• Leaves go behind the curb from Nov. 2, never in the street.
• Batteries, paint and electronics go to the 3RC EnviroStation, never in a cart.

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

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Winston-Salem?

Garbage is collected once a week. Find your day by typing your address into the city’s Winston-Salem Collects service finder or app, or call CityLink at 311 (336-727-8000).

Is recycling every week in Winston-Salem?

No. The blue recycling cart is collected every other week, on a red week or blue week schedule. The city publishes a printable 2026 red and blue week calendar.

How do I get rid of a couch or mattress in Winston-Salem?

City crews collect bulky items such as furniture, mattresses, carpet and appliances once a year during your neighborhood’s scheduled cleanup week. At any other time, take them to the Hanes Mill Road Landfill, 325 W. Hanes Mill Road.

When does leaf collection start in Winston-Salem?

Fall leaf collection starts Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, and runs through January or until crews make three passes through each quadrant. Rake leaves behind the curb, not into the street.

Is trash pickup delayed for Thanksgiving in Winston-Salem?

Yes. Thursday garbage is collected Friday, Nov. 27, and Friday garbage is collected Saturday, Nov. 28. Thursday and Friday recycling also move one day later.