Some red 2026-27 yard-waste stickers would not stay on carts. The city is mailing free replacements, and from Nov. 2 a yard cart needs a valid sticker to be picked up.

The city of Winston-Salem is mailing free replacement yard-waste stickers to every customer who bought a red 2026-27 sticker. Some of the stickers the city issued did not stick to the carts properly.

The city announced the replacements in a news release on Thursday. The first batch went out in the mail last week. There is no extra charge, and customers do not need to ask for one.

The dates that matter

  • Now through Saturday, Oct. 31: every yard-waste cart is collected, whether or not the new sticker has arrived.
  • From Monday, Nov. 2: every yard-waste cart must show a valid red yard-waste sticker to be collected.

If your current sticker is still firmly attached, you can keep using it, the city said.

How to put the new sticker on

The city asks customers to:

  • clean the spot with rubbing alcohol and let it dry completely
  • stand in front of the cart and put the new sticker on the right side
  • not put the new sticker on top of the old one

Who this affects

Yard-waste pickup is a paid, optional service in Winston-Salem. Homes that want it buy a city-approved 96-gallon cart and a yearly sticker, and the cart is emptied every week, according to the city’s yard waste page.

The same page lists the fees. A new cart with a sticker costs $130. A sticker renewal for a cart you already own costs $65. You can buy either online or in person at the City Revenue Department in the Bryce Stuart Building, 100 E. First St.

Garbage and recycling carts do not use stickers and are not affected.

What it means for you

  • Check your mail. If you bought a red 2026-27 sticker, a replacement is on its way.
  • Check your cart before Nov. 2. If the old sticker is peeling or gone and no replacement has come, call CityLink at 311 or 336-727-8000.
  • Leaf season starts the same day. Loose-leaf collection begins Monday, Nov. 2, and brush pickup is limited from Nov. 1. Small branches in a stickered yard cart still go weekly. Our trash and recycling guide has the leaf routes, the holiday schedule and the drop-off sites.