Winston-Salem Recycling: 2025 Schedule & What Can You Recycle?

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Winston-Salem recycling support varies from city to city. For those that live in the twin cities, here’s a list of things you can recycle. Anything not on this list should not be recycled at this time unless taken to a specific facility.

Curbside Pickup – 6 Do’s And Don’ts

Here’s the do’s and don’ts for curbside pickup (rollout cart program). The city now offers rollout Winston-Salem recycling carts that are picked up on a bi-weekly basis. Biweekly collection saves fuel, reduces emissions and saves you trips to the curb. Because the pickup is automated, here are some guidelines that will help with collection.

1. No sorting required. All items to be recycled can mingle in the cart.
2. Be sure the lid closes.
3. Put your cart out at the edge of the curb (not in the street) with the front of the cart facing the street.
4. Leave at least three feet of open space around each cart.
5. Do not place the cart under low-lying limbs or power lines.
6. Put your cart out by 6 a.m. and remove by the next day.

List Of Things You Can Recycle Via Curbside Pickup

1. Glass Bottles & Jars – green, brown and clear only (no caps)
2. Corrugated Cardboard – flattened and no larger that 3×3 feet (larger cardboard boxes may be taken to collection sites located throughout the city – see below)
3. Junk mail
4. Office Paper such as envelopes, notebook paper, office paper
5. Chipboard (usually brown or gray on the inside) such as cereal boxes, paper towel cores, facial tissue boxes, etc. Please remove any foil or plastic liners.
6. Newspaper, magazines, catalogs, phone books
7. Plastic bottles and jugs #1 through #7 but only if the neck is smaller than the base of the package
8. Aluminum and Steel food and beverage cans, glass food and beverage jars/bottles, aerosol cans.
9. Cardboard Milk & Juice Cartons

** Shredded Paper Is No Longer Accepted In Recycling Bins **

List Of Items You Should NOT Recycle In Your Curbside Bin

Again, we repeat – please DO NOT include the following items in your curbside recycle bin!

1. Antifreeze/ Motor Oil Containers
2. Batteries – all kinds
3. Books – that includes binders and spiral notebooks
4. Ceramic containers or deli containers
5. Clothes Hangers – plastic or metal
6. Clothing or Textiles
7. Electronics
8. Herbicide/Pesticides
9. Glass – dishes, drinking glasses, window glass, mirrors, etc.
10. Light Bulbs
11. Mirrors or Window Glass
12. Paint Cans
13. Plastics – bags, newspaper bags, wrap, toys, clamshells, containers, food trays, cups, etc.
14. Pots or Pans
15. Pyrex or Housewares containers or items – glass or ceramic
16. Scrap Metal or Wood
17. Shredded Paper
18. Styrofoam/Peanuts
19. Tires
20. Boxes with food – pizza boxes or any cardboard boxes that are contaminated with food or grease residue.

What Can I Recycle? Infographic, Printable PDF, & Wizard Tool

This infographic from the city of Winston-Salem can help you visualize what you can and cannot recycle curbside. And here is a printable PDF you can stick on your refrigerator for easy reference. You can also use the City of Winston-Salem Wizard Tool and type in any item to see how to dispose of it.

Curbside Recycling Schedules

To find the dates your recycling bin will be picked up, use the city’s Recycle Today service. Just type in your address and you’ll receive dates for recycling, leaf pickup, and more. They even have a free reminder service where you can receive notifications prior to pickup day. Last but not least, their is an app of this service available in the Apple Store and Google Play store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ever wonder if a particular piece of cardboard or plastic can be recycled? Can you recycle cereal boxes, for example? Can you recycle plastic or cardboard that doesn’t have the recycling symbol on it? Below is some more detail on what you should, and should not, recycle.

Can Chipboard Be Recycled?

You can recycle cereal boxes, dry food boxes, paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, etc. NO Styrofoam egg cartons, waxed aluminum foiled or plastic coated boxes, such as milk, juice cartons, frozen food cartons, etc. If the package has inside chipboard it can be recycled. NO pizza boxes, boxes with grease or food residue, or packing materials.

Can Glass Bottles Be Recycled?

Only clear, green or brown glass bottles are allowed. NO ceramics, dishes, drinking glasses, light bulbs, mirrors, Pyrex, window glass or any glass that is not a container.

Can Plastic Bottles & Jugs Be Recycled?

The neck of the container must be smaller than the base or widest part. NO bottle caps or tops, containers that are not bottles, such as deli or yogurt containers, margarine tubs or wide-mouth prescription bottles.

Note: Plastic clamshell containers generally used for salad, berries, tomatoes, herbs, etc. cannot be recycled via curbside pickup so do not include them in your bin.

9 Tips and Guidelines

1. Do not place any recyclables in plastic bags.
2. Empty aerosol cans and remove the lids.
3. Remove caps and lids from glass food and beverage jars and bottles. Rinse the jars and bottles.
4. Rinse and flatten cans. If you use the type of can opener that leaves a sharp edge on the lid, stop before completely removing the lid and then push the lid down inside the can before flattening it.
5. Caps can remain on plastic bottles, rinse and flatten. Plastic bottles #1 through #7 are accepted.
6. Remove newspapers from the plastic sleeve. No plastic bags are accepted.
7. Remove the plastic and foil liners from chipboard containers.
8. Flatten corrugated cardboard boxes before placing them in the cart.

You can get the most up-to-date information on our city’s recycling programs on their recycling page. You can also call this number for specifics: 336-747-6970 or use CityLink 311.

Where To Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags, Styrofoam, Batteries, Bulbs, Electronics & Hazardous Waste

Plastic Bags & Films

Most local grocery stores accept used plastic shopping bags and other plastic bags and films you may collect at home. Some of the plastics they accept include newspaper bags, produce bags, shopping bags, case wraps, plastic wrap from around napkins/paper towels/toilet paper/diapers, bread bags, food storage bags, air pillows from shipping containers, dry cleaning bags, and more.

The collection bins can be found outside the entrance doors at most Harris Teeter, Food Lion and other grocery stores.

Styrofoam Packing Material

The UPS stores at 380 Knollwood Street and 550 N Liberty Street in Winston-Salem will accept any clean packing materials for reuse. the Styrofoam has to be clean, otherwise the stores are not able to reuse it. They will also accept bubble wrap.

Electronics and Household Hazardous Waste Products

The 3RC EnviroStation accepts electronics, such as TVs, computers, cell phones, etc., and hazardous household waste like used motor oil, turpentine, fluorescent bulbs, weed killer, etc. This is a free service provided to Forsyth County Residents. You must bring proof of residency (driver’s license), and there is a limit of two televisions per household per year.

Click here for lists of accepted electronics and hazardous household waste materials.

Safety Tips:

• Never dump household waste in storm drains or streams or flush down the toilet
• Keep waste in original containers when possible. Do not mix products
• If the container label is unreadable or the material is in a different container, label it if you know for certain what it is
• If you have material not on the EnviroStation list, call first and explain what it is. You may not have to bring it
• Before delivering materials to the EnviroStation, place containers in a cardboard box lined with newspapers; cushion florescent light bulbs so they don’t break
• When you arrive at EnviroStation, the attendant will ask for proof of residency and ask for you to fill out a short form
• Ask the attendant for help if you require assistance unloading
• If you bring waste in a container you want back, tell the attendant, and your request will be accommodated

Regular trash, recyclable, explosives, ammunition, radioactive, and medical/infectious waste are not accepted at the EnviroStation.

The 3RC EnviroStation is located at 1401 S Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Winston-Salem, NC.
Phone: 336-784-4300. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 9am – 3pm

Keep Winston-Salem And North Carolina Green!

That’s it! Might seem like a lot at first but you’ll get the hang of it quickly. And if you consider that the people in New York put out enough trash each day to fill the Empire State Building, you start to realize the impact your little recycling efforts have. If everyone recycled and composted instead of throwing everything into the trash, we could cut the amount of trash produced by more than half. You’ll probably notice yourself that once you get into recycling, and especially if you decide to compost as well, that you’re wheeling your trash can to the street less and less.

Looking For Leaf Pickup, Moving Resources, And More?

You’ll find leaf pickup schedules, moving resources, election guides, information on local schools, jobs, and more in our resources category.

What have you had difficulty recycling? Let us know in the comments!