Greensboro, NC Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Frequency
- Once per week
- Bag/bundle weight limit
- 50 lbs each
- Limb length limit
- 5 feet, bundled
- Standard household cap
- 10 bags/bundles/carts
- Fall leaf-season cap
- 15, Nov. 1-2nd Wed. of Feb.
- Code section
- Sec. 25-13(f), Code of Ordinances
Summary
Greensboro collects yard waste weekly from curbside households, but grass, leaves and clippings must go in biodegradable paper bags or city carts, limbs must be bundled under five feet and fifty pounds, and only ten bags/bundles are allowed per household outside the fall leaf season.
Yard waste collection shall be provided to residential units and small businesses served by the automated curbside collection system as approved by the solid waste manager or designee. Yard waste collection shall be provided once a week. Grass clippings, small shrubbery clippings, leaves, and other small lawn debris shall be collected at the curbside provided that they are placed in biodegradable paper bags purchased by resident, or carts provided by the city for yard waste collection. Limbs and large shrubbery to be collected by city collection forces shall be no longer than five (5) feet in length and tied in bundles not to exceed fifty (50) pounds in weight. Paper biodegradable bags, bundled limbs, and city provided carts are limited to a total of ten (10) per household except from November 1 to the second Wednesday in February, when fifteen (15) are allowed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 132).
Full Breakdown
Section 25-13(f) of the Code of Ordinances provides once-a-week yard waste collection to residential units and small businesses on the automated curbside system; dumpster-served residential units can also get service if the yard waste is properly prepared and brought to the curb. Commercial establishments and industries get no yard waste service. Grass clippings, small shrubbery clippings, leaves and other small lawn debris must be placed at the curb in biodegradable paper bags the resident buys, or in city-provided yard waste carts: no other personal containers are allowed, and clear plastic bags were only permitted through March 1, 2024.
Bags can't weigh more than fifty pounds and must be light enough for one person to carry, and they must be secured when set out. Limbs and large shrubbery must be no longer than five feet, bundled and tied to withstand fifty pounds, and placed in an orderly manner at the curb. The combined total of bags, bundles and carts is capped at ten per household, except from November 1 through the second Wednesday in February, when the cap rises to fifteen for the fall leaf season.
Tree trunks or stumps too heavy for two people to load will not be collected, loose leaves must be bagged or containerized (effective March 1, 2024), and city forces will not collect yard debris generated by landscaping companies on large projects unless it meets the same preparation rules as resident-generated waste.
Violations & Fines
Yard waste that isn't separated from other refuse, that exceeds the ten- or fifteen-bag/bundle cap, or that consists of loose unbagged leaves will simply be refused for collection rather than picked up. Beyond that, Chapter 25's general enforcement scheme applies: written notice, fourteen days to correct a violation, and a $75 civil penalty per violation under Section 25-22 if it isn't remedied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What container do I use for yard waste in Greensboro?
How many yard waste bags can I put out each week in Greensboro?
Will Greensboro collect tree limbs as yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greensboro
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Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle yard waste collection.