It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Bulky Item Pickup

It’s bulky item pickup season in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This is our city at its finest.

Really, I love this service. I also salute the folks who drive by and salvage items for re-sale or re-use.

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A few pointers and reminders to really make the most of this stellar service:

First, find your date.
Look up your address to find your collection date here (it also shows your trash, recycling, brush, etc. dates). Bulky Item collection starts in March and runs through September.

Know the rules of the game.

• Plan to place your items out the weekend before your scheduled collection date.

• City crews will go through your neighborhood only once.

• Items placed out behind the crews will not be collected.

• Bulky items collection is for single family residences only (not businesses or apartments).

• Don’t mix items: approved bulky items mixed with unacceptable items will not be removed. Do not mix bulky items with yard waste, recyclables or brush.

Figure out what you’ll donate vs. set out for Bulky Item pickup.

• If you have items in good or great condition, consider taking the extra step to donate them.

• For furniture and home goods specifically, we love donating to GreeNest, a local non-profit that partners with other local services to help our neighbors establish and furnish homes. They make donating a breeze! They can only accept certain items, so be sure to read over their guide when you curate your donations.

Rules of the Game Part II: know what you can and cannot put out on the curb.

The City CAN collect these items:

• Appliances

• Carpet

• Furniture

• Mattresses: These are such a pain to get rid of outside of Bulky Item… THIS IS YOUR CHANCE. Don’t let it sit in your home and gather dust and attract bugs.

• Toys

The City CANNOT collect the following items:

• Construction Building Material

• Car Parts

• Cement

• Glass

• Hazardous or Infectious Waste

• Lumber

• Oil Drums

• Paint

• Rocks

• Tires

• Wood

• Yard Waste

• Electronics: please note, televisions and computers and related computer equipment are banned from landfills in North Carolina. This includes:

  • All Televisions

  • Flat-Panel Televisions

  • Projection Televisions

  • Televisions with Picture Tubes

  • CPUs

  • Laptops

  • Mice and Keyboards

  • Monitors

  • Printers, Fax Machines, and Scanners

But what to do with bulky items that are not allowed?

Enter the 3RC EnviroStation for Household Hazardous Waste; they accept chemical and other household hazardous waste that should not be disposed of in a landfill. It also accepts electronic waste, such as computers and televisions, that are banned from landfills under NC law.

NOTE: This is for Forsyth County residents, and you should bring a license or some form of proof of residency with you when you go. Find the latest information on opening hours and protocols here.