We pulled these rules from the Village of Clemmons, City of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County websites in October 2026. Hours, fees and rules change, so check the official page before you go. Get a free quote
The short answer
In Clemmons, Waste Management picks up household trash in village carts, and the village runs one bulk item pickup each fall. In Winston-Salem, the city collects bulky items once a year by neighborhood. Anyone in the county can take bulky trash, appliances and up to 5 tires a year to the Hanes Mill Road landfill. Paint, chemicals and electronics go to the free 3RC EnviroStation.
Need to get rid of trash, an old couch or a dead freezer in Clemmons or Winston-Salem? Where it goes depends on the item and where you live. Clemmons, Winston-Salem and the rest of Forsyth County each have their own pickup rules. The big drop-off sites serve the whole county. This guide goes item by item, with links to each official page.
Household trash
Who picks up your trash depends on where you live.
Clemmons: The Village of Clemmons contracts with Waste Management for automated trash pickup. Bag all garbage. Set your cart within 5 feet of the road with the handles facing away. Have extra bagged trash? Village residents can bring it to the Public Works facility and put it in the compactor on weekdays. Bulky items are not accepted there.
Winston-Salem: The city collects garbage from single-family homes each week. Call CityLink at 311 to start service.
Outside town limits: Forsyth County uses franchised garbage collection in unincorporated areas. A private company picks up trash at the curb each week in its assigned area. The county’s provider map shows who serves your road.
Recycling drop-off: The county runs 3 recycling convenience centers in Winston-Salem, Kernersville and Pfafftown. They are free for county residents. They take clean cardboard, paper, cans, glass jars and bottles, and plastics 1, 2 and 5. They are for recycling only, not trash.
Bulky items and furniture
Big items have their own pickup schedule in each town.
Clemmons: The village runs Bulk Item Pickup once a year for single-family homes. In 2026 it started September 14 west of Lewisville-Clemmons Road. The east side started the week of September 21. Put items at the edge of your yard, not in the street, by 7 a.m. Monday of your week. Each area gets one trip.
The village takes:
- Large appliances and hot water heaters
- Furniture, indoor and lawn
- Mattresses and box springs
- Bikes, grills (no tanks) and toilets
- Broken-down cardboard boxes
It does not take bagged or boxed trash, carpet, building debris, computers, TVs, microwaves, tires, paint, lawn mowers or yard waste.
Winston-Salem: City crews pick up bulky items only during the yearly neighborhood cleanup. In 2026 it ran from March 2 to September 4. The city takes appliances, carpet, furniture, mattresses and toys. It is for single-family homes only. If you mix in items the city doesn’t take, none of the pile gets picked up.
Missed your week? The city sends people to the Hanes Mill Road landfill. It takes household and business trash and building debris. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities runs it. Cars, pickups and small trailers can use the flat-rate lane on the left side of the scale house. Check the city’s landfill page before you go, since hours and fees change.
City of Winston-Salem single-family property owners can also ask for a free landfill permit. It covers up to 2 free trips a year to the city’s landfill and yard waste sites. It is for home use only.
Appliances (white goods)
Refrigerators, stoves, freezers and water heaters are called “white goods.” North Carolina bans them from landfills, so they get recycled.
In Forsyth County, the city says white goods can be dropped off free at the Hanes Mill Road landfill. Microwaves, TVs and vacuums don’t count as white goods. Clemmons and Winston-Salem also take large appliances during their yearly bulky pickups.
Tires
Scrap tires are banned from North Carolina landfills too. Forsyth County residents can drop off 5 tires per year free at the Hanes Mill Road landfill. Neither the Clemmons nor the Winston-Salem bulky pickup takes tires.
Electronics
Computers and TVs can’t go in the trash in North Carolina. The Clemmons trash page lists computers, monitors, printers and TVs as items Waste Management won’t take.
You have 2 options:
- 3RC EnviroStation: The 3RC EnviroStation takes electronics free for Forsyth County residents. Bring your driver’s license. There is a limit of 2 TVs per household per year.
- Clemmons E-Recycle day: The village holds a free electronics drop-off once a year at its Public Works facility. In 2026 it was April 25. It takes computers, TVs, phones and game systems, but not batteries or light bulbs.
Yard waste
Yard waste can’t go to a regular landfill in North Carolina, and it can’t go in your trash cart.
Clemmons: The village picks up limbs and leaves. Limb pickup runs March through November. West of Lewisville-Clemmons Road and Middlebrook Drive, it’s the first full week of the month. East of there, it’s the second full week. Limbs must be 6 inches across or less and 16 feet long or less. Stack them neatly with the ends facing the same way. Starting in October, rake leaves to the edge of the street, not into it.
Anyone in the county: The city runs 2 yard waste sites that are open to the public. Overdale is in Winston-Salem and Forum 52 is in Rural Hall. Both take leaves, grass, limbs, brush and untreated wood all year.
Paint and hazardous waste
Paint, pesticides, household chemicals and car fluids all go to the 3RC EnviroStation in Winston-Salem. The county lists these items for 3RC on its recycling page. It is free for Forsyth County residents with a driver’s license. It does not take regular trash, ammunition, explosives, medical waste or vape waste. Call first if your item isn’t on the list.
For rechargeable batteries, the county points to the Call2Recycle drop-off finder.
Quick reference
| Item | Where it goes in Forsyth County |
|---|---|
| Bagged household trash | Your town or franchise hauler’s cart |
| Furniture, mattresses, carpet | Yearly town bulky pickup or Hanes Mill Road landfill |
| Appliances | Yearly town bulky pickup or Hanes Mill Road landfill (free) |
| Tires | Hanes Mill Road landfill (5 a year free for residents) |
| Computers and TVs | 3RC EnviroStation or Clemmons E-Recycle day |
| Limbs, brush and leaves | Town pickup, Overdale or Forum 52 |
| Paint and chemicals | 3RC EnviroStation |
| Building debris | Hanes Mill Road or Old Salisbury Road landfill |
When it’s easier to have it hauled
The yearly bulky pickups are a big help if your timing lines up. Often it doesn’t. Maybe you’re moving in March and Clemmons won’t pick up until September. Maybe you live in an apartment or townhome, or you don’t have a truck for the landfill.
Medleys Junk Removal & Hauling is a family-run crew that serves Clemmons, Winston-Salem and the rest of Forsyth County. We load furniture, appliances, yard debris and whole-house cleanouts, then haul them off. We donate and recycle what we can. We don’t take paint, chemicals or other hazardous waste, so take those to 3RC.
- See our junk removal service, or our pages for Clemmons and Winston-Salem.
- Wondering what it costs? Read our junk removal cost guide.
- Ready to clear it out? Get a free quote or call 336-756-2117.