GREENSBORO, N.C. — Folks living in Greensboro now have new city-issued yard waste containers. What do you do with all the old containers you used to use? Recently, a WFMY News 2 viewer emailed us saying,
You have all these people with all these containers we can no longer use. Are we just supposed to fill the landfill with them?
Throwing out your old yard containers is one option, but it is the last option on the City's Resue and Disposal Recommendations list.
Personal Yard Waste Container Reuse and Disposal Recommendations
On July 1, the City will no longer collect yard waste from personal containers. Residents should instead use the City-issued, 95-gallon gray yard waste container. Here’s what you can do with your personal container.
REPURPOSE IT
Residents are encouraged to keep their personal containers for reuse. City crews WILL collect up to two, 32-gallon personal containers worth of household construction debris on your bulk collection day. Keep each under 50 pounds.
Some other reuse options:
- Yard cleanup: use to transport yard waste to your 95-gallon container or to store extra yard waste between pickups.
- For garage storage: firewood, shovels, rakes, baseball bats or other sports equipment
- Keep hard-to-recycle items in it between trips to drop sites: hazardous waste, electronics, glass, or Styrofoam
- DIY a rain barrel: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/design/projects/how-to-make-rain-barrel/
- Start composting: How to Build and Use a Trash Can Composter (thespruce.com)
- Transform it into a garden bed: How to Grow Potatoes in a Trash Can - Mama’s Homestead (mamashomestead.com)
- Share with a neighbor: Offer it for free to members of the community via social media sites like Nextdoor or Facebook, which hosts “Buy Nothing” and “Everything Absolutely Free” groups in our area.
TRASH IT
If none of these alternatives are for you, dispose of it by:
- Calling the City Contact Center at 336-373-CITY and scheduling for the container to be picked up as bulk trash.