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Free scrap metal removal in Greensboro, NC

Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Greensboro, verified October 2026.

Illegally dumped junk pile with appliances and debris Checked against City of Greensboro

Every 2 weeks

bulk items beside your cart on recycling day, under 50 pounds and 5 feet

373-CITY

call two business days ahead to schedule a free appliance pickup

5

tires per year free at the county Scrap Tire and White Goods facility on Bishop Road

Every route for scrap metal in Greensboro, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Greensboro guide covers every other item.

Free scrap metal removal in Greensboro

Here is how each route works in Greensboro, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.

Greensboro bulk trash collection: scrap metal

Free

Metal items under 50 pounds go out on bulk day; the Bishop Road facility and scrap yards take larger loads.

Who qualifies: Single-family homes with City of Greensboro collection.

How to schedule: No appointment for ordinary bulk: set items beside your cart on your bulk day (every other week, the same day as recycling; look it up in GSO Collects). Appliances are collected by appointment: call 336-373-CITY (2489) at least two business days before your collection day.

Limits: Bulk items under 50 pounds and 5 feet long. Appliances by appointment with doors removed or secured.

Set-out: At the curb beside your cart by 7 a.m. on your bulk day. Appliances at the curb on the appointment date with doors removed.

Read the full Greensboro city services guide ›

Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)

Free

Freemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.

Status in Greensboro: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.

How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering scrap metal, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.

If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Greensboro: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.

For partners ›

How Greensboro handles scrap metal

Greensboro, North Carolina runs one of the more thoughtful municipal waste systems in the Piedmont. Bulk trash collection is included in the standard service, picked up every other week on the same day as recycling, with no separate fee or appointment for routine items. Appliances are handled separately by appointment. Glass is no longer accepted in curbside recycling and goes to drop-off bins. The Recycle Right contamination program is strict: three contamination tags within six months results in cart removal. This guide covers every disposal option for City of Greensboro residents.

The Greensboro rule for scrap metal: Metal items under 50 pounds go out on bulk day; the Bishop Road facility and scrap yards take larger loads.

Program basics: Bulk items under 50 pounds and 5 feet long. Appliances by appointment with doors removed or secured. At the curb beside your cart by 7 a.m. on your bulk day. Appliances at the curb on the appointment date with doors removed.

What the city will not take: Tires (Guilford County Scrap Tire and White Goods facility, 5 free a year), electronics (banned from North Carolina landfills; HHW Collection Center takes them free), construction debris, and hazardous waste.

How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Greensboro Solid Waste and Recycling FAQs, City of Greensboro: White Street Landfill accepted materials, Guilford County Solid Waste Services Guide (Greensboro collection and Bishop Road facility). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.

Hazardous and regulated components in Greensboro. The Greensboro Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center is the right destination for items that can’t go in any cart or bulk pickup.

Why scrap metal are different from ordinary bulk. Most household scrap is mixed. An appliance is a steel shell around a copper motor and aluminum fins; a bike is a steel or aluminum frame with rubber and plastic. Yards accept mixed items at the steel rate, so sorting pays only if you have enough non-ferrous metal to make it worth the time. A magnet and ten minutes usually tells you.

Prep checklist before pickup day in Greensboro

  • Run a magnet over everything and separate non-ferrous (no stick) pieces into a bucket.
  • Remove propane tanks, lead-acid batteries, and lithium packs; take each to its proper drop-off.
  • Drain fluids from mowers, water heaters, and engines.
  • Leave refrigerant lines intact on fridges, ACs, and dehumidifiers.
  • Stage at the curb edge and post as free scrap, or load sorted bins and bring ID to the yard.

Three mistakes that get scrap metal left at the curb:

  • Don't pay to dispose of metal. A scrapper will take it free and a yard will pay.
  • Don't put propane tanks, lead-acid batteries, or lithium batteries in a scrap pile. Tanks go to an exchange or HHW; batteries to an auto parts store or battery drop-off.
  • Don't cut refrigerant lines on fridges, ACs, or dehumidifiers to sell the compressor. Yards refuse cut units and venting is a federal violation.

Paid options barely exist for metal, except when the metal is attached to things that are not metal.

Mixed loads to a transfer station

$20 to $60

If metal is mixed into a larger cleanout, transfer stations charge by weight for the whole load. Pull the metal out first and give it to a scrapper; it reduces the fee and keeps metal out of the landfill.

Most transfer stations have a free metal pile. Ask before you tip.

LoadUp paid scrap metal pickup

$80+

For Greensboro households that need same-week or in-home pickup, crew labor, or items the city won’t take, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Greensboro area for upfront-priced pickup.

What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your scrap metal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.

Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.

If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.

Book scrap metal pickup in Greensboro with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.

Scrap metal rules in nearby cities

Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Greensboro proper, start with the guide for your own city:

Closest category in the Charlotte table: Bulk pickup via CLT+ (75 lb item limit applies). If working: donation pickup. Otherwise paid haul.
Closest category in the Durham table: Free bulky pickup (up to 3 items per request).
Not in city collection. Backyard composting or community programs.
Closest category in the Winston-Salem table: Annual Bulky Pick-Up (during scheduled week, no separate appointment needed). Hanes Mill Road Landfill year-round.

Related guides: the complete Greensboro junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national scrap metal disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.

Other free removal guides for Greensboro: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.

Common questions about scrap metal removal in Greensboro

Does Greensboro pick up scrap metal for free?

Yes, under 50 pounds, on your bulk day, or a scrap yard.

How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Greensboro?

Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Greensboro starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Greensboro households that need same-week or in-home pickup, crew labor, or items the city won’t take, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Greensboro area for upfront-priced pickup.

Will someone pick up scrap metal for free?

Yes. Independent scrappers in every metro collect appliances, grills, frames, and other metal from the curb free, usually the same day you post it, because they sell it by weight. Many city bulk programs also collect metal.

How much does a scrap yard pay?

Steel pays a few cents per pound; a washer or water heater might bring a few dollars. Aluminum pays several times more, and copper and brass pay the most, often a few dollars per pound. Prices change weekly with commodity markets.

How do I tell what kind of metal I have?

Use a magnet. If it sticks, the metal is ferrous (steel or iron) and pays the base rate. If it does not, it is aluminum, copper, brass, or stainless and worth sorting out. Copper is reddish, brass is yellow, aluminum is light and silver, stainless is heavy and silver.

Can I scrap a refrigerator or air conditioner?

Yes, but the refrigerant must be recovered first by a certified technician or by the yard if it has recovery equipment. Do not cut the lines. Many yards accept sealed units and recover the gas themselves; call first.

Is this Greensboro page maintained?

Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Greensboro guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.

Fund a free pickup in Greensboro

Help cover someone else’s haul.

Most LoadUp customers fund Freemoval pickups by rounding up at checkout. If you’re not booking a paid pickup yourself but want to help, you can contribute directly, pooled with other donations to fund subsidized pickups in Greensboro at standard market rates, the same rates LoadUp charges any paying customer.

Choose a custom amount→

Freemoval is a social impact program of LoadUp Technologies, LLC. Contributions are not tax-deductible. 100% of contributions fund pickups at standard market rates, the same rates LoadUp charges any paying customer. No separate fundraising overhead is deducted from donations.