Trash & Recycling in Albemarle County, VA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Albemarle County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
County Code § 13-301 requires anyone hauling refuse on Albemarle County streets, roads or highways outside Charlottesville and Scottsville to use a vehicle built or loaded so nothing drops, sifts, leaks or blows out, a standard typically met by hauling refuse in secured, covered containers.
Albemarle County Refuse Transport Rules
Some RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code § 13-301
Sec. 13-301 - Transporting refuse in vehicles. It shall be unlawful for any person to transport any refuse upon the streets, roads, or highways in the county in a motor vehicle unless the vehicle is constructed or loaded to prevent any of the load, consisting of the refuse and refuse containers, from dropping, sifting, leaking or otherwise escaping therefrom. A vehicle may be deemed to be const...
Bin Placement Rules
County Code § 13-302 requires every owner or occupant of property in Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville to keep refuse in personally or privately owned watertight containers that stay covered until the trash is collected or hauled to a sanitary landfill.
Albemarle County Refuse Container Rules
Some RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code § 13-302(A)-(B)
Sec. 13-302 - Accumulation, storage and removal of refuse on private property. The following regulations shall apply to the accumulation, storage and removal of refuse and other dangerous substances on private property: A.No owner or occupant of any property in the county shall store, accumulate, or dump refuse or other substances that might endanger the health or safety of other residents of t...
Recycling Requirements
Waste collectors serving Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville must collect source-separated newspaper, magazine, container glass, metal cans, and plastic soda, milk and water containers from residents who choose to participate, and must offer recycling service to every multi-family dwelling and apartment complex they serve, under County Code § 13-201.
Albemarle County Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code § 13-201
Sec. 13-201 - Residential and nonresidential source separation of solid waste for purposes of recycling. The following regulations shall apply to the source separation of solid waste for purposes of recycling: A.Each waste collector shall collect recyclable materials identified in paragraph B from county residents choosing to participate, and such collection shall be consistent with the recycli...
Illegal Dumping
County Code § 13-300 makes it unlawful in Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville to dump refuse or other unsightly matter on public property, a public highway or right-of-way, or on private property without the written consent of the owner, and it is enforced as a misdemeanor.
Albemarle County Illegal Dumping Ban
Heavy RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code § 13-300
Sec. 13-300 - Dumping waste on public property, a public highway, right-of-way, or on private property. A.It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or otherwise dispose of refuse or other unsightly matter on public property, including a public highway, right-of-way, property adjacent to such highway or right-of-way, or on private property without the written consent of the owner thereof or hi...
Dumpster Rules
Commercial dumpsters in Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville must sit on a concrete pad under Code of Albemarle § 18-4.12.19, extending at least eight feet beyond the front of the dumpster so a collection truck's front wheels rest on concrete, and screened as required by the county's landscaping and, where applicable, entrance corridor design standards.
Albemarle County Dumpster Pad Requirements
Some RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code § 18-4.12.19
Sec. 4.12.19 - Minimum design requirements and improvements for dumpster pads. The following design requirements and minimum improvements shall be satisfied for all vehicle access aisles: a.Materials. Dumpster pads shall be concrete.b.Design. The pad shall extend beyond the front of each dumpster so that the front wheels of a truck servicing the dumpster will rest on the concrete, but in no cas...
Collection Schedule
County Code § 13-202 requires every waste collector serving residential units in Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville to pick up recyclable materials on a set schedule, either weekly or biweekly, matching the recycling program required under § 13-201.
Albemarle County Recycling Collection Frequency
Some RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code § 13-202
Sec. 13-202 - Frequency of removal. Each waste collector serving residential units shall collect recyclable materials in accordance with paragraph 13-201(A) either weekly or biweekly.
Recycling Rules
In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, County Code § 13-304 makes it unlawful for anyone other than the area's permitted waste collector to salvage or remove recyclable materials that residents have already set out at the curb for collection, protecting the recycling program's operation.
Albemarle County Recycling Scavenging Ban
Some RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code § 13-304
Sec. 13-304 - Scavenging. It shall be unlawful for any person other than a permitted waste collector to salvage or otherwise remove any recyclable materials set out for collection by a permitted waste collector.
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