Richmond, VA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Richmond City Code § 23-43
- Operator
- Department of Public Works
- Waste streams covered
- Household, bulk, yard waste, trimmings
- Schedule
- Set administratively by the Director
- Private property entry
- Restricted, needs liability release
Summary
Richmond City Code § 23-43 puts the Department of Public Works in charge of regular curbside collection for every residential property, covering household waste, bulk items, yard waste, and tree and shrub trimmings on a schedule the Director of Public Works sets. City crews generally will not enter private property to collect refuse.
(a)The City or its designated agent shall use its personnel and equipment to collect refuse from residential property on a regular schedule to be set by the Director of Public Works. The residential program shall undertake the regular curbside collection of household waste, bulk items, yard waste and tree and shrub trimmings.(b)City forces will not enter private property for the purpose of collecting refuse unless:(1)The Director of Public Works considers it to be to the advantage of the City to have City vehicles enter the private property, in which case the Director will require a legal release from liability or responsibility in writing to be obtained from the owner of the property prior to entry; or(2)The Director of Public Works considers that the property and accesses thereto are large enough not to impede or delay the movement of City vehicles.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
Section 23-43 makes curbside collection a City service rather than an optional contract: the City or its designated agent uses its own personnel and equipment to collect refuse from residential property on a regular schedule set by the Director of Public Works, and that residential program is defined to cover four waste streams together, household waste, bulk items, yard waste, and tree and shrub trimmings, all through the same curbside program. The schedule itself is not fixed in the ordinance; the Director of Public Works sets and can adjust it administratively rather than through Council action, which is why collection days differ by neighborhood route.
The section also draws a hard line on where City trucks will go: crews will not enter private property to collect refuse unless the Director of Public Works decides it benefits the City to do so, in which case the Director must first get a signed liability release from the property owner, or unless the property and its access are large enough that a City vehicle can move through without being impeded or delayed. Absent one of those two conditions, residents are expected to bring refuse to the curb or alley for pickup rather than have it collected from the yard or driveway.
Related placement and timing details, such as the exact hours bins can go out and must be brought back in, are set separately under § 23-44.
Violations & Fines
Section 23-43 carries no standalone fine; disputes over property access are handled case by case by the Director of Public Works, who can decline entry onto a property. Broader noncompliance with the solid waste chapter, including this section, is enforced through the chapter's general abatement process under §§ 23-7 through 23-9: written notice, a ten-day cure period, and City abatement billed to the property if the deadline passes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sets Richmond's residential trash pickup day?
Will Richmond crews come onto my property to collect trash?
What is included in Richmond's regular curbside program?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richmond
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