Arlington County, VA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Article IV of Chapter 10, the Multi-Family and Commercial Trash and Recycling article, governs how Responsible Parties store waste on site. Section 10-30 defines Trash Container to reach the full range of collection equipment used at commercial and multi-family properties: cans, bins, carts, dumpsters, chute systems, compactors, roll-offs, and any other container type the Department of Environmental Services approves, and it applies the same list of collection types to Recycling Container. Section 10-31 then sets the operating rules for those containers. The Responsible Party of every Commercial Establishment and Multi-Family Property must arrange private collection and disposal of trash at least weekly unless the County Manager or a designee grants a written exemption.

Containers must be sized sufficiently and clearly distinguished from recycling containers by labels or markings; any Trash Container kept outdoors must be covered or otherwise secured so its contents cannot blow, leak, or spill; and every container must be emptied often enough to prevent overflow and kept in a sanitary, serviceable, leak-proof condition with functioning doors and lids. 3 adds the placement rule that governs dumpsters and roll-offs specifically: exterior commercial Trash Containers must sit on concrete or another similarly impervious surface, not on bare ground or gravel.

A Responsible Party who needs relief from these placement or servicing rules can apply for a temporary, renewable exemption from the County Manager under § 10-36, on grounds such as unavailable on-site space or use of a sealed, non-leaking compactor. Recycling Containers get a parallel placement rule under § 10-32: they must sit as close to the matching Trash Container as possible so users have equally convenient access. The requirements were adopted by Ord. No. 93-22 in 1993 and most recently amended by Ord. No. 18-03, effective July 1, 2018.