Charlottesville, VA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Section 26-27 of the City Code sets the physical standard every curbside container must meet before Public Works will pick it up. Cooled ashes and damp kitchen garbage must be drained and placed in a closed, nonleaking container of no more than 96 gallons, made of metal, plastic or other suitable material, with a tight-fitting cover. 5 millimeters thick, and strong enough to hold its contents without tearing. Paper or cardboard containers, including paper grocery bags, are specifically disallowed under this section, so a cardboard box set at the curb does not qualify for collection.

Animal waste gets its own rule: § 26-27(b) requires it to be double-bagged, in a closed plastic bag placed inside another container, and that outer container must carry a paid disposal sticker before the city will collect it. These container standards work together with the fee structure in § 26-63, since every qualifying container must also bear a disposal sticker or annual decal purchased from the city or an authorized retailer, and with the definitions in § 26-3, which places 'large items' like furniture and appliances outside the standard container system for the separate bulk-pickup program.

A container that fails to meet the § 26-27 specifications, such as an open, uncovered bin or a paper sack, is not eligible for pickup and Public Works can leave it at the curb.