Montgomery County, VA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 9.1-12, Collections Generally
- Service model
- County-run or by county contract
- Applies to
- Areas outside Blacksburg, Christiansburg
- Spillage duty
- Collector must retrieve and load it
- Unpaid charges
- County can sue plus attorney's fee
Summary
In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, the county runs residential trash pickup itself or through a contracted hauler, and treats it as part of the county's health and sanitation program. Any waste a collector spills while working the route has to be picked up and loaded before the crew moves on.
The county shall provide for the collection of all solid waste in the county; provided, however, that the county may provide the collection service by contracting with a person or town or a combination thereof, for the entire county or portions thereof, as deemed to be in the best interest of the county. ... Solid waste collectors employed by the county, or a solid waste collection agency operating under contract with the county, shall be responsible for the collection of solid waste from the point of collection. Any spillage or blowing of waste as a result of the duties of the solid waste collector shall be collected and placed in the transportation vehicle by the solid waste collector.
Full Breakdown
1-12, Collections Generally, gives the county authority to collect all solid waste countywide, either directly or by contracting with a person or a town, for the whole county or just portions of it, whichever the board decides is in the county's best interest. The section frames the service as an integral part of the county's health and sanitation program, not a discretionary amenity. It then fixes responsibility on whoever does the hauling: county-employed collectors or a collection agency working under contract are responsible for the waste from the point of collection, and any spillage or blowing waste caused by their work has to be collected and placed in the transportation vehicle by that same collector.
1-10 limits the whole of Article II, including this section, to areas outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, because each town council already runs its own collection program for its residents. 1-14 by the board of supervisors and billed to the occupant of the dwelling or the owner of the commercial, industrial, institutional or agricultural establishment served.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 9.1 places the cleanup duty on the hauler, not the resident, for spillage during the collection run itself. The county may pursue unpaid service charges under § 9.1-14 through legal action against the occupant or owner, recovering the amount due plus a reasonable attorney's fee fixed by the court and the cost of the action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who actually picks up my trash in unincorporated Montgomery County?
If the collection truck spills my trash on the street, who cleans it up?
Does the county collect trash inside Blacksburg or Christiansburg?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Virginia trash & recycling overview
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