Chesterfield County, VA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- glass, aluminum/steel cans, paper, plastics
- Applies to
- county-authorized recycling containers
- Unauthorized removal
- separate offense each time
- Charge
- class 1 misdemeanor
- Legal authority
- Va. Code § 15.2-901
Summary
Chesterfield makes it a crime to take recyclables out of an approved county recycling container once they've been set out for pickup. Sec. 11-7 defines recyclable material broadly, glass, aluminum and steel cans, newspapers, mixed paper, plastic bottles and jugs, and bars anyone unauthorized from removing it from a container serving the county's authorized recycling program.
Sec. 11-7. - Removal of recyclable materials from recycling containers unlawful. (a)"Recyclable material" as that term is used in this section shall mean material deposited in or at approved containers for collection and recycling by a recycling program authorized by the county. Such materials may include but are not necessarily limited to glass bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, newspapers, mixed paper, plastic bottles and jugs and other materials which may be used again as a raw material for a product.(b)No unauthorized person may remove or cause to be removed, any recyclable material which has been deposited in or at an approved container for the purpose of collection by an authorized recycling program. Each unauthorized removal shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as a class 1 misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' Sec. 11-7(b) then bars 'any unauthorized person' from removing or causing to be removed 'any recyclable material which has been deposited in or at an approved container for the purpose of collection by an authorized recycling program,' with each unauthorized removal treated as a separate offense punishable as a class 1 misdemeanor. The code cites Va. 2-901 as the state authority behind the section. This law targets scavengers who pull cans or bottles from bins ahead of the licensed hauler's pickup, protecting the material stream the county's recycling program and its collectors rely on; it doesn't itself create a mandate that any household participate in recycling, that participation runs through whichever licensed compensated collector (Article II, Sec. ) a resident or property uses. 00 and up to 12 months in jail.
Violations & Fines
Removing recyclables from an approved county recycling container without authorization is a class 1 misdemeanor under Sec. 11-7(b), with each removal charged as a separate offense; elsewhere in the code that same classification carries a fine up to $2,500.00, up to 12 months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to take cans out of a recycling bin in Chesterfield?
What counts as 'recyclable material' under this law?
Does Chesterfield County require households to recycle?
What's the penalty for taking recyclables from someone else's bin?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesterfield County
Compare Chesterfield County to another location·View the Virginia trash & recycling overview
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