Kanawha County, WV Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- State Mandate
- Cities 10k+ only
- Mandated Cities
- Charleston, St. Albans, S. Charleston
- County Requirement
- None (voluntary)
- Drop-off Info
- KCSWA / kanawharecycles.org
Summary
West Virginia has no household recycling mandate for most residents, but state law requires its larger cities to run curbside recycling. In Kanawha County that reaches Charleston, St. Albans and South Charleston. Elsewhere, recycling is voluntary through KCSWA drop-off sites.
On or before October 18, 1993, each municipality with a population of 10,000 or more people, as determined by the most recent decennial census by the Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of Commerce, shall establish and commence implementation of a source separation and curbside collection program for recyclable materials.
Full Breakdown
No state law forces a rural Kanawha household to recycle, and the unincorporated county requires nothing separated. But WV Code §22-15A-18 orders every municipality of 10,000 or more to run a source-separation curbside recycling program, which in Kanawha County means Charleston, St. Albans and South Charleston collect recyclables from residents inside their limits. Everyone else recycles voluntarily. The Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority (KCSWA), on Slack Street in Charleston, runs a materials-recovery facility and coordinates drop-off recycling countywide at kanawharecycles.org. Nothing at the county level penalizes putting recyclables in the trash.
Violations & Fines
No penalty applies for not recycling in unincorporated Kanawha County. Inside the mandated cities, contaminated or non-separated recycling may be tagged and skipped, with repeat contamination drawing a small municipal fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to recycle in Kanawha County?
Where can I recycle if my town has no program?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kanawha County
Compare Kanawha County to another location·View the West Virginia trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.