Montgomery County, VA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing article
- Ch. 9.1, Art. IV, §§ 9.1-40 to 9.1-46
- Statutory basis
- Va. Code § 15.2-937
- Reach
- County plus Blacksburg and Christiansburg
- Sale of recyclables
- Permitted under Va. Code § 15.2-933
- Administrator's role
- Sets separation rules and regulations
Summary
In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, the county administrator can require households and businesses to separate solid waste by type before it goes to a county disposal facility. The recycling article traces its authority to Va. Code § 15.2-937 and applies to the towns as well as the unincorporated county.
The general purpose of this article is the furtherance of effective solid waste management and the recycling of solid waste as provided for in section 10.1-1411, and as authorized by section 15.2-937 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. ... In order to facilitate recycling of waste material and thereby reduce the volume of solid waste to be disposed of, the county administrator is authorized to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations requiring solid waste generated within the county, including the towns, which is to be disposed of at a county disposal facility be separated by type of waste for collection of such waste.
Full Breakdown
1, Recycling and Resource Recovery, sets the legal basis for the county's recycling program. 2-937 of the Code of Virginia. 1-41 gives the county administrator authority to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations requiring that solid waste generated within the county, including the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg, be separated by type of waste before disposal at a county facility. 1-41 expressly reaches into the towns. 1-42, lets any person sell or otherwise dispose of recyclable material as permitted under Va. 2-933 or any other state law, so the county's separation mandate does not block a resident from selling scrap metal or other recyclables directly. Enforcement runs through the county administrator's rules and regulations issued under this authority rather than a fixed statutory fine printed in the article itself.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 9.1 does not print a standalone dollar penalty inside §§ 9.1-40 or 9.1-41 for a resident who fails to separate recyclables; the county administrator's implementing rules and regulations carry the operative compliance terms. A related nonresidential reporting duty in § 9.1-46 is enforced as a Class 3 misdemeanor with a fine of not more than $1,000.00 for failure to comply, showing the chapter's general enforcement posture for recycling-related duties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Montgomery County require me to separate recyclables from trash?
Can I sell my own recyclable scrap instead of setting it out?
Does the recycling requirement apply inside Blacksburg or Christiansburg?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
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