Arlington County, VA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Separation rule
- recyclables kept apart from trash and yard trimmings
- Scavenging
- unlawful to take a neighbor's recyclables without permission
- Receptacle rule
- unlawful to dump into others' carts without authorization
- Materials list
- set by DES; 90-day notice before changes
- Civil penalty
- up to $300 per violation
Summary
Arlington County requires recyclables set out for collection to be kept separate from trash and yard trimmings, and it is unlawful for anyone besides the County's collector to take recyclables another household has put out without the occupant's permission. Placing trash or recyclables in someone else's cart or a public receptacle without authorization is also unlawful.
(1) Recyclable Materials placed at the Collection Point must be separated from Trash and Yard Trimmings. (2) Scrap Metal and Electronics placed at the Collection Point must be separated from Trash, Recyclable Materials, and Yard Trimmings... § 10-9. Scavenging. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove any Trash or Recyclable Material placed by the occupant of a dwelling for disposal or collection other than his own unless permission has been obtained from the occupant of the dwelling for such removal. § 10-10. Use of Public and Private Receptacles. It shall be unlawful for any person to place Trash or Recyclable Material in any public or private cart, can, Household Container, commercial container, or retail container on public property or private property of another unless authorized to do so by either the County Manager or their designee in case of County property or the property owner in case of private property.
Full Breakdown
a(1), Recyclable Materials placed at the Collection Point must be kept separate from Trash and Yard Trimmings; subsection (2) similarly requires Scrap Metal and Electronics to be separated from Trash, Recyclable Materials, and Yard Trimmings. What counts as a Recyclable Material is not fixed in the ordinance text itself: § 10-2 defines the term by reference to a list the Department of Environmental Services, Solid Waste Bureau administers and posts on the County website, and the County Manager must announce any addition or deletion at least 90 days before it takes effect.
Two companion sections protect the materials once they are at the curb. Section 10-9, Scavenging, makes it unlawful for anyone to remove Trash or Recyclable Material that an occupant put out for disposal or collection, other than the occupant's own material, unless the occupant gave permission for the removal, a rule aimed at unauthorized pickers taking cans, metal, or other valuable recyclables before the County's contracted collector arrives. Section 10-10, Use of Public and Private Receptacles, separately makes it unlawful to place Trash or Recyclable Material in any public or private cart, can, Household Container, commercial container, or retail container on County property or another person's private property without authorization from the County Manager for County property, or the property owner for private property; the prohibition does not reach carts or containers the County has set out for public litter collection.
Violations & Fines
Both scavenging someone else's recyclables without permission and dumping trash or recyclables into another person's or the County's receptacles without authorization are violations of Article I. Section 10-11 subjects any violation of the article, upon conviction, to a civil penalty of up to $300 for each offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone else take the recyclables I put out at the curb?
Do I have to keep recycling separate from my trash in Arlington County?
Can I put my trash in a neighbor's cart if mine is full?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
Compare Arlington County to another location·View the Virginia trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.