Frederick County, VA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 142-28M of the Frederick County Code makes source separation for recycling a voluntary program rather than a mandate. Residents who elect to participate must bundle, box or otherwise secure their recyclable material and deposit it at the curb on the days set aside for recyclables pickup (§ 142-28M(1)). Eligible material is limited to discarded newspaper, metal, glass and plastic placed in the vicinity of the curb for pickup (§ 142-28M(2)).

The County protects what residents set out: anyone other than the depositor, or an agent acting for the County, who removes recyclables for personal use commits a Class 4 misdemeanor (§ 142-28M(2)). That covers scavenging bins before the County's own contracted collector arrives.

The schedule matters. Nonrecyclable refuse designated by the Public Works Director may only be collected by the County on days that are not set for recycling pickup, and recyclables cannot go out on a regular trash day unless the Code says otherwise (§ 142-28M(3)). The Public Works Director sets and publicizes the actual collection calendar and any additional rules needed to run the program (§ 142-28D). Because recycling participation is optional, a resident who never separates material is not violating the chapter; the obligations in § 142-28M attach only once someone chooses to take part and sets bins at the curb.