Prince William County, VA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Sec. 22-20(b) requires every refuse and recycling container in the county to be made of durable, watertight, rust-resistant material with close-fitting lids and handles, sized between 10 and 45 gallons with a load weight capped at 50 pounds unless the container is designed to be mechanically lifted by the collection truck. preferably with the chasing arrows symbol," and the material inside must stay loose, not bagged, so it can be sorted, and free of liquids and food residue. Plastic bags are flatly barred from holding recyclables set out for collection, even though they are allowed for household refuse.

" If a non-residential customer's set-out recyclables sit uncollected at the curb or right-of-way for ten days, the county may remove them and bill the cost to the customer, the collection company or its designee. Subsection (e) additionally requires every container countywide to be kept in good repair, free of cracks and holes, with lids or doors closed except while being emptied, and subsection (f) sets a maximum interval: containers must be emptied at least once every seven days, or sooner if they are overflowing.