Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Who must file
Nonresidential generators and waste-management companies
Due date
December 31 each year
Filed with
General Services, Solid Waste Division
Civil penalty
Up to $100 for noncompliance
Excludes
Town of Vinton generators
Effective
July 1, 1991

Summary

Roanoke County requires every nonresidential solid waste generator and every company that manages or recycles waste in the county to file an annual recycling report with the Solid Waste Division by December 31, under County Code Sec. 20-40. Missing the report can bring a civil penalty.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Roanoke County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(2)Report requirement. All nonresidential solid waste generators and companies that manage solid waste or recycle materials generated within Roanoke County shall submit an annual report to Roanoke County. The county will provide official reporting forms which can be obtained from the solid waste office or the office of the Commissioner of the Revenue. The report must be submitted to the Department of General Services—Solid Waste Division by December 31 of the current reporting year. ... (7)Civil penalties. Any party not reporting the required information or otherwise not complying with the provisions of this article shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00). This civil penalty shall be payable to the General Fund of Roanoke County. In addition, any party not in compliance with the provisions of this article may be denied access to or use of the solid waste disposal facility serving Roanoke County.

Full Breakdown

Chapter 20's Article III, adopted in 1991, is the county's actual recycling ordinance, but it is a reporting requirement aimed at businesses and waste handlers rather than a residential curbside recycling program: Roanoke County has no separate residential curbside recycling pickup written into its code. Sec. 20-40(2) requires all nonresidential solid waste generators and companies that manage solid waste or recycle materials generated within Roanoke County to submit an annual report to the county, using official forms available from the solid waste office or the Commissioner of the Revenue, due to the Department of General Services' Solid Waste Division by December 31 each year.

Sec. 20-40(3) spells out what the report must contain: the reporting party's name and address, the total quantity of solid waste generated, managed and recycled during the period, and the quantity that was the subject of source reduction or reuse. Sec. 20-40(4) allows the figures to be based on carefully estimated data, with the basis for the estimate disclosed, when actual weight or volume cannot be determined, and Sec. 20-40(5) protects genuinely proprietary information as long as the filer states what was withheld and why.

Sec. 20-40(6) limits the report to waste generated within the county excluding the Town of Vinton, consistent with Vinton running its own solid-waste system. Recyclables the definitions section lists include newspaper, cardboard, office paper, aluminum, copper, steel, tin, auto batteries and motor oil.

Violations & Fines

Sec. 20-40(7) makes failure to report, or any other noncompliance with Article III, subject to a civil penalty of up to one hundred dollars, payable to the county's general fund, and a noncompliant party can also be denied access to or use of the county's solid waste disposal facility until the report is filed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Roanoke County require curbside recycling pickup?
The county code has no residential curbside recycling collection program. Its only recycling ordinance, Sec. 20-40, is an annual reporting requirement for nonresidential waste generators and companies that manage or recycle solid waste in the county.
Who has to file a recycling report with Roanoke County?
Sec. 20-40(2) requires every nonresidential solid waste generator and every company that manages or recycles materials generated within the county to submit an annual report to the Department of General Services' Solid Waste Division by December 31.
What happens if a business skips its recycling report?
Sec. 20-40(7) allows a civil penalty of up to one hundred dollars, payable to the county's general fund, and lets the county deny the noncompliant party access to the county's solid waste disposal facility.
Does the Town of Vinton file under this recycling ordinance?
No. Sec. 20-40(6) limits the required report to solid waste generated within Roanoke County excluding the Town of Vinton, which runs its own separate solid waste system under Sec. 20-21.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Roanoke County

All Roanoke County rules

Compare Roanoke County to another location·View the Virginia trash & recycling overview

Get notified when Recycling Rules in Roanoke County, VA changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.