Charlottesville, VA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

City Code § 26-28 lets residents place yard waste, defined at § 26-3 as weeds, brush or brush trimmings not eligible for the large-item program, into containers bearing the appropriate disposal sticker or decal, as long as the material is secured so it will not blow away. Leaves get a separate, season-specific rule under § 26-29. From November through January, it is unlawful to place leaves in containers for city collection; during those months leaves must be raked loose to the curb or street edge for vacuum collection, and § 26-29(a) also bans raking leaves far enough into the street to create a traffic hazard or onto a sidewalk so as to block its entire width.

From February through October, any leaves a resident wants the city to collect must go into stickered containers as yard waste under § 26-28, including any leaves left over from the fall vacuum season that were not picked up in time. Because leaves and other yard debris still count as solid waste under Chapter 26, the general violation clause in § 26-2 applies: putting bagged leaves out in December, or blocking a sidewalk while raking, is a Class 1 misdemeanor like any other Chapter 26 violation. The Department of Public Works sets and publishes the specific vacuum-collection schedule and street-by-street timing that residents must follow.