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

Yard waste in Richmond splits into two tracks under § 23-44. Subsection (c) covers tree trimmings, shrubbery trimmings, and brush, but only within size limits: tree trimmings must be less than four inches in diameter and six feet in length to go into the regular collection, with the Director of Public Works setting the pickup schedule for that stream. Larger limbs or trunk sections fall outside this section and are not part of the routine brush program. Subsection (d) treats loose leaves separately, again on a schedule and procedure the Director establishes, typically tied to the fall leaf season.

Collection inside that established window is part of the normal service, but a resident who wants loose leaves picked up outside the established collection period has to pay a $30 fee for each such collection. The code's definitions section, § 23-1, describes yard waste as accumulations of lawn, grass, or shrubbery cuttings and leaves that are free of dirt, rocks, large branches, and other bulky or noncombustible material, which is the standard used to separate ordinary yard waste from bulk or construction debris. Yard waste and tree and shrub trimmings are also named in § 23-43 as part of the regular residential curbside program the City runs alongside household waste and bulk items.