Quick Answer
The City of Richmond provides municipal trash collection to city residents. The surrounding counties generally do not work that way: in much of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover, households arrange collection with a private hauler themselves, or use county convenience centers. Curbside recycling across the region is coordinated through the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority. If you are moving from the city to a county or the reverse, assume nothing carries over.
The Thing That Catches Everyone Out
A renter moves from an apartment in the Fan to a house in Henrico, waits for the trash truck, and it never comes. This happens constantly, and it is not anyone’s mistake. It is a genuine structural difference between the city and the counties, and nobody thinks to mention it because locals grew up knowing.
In the City of Richmond, trash collection is a municipal service. In much of the surrounding counties, it is your responsibility to set up. If your rental is in Henrico, Chesterfield or Hanover, one of your first calls after signing a lease should be to find out what arrangement applies at that specific address.
Ask your landlord or property manager directly: is there an existing hauler, is service included in the rent, or do I set it up myself? For a home in an HOA community, the HOA sometimes contracts collection for the whole neighborhood, which is a different answer again.
City of Richmond
Trash
The city’s Department of Public Works handles residential collection on a weekly schedule, using the city-issued rolling carts most residents call supercans. The cart belongs to the property, not the tenant, so it should already be there when you move in. If it is missing or damaged, that is a landlord or city issue rather than something you buy yourself.
Set out and collection rules matter more in the city than people expect, particularly in dense neighborhoods where alley collection is common. Carts left out beyond the permitted window can draw a notice.
Bulk and large items
The city provides for disposal of large items such as furniture and mattresses, typically on a scheduled or request basis rather than whenever you put something out. Leaving a sofa on the curb outside the process is how you get a citation rather than a pickup.
This is directly relevant at move-in and move-out, which is exactly when renters generate bulky waste. Plan the disposal before the furniture is on the sidewalk.
Leaves and yard waste
The city runs seasonal leaf collection in the fall, with published schedules by area. Central Virginia produces a genuinely impressive volume of leaves, and neighborhoods like Northside, Ginter Park and the Fan with mature tree canopy generate far more than a few bags. Check the schedule for your area, and note that requirements about bagging versus loose piles vary.
The Counties
Henrico
Arrangements vary by area of the county. Some neighborhoods have county-arranged collection, others rely on private haulers contracted by the household or the HOA. The county also operates public use areas where residents can drop off waste and certain bulky items. Verify what applies at your specific address rather than what applies to Henrico generally.
Chesterfield
Most Chesterfield households contract directly with a private hauler. Several companies serve the county, prices and service levels differ, and you can choose. The county operates convenience centers for drop-off, including for items private collection will not take.
Hanover
Hanover leans more heavily on convenience centers and private arrangements, consistent with its more rural character. In the more rural stretches, hauling your own waste to a convenience center is normal practice rather than an inconvenience.
Practical advice for county renters
- Ask what the previous tenant used. Continuity is the easiest path.
- Compare two or three haulers; pricing is not uniform.
- Confirm whether recycling is included or costs extra.
- Find out who owns the cart. If it belongs to the hauler and you switch, it goes back.
- Check whether the HOA has already contracted a provider, which may make the decision for you.
Recycling Across the Region
Curbside recycling in the Richmond area is coordinated through the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, a regional body whose member localities include the city and the surrounding counties. This is why recycling rules feel consistent across jurisdictional lines even when trash collection does not.
What generally belongs
- Paper, cardboard, and cartons
- Metal cans
- Glass bottles and jars, though glass handling varies and in some areas is directed to drop-off locations rather than curbside
- Plastic bottles and jugs, generally by shape rather than by the number in the recycling symbol
What causes problems
- Plastic bags. The single biggest contaminant. They tangle sorting equipment. Bags go back to grocery store collection points, not the curbside bin.
- Food residue. A greasy pizza box or an unrinsed container can contaminate surrounding material.
- Bagged recyclables. Items should go in loose. A sealed bag of otherwise perfect recycling often gets pulled as trash.
- Wishcycling. Putting something in hopefully because it seems like it ought to be recyclable does more harm than throwing it away.
Rules change as markets change. Check the current accepted-materials list rather than relying on what was true a few years ago.
Special Categories
| Item | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Electronics | Designated e-waste events or drop-off sites; not curbside |
| Paint, chemicals, motor oil | Household hazardous waste collection; never curbside or down a drain |
| Appliances with refrigerant | Special handling required; check locality or retailer takeback |
| Mattresses | Bulk collection process or private disposal; commonly restricted |
| Construction debris | Not household waste; requires a dumpster or transfer station |
| Batteries | Retail drop-off or hazardous waste collection |
Renovation debris is worth flagging for renters: if your landlord is doing work, the contractor should be removing the debris. It is not household waste and putting it out will not end well.
Moving Week
Move-in and move-out generate more waste than any other week you will spend in a rental, and the systems are not designed for it.
- Cardboard. Break every box down flat. A single move can otherwise fill a cart three times over. If you have more than fits, most localities have drop-off options.
- Furniture you are not taking. Arrange bulk collection in advance, or better, donate it. Several Richmond-area charities collect usable furniture, which is faster than the disposal process and keeps it out of the landfill.
- Do not leave items at the curb hoping. Illegal dumping citations are real, and as a tenant you may be the one who receives it.
- Cancel or transfer private hauler service if you arranged it yourself, the same as any other utility.
Composting and Food Waste
Food scraps make up a meaningful share of household waste, and Richmond has more options than most renters realize.
Subscription pickup services operate in the Richmond area, providing a sealed bucket that gets collected on a regular schedule and swapped for a clean one. For apartment dwellers and renters without yard space, this is usually the only practical route, and the monthly cost is modest. Some services return finished compost to subscribers, which is of limited use to a renter without a garden but appreciated by those with one.
Drop-off locations exist at some farmers markets and community sites around the city, which suits people who generate small volumes and are already making the trip.
Backyard composting is viable in a single-family rental with a yard, but check your lease first. Some leases restrict what you can place in the yard, and an HOA may have rules about bin placement and appearance. A poorly managed pile attracts exactly the wildlife you would expect, so if you go this route, keep meat and dairy out and turn it regularly.
One practical note specific to the region: Central Virginia’s summer heat and humidity accelerate everything. A kitchen collection container that would last a week in a cooler climate will not here. Keep the bucket sealed, freeze scraps between collections if that works for you, and do not let a full bin sit through a July weekend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is trash service included in my rent?
Sometimes, particularly in apartment communities and in city properties where the service is municipal. In county single-family rentals it frequently is not. Ask before you move.
Who provides the trash cart?
In the city, the cart belongs to the property. With a private hauler, the cart usually belongs to the company and returns when service ends. Do not take it with you.
What if my landlord says trash is my responsibility but never set anything up?
That is normal in the counties. Contract with a hauler yourself, and factor the monthly cost into your housing budget when comparing properties.
Can I recycle in an apartment building?
Depends on the building. Many provide shared recycling; some do not. Where the building does not, CVWMA drop-off locations are an option.
What day is my collection?
It varies by address and by provider, and holiday weeks shift schedules. Check your locality’s or hauler’s lookup tool by address, and watch for holiday notices.
How do I dispose of a mattress?
Through the bulk item process in the city, or via your hauler’s bulk service or a convenience center in the counties. Many have restrictions, so confirm before hauling it to the curb.
What happens if my cart is stolen or damaged?
Report it to the locality or the hauler, and tell your landlord. Since the cart is generally attached to the property rather than to you, replacement is usually not a tenant expense.
Talk to Mission Realty
Small logistical details like this are a real part of settling into a new area, and they are the kind of thing we cover with residents at move-in. Browse our available rentals across the region, review our resident resources, or contact us with questions about a specific property.
