Trash and recycling pickup in Virginia Beach: schedule and holidays

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Virginia Beach Public Works Trash & Recycling pages, its holiday schedule and city news releases, each linked below.

Virginia Beach Public Works Waste Management picks up trash and yard debris every week and recycling every other week for homes on city curbside service. Your day depends on your address. Look it up with Find My Trash Day on VB Connect, where you can also sign up for weekly text or email reminders.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, carts, new service, bulky items: Waste Management customer service, 757-385-4650, wastemgt@vbgov.com. Walk-in office at 3024 Holland Road, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, closed 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
• Landfill and household hazardous waste: 757-385-1980
• Everything else at the city: VB311, 757-385-3111
• TTY: Virginia Relay, 711

Set out by 6 a.m.

Crews now start residential trash, recycling and yard waste routes at 6 a.m., and the city said Aug. 24 it would keep the earlier start for now. Have everything at the curb by 6 a.m.; the city encourages setting out the night before. Carts can go out after 5 p.m. the day before.

• Leave 3 feet on every side of each cart, away from mailboxes, cars, yard waste and bulky items.
• Lids must close. Overflowing carts are not collected.
• Bag household trash before it goes in the black cart. Nothing outside the cart is taken except yard waste or a scheduled bulky item.
• Bring carts back out of public view by the end of collection day.

Problems with a pickup should be reported on collection day or by noon the next business day, through VB311 or 757-385-4650.

Holiday schedule for the rest of 2026

The Waste Management office and customer service line are closed on every city holiday, even when pickup runs as normal.

Recycling: the blue cart

Blue carts are emptied every other week on your trash day. VB Connect shows whether this is a recycling week.

• Do not bag recyclables.
• Keep these out: plastic bags and film, foam, rechargeable batteries and devices, propane tanks, electronics, appliances, car parts, ceramics, mirrors and ovenware.
• Townhome residents with an 18-gallon bin can set extra recyclables beside it in paper bags.

Two drop-off sites take recycling: the Landfill and Resource Recovery Center, 1989 Jake Sears Road, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and the West Neck Recycling Center, 2500 West Neck Road between Nimmo Parkway and North Landing Road, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Trailers are not allowed at West Neck.

What the black cart will not take

Building and remodeling materials (carpet, doors, cabinets, toilets, sinks), rocks, dirt and concrete, tires and car parts, paint cans, glass, propane tanks, hot ashes, flammable liquids, rechargeable batteries and hazardous chemicals, according to the trash collection page.

Bulky items

Furniture and other items too big for the cart are picked up by appointment. Schedule a bulky item pickup on VB311 (the city’s preferred route), by phone at 757-385-4650, by email or in person, ahead of your regular trash day. The city asks residents to gather several items into one request.

Yard debris

Yard debris goes out on your trash day with no request needed, by the set-out time, away from storm drains and off the sidewalk, the yard debris page says.

• Leaves and grass in clear plastic lawn bags, up to 25 bags of 25 pounds or less each.
• One 4-by-4-by-4-foot pile of limbs a week, no thicker than 6 inches.
• Twigs and limbs under 3 feet can go in the trash cart.
• Work by a private contractor must be hauled away by the contractor.

For big cleanups the city rents 13-by-7-by-5-foot yard waste containers: $50 for a weekday rental, Monday through Thursday, or $150 for a weekend, delivered Friday and collected Monday. Call 757-385-4650 to book.

Hazardous waste and the landfill

The household hazardous waste facility at the Landfill and Resource Recovery Center takes paint, oil, cleaners and pesticides from Virginia Beach homes for free, up to 5 gallons of liquid or 75 pounds of solids a visit. Bring a Virginia driver’s license with your Virginia Beach address, or a photo ID with a recent utility bill. Work vans, trucks with ladder racks and trailers over 10 feet are turned away, according to the landfill policies.

What it costs

Curbside service is paid through a waste collection and disposal fee of $30.55 a month on the City Services bill, alongside water, sewer and stormwater charges, according to the city’s customer service page. No tax money goes to Waste Management.

What this means for you

• Look up your day once on VB Connect and sign up for reminders.
• Get carts out by 6 a.m. while the early start continues.
• Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s weeks shift one route to Saturday.

Related: who to call at City Hall, moving to Virginia Beach and the hurricane prep guide.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Virginia Beach?

It depends on your address. Look up your day with the city’s Find My Trash Day tool on VB Connect, or call Waste Management at 757-385-4650.

How often is recycling picked up in Virginia Beach?

Every other week, on your regular trash day. Trash and yard debris are picked up every week.

Is there trash pickup in Virginia Beach on Thanksgiving?

No. Thursday routes are picked up on Saturday, Nov. 28, instead. Christmas Day’s Friday routes run Saturday, Dec. 26, and New Year’s Day’s Friday routes run Saturday, Jan. 2.

How do I get a bulky item picked up in Virginia Beach?

Schedule it through VB311 online, by calling 757-385-4650 or by emailing wastemgt@vbgov.com, ahead of your regular trash day. Bulky pickup is covered by the monthly waste fee.

Where can I take paint and chemicals in Virginia Beach?

To the household hazardous waste site at the Landfill and Resource Recovery Center, 1989 Jake Sears Road, open 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is free for residents, up to 5 gallons of liquid or 75 pounds of solids a visit.