Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Petersburg
Virginia curbside collection runs weekly from Monday through Friday. Your exact pickup day depends on your local county or city zoning schedule.
State Mandate
Virginia DEQ regulations strictly prohibit lead-acid batteries, motor oil, and whole waste tires in curbside bins.
Crimson (Red) 95-gallon cart Bin (Trash)
Must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. Handles must face the house. Extra trash must be in tied bags beside the cart. No loose trash is allowed. Do not overload the cart (200 lb. limit).
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Small broken household items
Green 95-gallon cart (CVWMA) Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag recyclables; place them loosely in the cart. Ensure all containers are empty and rinsed. Collected every other week on 'Red Weeks' by CVWMA.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Clean office paper, junk mail, newspapers, and magazines
- ✓Flattened cardboard boxes
- ✓Kitchen, laundry, and bathroom plastic bottles and containers
- ✓Food and beverage cartons (soup, milk, creamer)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and plastic bagged recyclables
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Food-contaminated items (e.g., greasy pizza boxes)
- ✕Sheets or balls of aluminum foil
- ✕Shredded paper
- ✕Hoses, cords, wires
- ✕Lithium-ion batteries and electronics
Yard Waste Bin
During non-vacuum seasons, leaves must be bagged and placed at the curb on your regular trash collection day. Brush and limbs should not be mixed with loose leaf piles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged leaves (up to 60 bags per pickup)
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Small yard debris
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By advanced scheduled appointment only
Placement
Place approved, scheduled bulk items at the curb without obstructing traffic, sidewalks, or standard refuse carts.
Accepted
- ✓ Large furniture (sofas, dressers)
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Household appliances (restrictions may apply for freon)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris (lumber, wire, sheetrock, concrete)
- ✕ Household hazardous waste
- ✕ Automotive fluids and batteries
- ✕ Lithium-ion batteries
Contact Meridian Waste at 804-748-8324 for specific bulk item allowances and any potential per-item fees that may apply outside of standard services.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Both Meridian Waste and CVWMA typically observe major holidays. If a holiday falls on a weekday, collections for the remainder of that week are generally delayed by one day. Always verify schedule shifts via the CVWMA portal or Meridian Waste alerts.
Yard Waste Exception
Bagged leaf collections and scheduled bulk pickups follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as standard trash routes.
Sign up for email alerts through the CVWMA Customer Portal and the Meridian Waste notification system to receive real-time updates regarding holiday and weather-related route shifts.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Never Bag Your Recyclables
The CVWMA sorting facility strictly prohibits plastic bags. Never place your clean recyclables inside a plastic garbage bag or grocery sack. Plastic films tangle the heavy sorting machinery and will cause your green cart to be rejected at the curb.
Keep Carts Properly Spaced
Because Meridian Waste uses automated collection arms, your crimson trash cart must be placed at least 5 feet away from cars, mailboxes, and trees, with at least 2 feet of space separating it from your green recycling container.
Rinse Your Containers
Food waste is one of the leading causes of recycling contamination. You must completely empty and thoroughly rinse all plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and glass jars before tossing them loosely into your green CVWMA cart.
Seasonal Information
Autumn/Winter
November to FebruaryThe City of Petersburg's Street Operations division runs multiple rounds of loose leaf vacuuming across all 7 wards. Rake leaves to the curbline, ensuring piles are strictly free of brush, limbs, and trash.
Winter
December to MarchInclement winter weather, such as heavy ice or snow, may prompt Meridian Waste to implement delayed start times or temporary suspensions. Residents should leave carts unblocked at the curb until road conditions are safely navigable.
Year-Round
First Saturday of every monthDo not throw electronics in your curbside bins. Take advantage of the First Saturday Electronics Recycling Event hosted by CVWMA and Securis to properly dispose of heavy e-waste and dangerous lithium batteries.
About Petersburg Waste Management
Transition to Meridian Waste for Refuse Collection
As of July 2024, the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) is no longer involved in the City of Petersburg's standard trash program. Residential refuse collection is now managed entirely through Meridian Waste. All residents are provided with a heavy-duty, 95-gallon crimson trash cart. To ensure your garbage is collected, carts must be placed curbside by 7:00 a.m. on your designated service day with the handles facing your house. Be mindful that Meridian Waste strictly prohibits any loose trash—all garbage inside or beside the crimson cart must be properly bagged and tied.
Green Carts & Red Week Recycling Rules
While Meridian Waste handles household garbage, curbside recycling in Petersburg is still coordinated by CVWMA. Homes are provided with a 95-gallon green cart specifically for recyclables, which are collected bi-weekly during 'Red Weeks.' However, some specific addresses in Old Towne receive weekly service. Because contamination can ruin an entire truckload of recyclables, residents must ensure all items—like aluminum cans, cardboard, and plastic bottles—are empty and rinsed. Ensure your green cart is out by 7:00 a.m. on your specific CVWMA collection day.
Securing Bulk Pickups via Meridian Waste
When it's time to discard heavy furniture, old mattresses, or large home appliances, standard weekly collection will not suffice without prior arrangement. Petersburg residents must schedule a bulk waste pickup in advance by calling Meridian Waste directly at 804-748-8324. It is crucial to remember that construction and demolition debris, such as lumber, wire, sheetrock, and concrete, are strictly prohibited from this curbside bulk service. For large remodeling jobs, homeowners should rent a commercial roll-off dumpster or utilize the Meridian Waste Petersburg Materials Recovery Facility.
Navigating Petersburg's Leaf Collection
During the heavy foliage seasons of late autumn and winter, the City of Petersburg operates a specialized leaf vacuuming program divided among the city's seven wards. Residents are instructed to rake leaves into a clean pile between the sidewalk and the curb—never directly into the street or drainage ditches. If you miss the vacuum trucks, you can bag your leaves for curbside collection. Meridian Waste Tri-City will collect up to 60 bags of leaves per property on your regular trash collection day.
Responsible E-Waste and Battery Disposal
Electronic waste and batteries pose a severe fire and explosion risk to sanitation trucks and the local landfill, especially lithium-ion batteries found in old cell phones or laptops. Because of this danger, CVWMA partners with contractor Securis to host a dedicated electronics recycling event on the first Saturday of each month. Petersburg residents can safely dispose of these volatile items at these centralized events instead of dangerously hiding them in their crimson or green curbside carts.
Drop-off Facilities
Meridian Waste - Petersburg MRF (Materials Recovery Facility)
390 Industrial Drive, Petersburg, VA 23803
Materials Accepted
Tri-City Regional Landfill
Call facility for specific disposal protocols
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for my trash collection in Petersburg?
As of July 2024, Meridian Waste handles all residential trash collection in the City of Petersburg. CVWMA is no longer involved with the trash program, but they continue to manage the city's curbside recycling program.
How do I get extra bags of trash picked up?
Meridian Waste will collect tied trash bags placed securely beside your crimson cart. However, loose trash and extra trash placed in personal, non-city trash cans will not be collected. If you have an excessive amount of extra bags, you must call Meridian Waste at 804-748-8324 to issue a special work order.
Can I throw away construction materials like drywall and concrete?
No. Construction and demolition waste—including lumber, wire, sheetrock, and concrete—is strictly prohibited from curbside collection. You must either rent a temporary roll-off dumpster or haul these materials directly to the Meridian Waste Petersburg MRF on Industrial Drive.
How do I dispose of a broken television or microwave?
Electronics should never be placed in your trash or recycling carts. Petersburg residents can recycle small appliances, cell phones, computers, and televisions by bringing them to the CVWMA special electronics recycling collection event held on the first Saturday of each month.