Can you recycle plastic bags in Virginia Beach, VA?

Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Virginia Beach uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your trash cart.

What do I do with batteries in Virginia Beach, VA?

Batteries never go in any of your Virginia Beach, VA carts — not the blue cart, not the trash cart. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

Recycling rules in Virginia Beach, VA

📍 City of Virginia Beach · 2-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Virginia Beach, VA

Virginia Beach, VA collects its own residential waste: City of Virginia Beach operates the carts directly rather than contracting the route to a private hauler. Households get two carts — a blue cart for recyclables and a trash cart for everything else. There is no curbside compost cart, so food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the trash cart.

That two-cart setup is the norm for most of the country — curbside food-scrap collection remains rare outside California and a handful of West Coast and Northeast cities.

The quick answer for Virginia Beach, VA

Plastic bottles & jugs	♻️ Blue cart	Empty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans	♻️ Blue cart	Give them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard	♻️ Blue cart	Clean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars	♻️ Blue cart	Lids off.
Food scraps	🗑️ Trash cart	No curbside compost cart here.
Greasy pizza box	🗑️ Trash cart	No curbside compost cart here.
Plastic bags & film	🗑️ Trash cart	Store drop-off is better.
Batteries	⚠️ Hazardous	Never curbside — tape the terminals.

This is the short list. The full A–Z of what is and isn't recyclable is on what can I recycle? — or scan the item and get the answer for Virginia Beach, VA directly.

📷 Scan an item

Virginia Beach, VA recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Virginia Beach, VA?: Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Virginia Beach uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your trash cart.
What do I do with batteries in Virginia Beach, VA?: Batteries never go in any of your Virginia Beach, VA carts — not the blue cart, not the trash cart. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

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Still not sure?

Rules vary by material and by hauler, and the sorting line is strict — one wrong item can contaminate a whole load. When in doubt, point your camera at the item for a verdict, or check the official City of Virginia Beach guide.