Waste Disposal & Recycling Tips

Waste Disposal & Recycling Tips for Peninsula Residents The Virginia Peninsula includes four independent cities (Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson and Williamsburg) and two counties (York and James City County). Obviously each city and county operate under their own regulations, but when it comes to curbside pickup guidelines for solid waste disposal and recyclables, and what constitutes hazardous waste and how it should be disposed of in a proper manner, there are many common areas. The guidelines include garbage tips and trash advice on what constitutes solid waste versus recyclable materials, how to properly bag yard waste such as leaves and grass, bulk waste pickup (for the record, bulk waste is generally described as individual items that are not suitable because of size or weight to be placed in approved refuse containers, to include but not limited to appliances, sofas, mattresses, furniture and tree limbs or trunks that must be cut to a certain size for pickup), what to do with old tires and what constitutes hazardous waste such as recycling motor oil, fluorescent bulbs, batteries of all sizes and what to do with old electronics (TVs, computers, monitors, etc). Also, each municipality’s website solid waste website will help you to identify what will and will not be picked up, and if there are drop-off centers for household chemicals (such as paint buckets), eWaste (electronics) and yard waste. No matter where you live don’t forget those plastic bags you get from the grocery store. Although your municipality may not have specific guidelines about these, many of the stores where they were received will take them back for recycling. Stores like Target also often have bins for recycling plastic bags and ink cartridges from printers. To find out more about the rules and regulations for your city or county, here are the links to each municipality’s waste management website: Hampton Newport News Poquoson Williamsburg York County James City County