Items That Require Special Disposal in Charlottesville VA
Virginia law and Albemarle County regulations restrict certain items from standard trash collection. Understanding what goes where prevents fines, environmental harm, and the frustration of having items refused at the landfill.
Electronics and E-Waste
Virginia's Electronics Recycling Law (effective 2011) prohibits certain electronics from landfill disposal. Items that cannot go in regular trash include: televisions, computers and laptops, monitors, printers, cell phones, fax machines, and DVDs/VCR players. Albemarle County offers electronics drop-off twice yearly at county facilities. Many retailers (Best Buy, Staples) accept certain electronics for recycling year-round. Albemarle Moving will haul electronics for appropriate disposal — we add a small e-waste fee for items requiring certified processing.
Household Hazardous Waste
The Ivy Material Utilization Center at 4576 Dick Woods Road accepts household hazardous waste on designated drop-off days (check county website for current schedule). Items accepted include: oil-based paint (latex paint, once dried, is regular trash), pesticides and herbicides, pool chemicals, solvents and thinners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs containing mercury, motor oil, and antifreeze. Never pour these materials down drains or into regular trash.
Freon-Containing Appliances
Refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and freezers contain refrigerant that cannot legally be released into the atmosphere. EPA Section 608 regulations require certified technicians to recover refrigerant before disposal. Albemarle Moving charges a $25 freon disposal fee for these items — we handle certified recovery and proper disposal. Call 434-230-4551 to include these items in your junk removal job.
Medications and Pharmaceuticals
Medications should not go in regular trash (risk of access by children or animals) or be flushed (water system contamination). Charlottesville Police Department maintains a 24-hour medication drop box in their lobby at 606 E Market St. Many Charlottesville pharmacies also participate in take-back programs. The DEA hosts national prescription drug take-back days twice yearly.
Tires
Albemarle County accepts up to 4 tires per visit at Ivy MUC. Tire retailers are required by Virginia law to accept used tires for recycling. Large quantities of tires (commercial removal) require arranging separate waste hauling.
What Albemarle Moving Takes That Other Companies Won't
We're often called after other junk removal companies decline jobs that include items requiring special handling. While we don't handle true hazardous materials (chemicals, biological waste, asbestos), we do handle many items that require extra steps: freon-containing appliances (with the recovery fee), fluorescent light bulbs, electronics for certified recycling, oil-based paint in dried form, and large items that require disassembly. Call 434-230-4551 and describe what you have — we'll tell you honestly what we can and can't take, and direct you to the right resource for anything we can't handle.