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Solid Waste and Recycling Services

Disposal, Collection, Recycling

The Solid Waste Division of the Hanover County Department of Public Works maintains six solid waste service convenience centers where residents may dispose of household waste and recyclable items, as well as the transfer station off U.S. Rt. 301. The solid waste convenience centers are available for household refuse only and are not to be used by businesses. No fee is charged to Hanover residents for waste disposal or recycling. Construction and demolition waste is accepted only at the transfer station and is subject to a charge.

All solid waste convenience centers are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. every day of the week: Courthouse Rt. 301, Beaverdam, Doswell, Elmont, Mechanicsville and Montpelier (view locations and maps). The convenience centers are closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Lee-Jackson Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

To use a center at no charge you have to have a Hanover County, Ashland or Public Works vehicle decal or special permit. Public Works decals are available at any center with proper proof of residency.

The Transfer Station/Landfill at Rt. 301 is open to the public from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. each day except for Sundays, when it is closed. The Transfer Station/Landfill at Rt. 301 will be closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It closes at noon on Christmas Eve.

For more information, please call the Department of Public Works at 804-365-6181.

• Yard Waste, Bulky Items, Etc.
• Recycling
• Special Waste Category
• E-Waste
• Household Hazardous Waste
• Fees
• Additional Information
• Solid Waste Rules and Regulations

Yard Waste, Bulky Items, Etc.

Loose leaves and grass as well as brush under four-inches in diameter, and under six feet in length, may be disposed of at two sites: the Route 301 Landfill Yard Waste Area (open 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. except for Sunday) and the Mechanicsville Solid Waste Convenience Center (7 a.m.-7 p.m. every day). The Route 301 Transfer Station/Landfill Yard Waste Area is past the Convenience Center.

Loose leaves and grass (not brush) can be disposed of at the Route 301 Solid Waste Convenience Center and the Elmont Solid Waste Convenience Center.

Brush is ground into mulch, which is free to the public, while leaves and grass are composted. At all other centers, brush must be smaller than four inches in diameter and shorter than four feet in length and must comply with the standards specified in the rules and regulations. Trees and stumps are not accepted at any convenience center.

White goods containing Freon can be recycled at all locations. Bulky items as defined by the rules and regulations must be dumped in compactors or the large roll-off containers provided at all six stations as directed. All household refuse must be placed in compactors and not placed on the ground. Laws against scavenging are enforced. Hot ashes may not be placed in containers; ashes must be extinguished first and wet.

Bricks, cinderblocks and similar materials

Inert materials such as used bricks, cinderblocks and similar materials are available behind the Rt. 301 Transfer Station for citizens to remove for their own uses.

The material is free to haul away if you can load it manually yourself. If you need the County to load the material, the cost will be $2 per cubic yard and it will be dumped by loader into the vehicle bed with a minimum of five cubic yards.

The Rt. 301 Transfer Station is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday except for holidays.

Recycling

Recycling for glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans, mixed paper (including newspapers/magazines), corrugated paper, metal cans and used automobile batteries is available at all solid waste convenience centers. Aluminum cans, aluminum foil, #1 and #2 narrow-neck plastic bottles, steel food and beverage cans, and glass bottles and jars can all be placed together. Remember to remove and discard the caps and lids of all bottles and jars and rinse all containers.

Co-Mix Category

Glass Jars & Bottles

Clear, Green/light blue and brown glass bottles and jars

• Throw away caps and lids
• Rinse bottles and jars
• Labels acceptable on bottles and jars
  
• Not acceptable:
   
  • No caps or bottle tops of any kind
  • No window glass, dishes, cooking dishes, or drinking glasses
  • No ceramic, light bulbs or mirrors
  • No bags or boxes in glass bin

Metal Cans & Foil

Steel, tin, aluminum cans and foil

• Empty, rinse and crush all cans
• Labels are acceptable on cans
  
• Not acceptable:
   
  • No aerosol cans
  • No aluminum siding or other scrap metal
  • No pesticide or herbicide containers

Plastic Bottles

Plastic soda, detergent and shampoo bottles, milk and juice jugs, and other narrow-necked bottles.

• Check the container for the recycling symbol numbered 1 or 2 ONLY
• Discard lids or caps
• Rinse and crush bottles
  
• Not acceptable:
   
  • No caps or bottle tops of any kind
  • Household hazardous waste or motor oil

Paper Category

Mixed Paper and Textiles

Place paper in paper grocery bags.

• Newspapers, magazines and catalogs: Please place newspapers (including inserts) magazines and catalogs in containers as marked
• "Junk" mail
• Paper grocery bags (brown and white)
• Copy paper and computer paper
• Cereal/dry food boxes
• Telephone books (white pgs.) and paperback books
• Envelopes
• Not acceptable:
   
  • No corrugated boxes
  • No giftwrapping paper or foil
  • No napkins or tissues
  • No plastic-coated paper
  • No hardcover books

Corrugated Boxes

• Must be flattened and placed in designated containers
  
• Not acceptable:
   
  • No wax coated
  • No wet strength
  • No plastic cover

Textiles

Place textiles in plastic bags.

• Must be clean and dry, not soiled or wet
  
• Must be delivered in closed plastic bags to keep them separate and dry
• Accepted textiles include clothing of any kind, any textile item, fabric, small rugs, baseball caps, and stuffed animals

Special Waste Category

The Convenience Centers have collection containers for Category 1 materials listed below. No liquid paints are accepted at any site. Paints that have been dried to at least a paste can be placed in the trash at any convenience center. Examples of materials that can be used to dry paint to a paste include kitty litter, sawdust or shredded newspapers. Drying agents may also be available in the special waste area at all convenience centers.

• Category 1 materials include varnishes, shellac, stains and tints, lacquer thinners, polyurethane, primers, paint reducers, varsol, mineral spirits, turpentine, flammable solvents, oil additives, gasoline, gasoline additives and cooking oil.
  

  
  All convenience centers accept the Category 2 materials as listed below. Up to five gallons of Category 2 liquids may be recycled per day.

  
  
• Category 2 materials include used motor oil, automatic transmission fluid, power steering fluid, gear oil, hydraulic oil, diesel fuel, and kerosene (#2, 4, and 6), as well as used oil filters and antifreeze.
  
  Residents can also drop off or pick up reusable items such as books, bikes, wagons, strollers and wooden furniture at all convenience centers. No fabric-covered materials are accepted. Auto batteries and propane tanks (up to 20 pounds) are also accepted at all locations.

E-Waste

Electronic waste (e-waste) is accepted at the Rt. 301 Transfer Station. There is a $7 charge for televisions. All other electronics (anything with a plug) are accepted at no cost from Hanover County residents. Normal tipping fees plus the charge apply to businesses. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are charged at a rate of 25 cents apiece. Some local home improvement centers recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs at no charge. For more information call the Department of Public Works at 804-365-6181. There may also be special e-waste events in the area; check the County’s web site for announcements.

Household Hazardous Waste

Household hazardous waste is accepted at an annual event. Items such as pesticides, herbicides and corrosives will be accepted for a nominal charge.

Fees

Tipping fees at the landfill are $1.75 for a car-sized tire (no greater than 16-inch rims) and $8 for tires greater than 16 inches but less than 25 inches. The County does not accept tires with a rim of greater than 25 inches. Bulk tires are $130 per ton. Commercial appliances are $15 apiece. Credit cards as well as checks are accepted for payment at the landfill.

Construction and demolition waste is $50 per ton. All commercial waste is $50 per ton.

Additional Information

Hanover participates in the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority's recycling program.

Pamphlets about Hanover's solid waste services and recycling are available at all County solid waste convenience centers and at the Public Works Department at the County government complex.

For more information, contact the Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Services, at 804-365-6158.

Ashland Refuse Collection
The Town of Ashland   provides pick up for single-family residential trash. It is picked up once a week. If you are a Town resident and have a question or complaint about refuse collection, you may call the Town offices at (804)798-9219. Town crews also pick up yard brush and grass clippings if the clippings are placed in biodegradable paper bags. Town leaders encourage residents to compost yard waste whenever possible.