Trash and recycling pickup in Winchester: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Winchester’s Waste & Recycling page and the Frederick County landfill pages.

The city of Winchester’s Public Services Department collects household trash and recycling on the same day each week, set by your voting ward, and yard waste citywide on Fridays. Put your cart out the night before or by 6 a.m. on your collection day.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, carts, cleanup days: Public Services, 540-773-1340, or customerservice@winchesterva.gov
• New or replacement cart: request a trash or recycling can online
• Regional landfill: Frederick County Public Works, 107 N. Kent St., 540-665-5600
• Official page: Waste & Recycling

What day is my pickup?

The city moved to a ward-based schedule on Monday, July 7, 2025. According to the city’s waste collection schedule:

Old Town is the one exception: its collection schedule did not change. Type your address into the city’s Find Your Collection Days lookup to see your day, or find your ward in the city’s property search.

Trash rules

• Trash goes in bags, inside your city-provided cart. There is no bag limit, but the lid must close.
• Set the cart with its front facing the street and the wheels against the curb. Where there is a grass strip, put it in the grass at least 4 feet from trees; where there is no sidewalk, put it at the edge of the driveway on the side away from the mailbox.
• Not accepted in the cart: appliances, furniture, lumber, large items, tires, construction debris and yard waste.

The city bills the cart monthly on your utility bill: $8 a month for a 35-gallon cart, $10 for a 65-gallon cart and $12 for a 95-gallon cart. Pay or view the bill on the city’s My Bill page.

Recycling and glass

Recycling goes out on the same day as your trash. Glass does not go in the curbside bin. The city runs glass drop-off bins at:

• Frederick Douglass Park, 617 Smithfield Ave.
• Jim Barnett Park, in the parking lot beside the BMX track near Cork Street
• Weaver Park, 167 Bruce Drive
• Whittier Park, 900 Whittier Ave.

A fifth site, the parking lot at 621 W. Jubal Early Drive, was listed as temporarily closed when we checked.

Yard waste and leaves

Yard waste is collected citywide on Fridays from mid-March through mid-January, except on holiday weeks.

• Grass, trimmings and leaves go in open containers, such as small trash cans, or in paper lawn bags. No plastic bags.
• Brush and limbs up to 3 inches across must be cut and tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet and no wider than 18 inches.
• Nothing over 75 pounds, and no dirt, clay, rocks or loose trimmings. City trash carts and recycling bins cannot be used for yard waste.
• The limit is five containers, bags or bundles a week. During leaf collection season there is no limit, but leaves must be in paper bags.

The city collected undecorated Christmas trees with yard waste on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026; it had not posted the 2027 date when we checked.

Holiday schedule

From the city’s holiday schedule for the rest of 2026:

Bulk items: Annual Cleanup Days

Curbside trucks do not take furniture, paint, electronics or construction debris. Once a year each ward gets an Annual Cleanup Day, when the city hauls almost anything at no extra charge, including furniture, drywall, scrap metal, tires, motor oil, gasoline, paint, car batteries, fluorescent lights and electronics.

Register online by 11:59 p.m. the day before your ward’s date. Set items out by 6 a.m., no more than 24 hours early, without blocking sidewalks, streets, mailboxes or driveways. The city says pickup can take up to two weeks; after that, call 540-773-1340. On the same day the city will tow an inoperable vehicle from private property for free if the owner has a clean title and files the tow request application.

The landfill and hazardous waste

City residents may use the Frederick County Regional Landfill, 280 Landfill Road, and the Landfill Citizens’ Center at 146 Landfill Road. The city sends paint and electronics, such as televisions, computers, monitors and printers, there. According to Frederick County:

• Scales: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
• Citizens’ Convenience Center: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday.
• A single load of 1,000 pounds or more is billed in full at the time of disposal.

What the landfill takes, and on what terms, is on the county’s household hazardous waste page. The county’s neighborhood convenience sites are for Frederick County taxpayers; city residents use the landfill site.

What this means for you

• Cart out by 6 a.m. on your ward’s day; yard waste every Friday.
• Veterans Day and Thanksgiving weeks run a day late after the holiday.
• Glass goes to a park drop-off, not the recycling bin.
• Ward 4’s free cleanup day is Monday, Jan. 4, 2027; register the day before at the latest.

More city services: who to call at City Hall and property taxes.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Winchester?

Trash and recycling are collected on the same day, set by your voting ward: Ward 1 on Monday, Ward 2 on Tuesday, Ward 3 on Wednesday and Ward 4 on Thursday. Old Town keeps its own schedule; the city’s online lookup gives the day for any address.

When is yard waste picked up in Winchester?

Yard waste is collected citywide on Fridays from mid-March through mid-January, except on holiday weeks. Up to five bags, containers or bundles a week, with no limit during leaf season if you use paper bags.

Does Winchester trash pickup change for Veterans Day and Thanksgiving?

Yes. There is no trash or recycling service on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Wednesday and Thursday pickups move one day later. On Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26, Thursday pickup moves to Friday. Yard waste is canceled both weeks.

How do I get rid of a couch or old paint in Winchester?

The city’s trash trucks do not take furniture, appliances, tires or construction debris at the curb. Register for your ward’s Annual Cleanup Day, when the city hauls almost anything for free, or take it to the Frederick County Regional Landfill, which city residents may use.

Where can I recycle glass in Winchester?

Glass goes to drop-off bins at Frederick Douglass Park, Jim Barnett Park beside the BMX track, Weaver Park and Whittier Park, not in the curbside recycling bin.