Scottsville Area Trash & Recycling Guide
Scottsville is a historic James River town at the southern tip of Albemarle County. Unlike the other counties covered on this site — which are served by their own county waste management systems — Scottsville and the surrounding area of southern Albemarle County are served by the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority (RSWA).
The RSWA system works differently from everything else in Central Virginia, and the most important difference is this: to drop off household trash, you need pre-purchased bag stickers. You can’t just show up with trash and drop it off the way you would at a county convenience center. Get your stickers before you need them.
The Bag Sticker System — What You Need to Know
RSWA charges for trash disposal through a bag sticker system rather than a tipping fee or tax-based system. Here’s how it works:
Bag Sticker Locations Near Scottsville
Green Mountain Country Store
5977 Scottsville RoadScottsville, VA area
The most convenient option for most Scottsville residents. Stickers are available during store hours. No need to drive to Charlottesville — this is the local option.
Brown's Market
2724 Irish RoadEsmont, VA
Convenient for residents in the Esmont area and southern Albemarle. Stickers available during store hours.
Ivy Solid Waste & Recycling Center Scale House
4576 Dick Woods RoadCharlottesville, VA 22903
Available at the scale house during facility hours. This option requires driving to Charlottesville, so it makes most sense if you’re already making a trip to the Ivy facility.
By Mail Order
RSWA offers stickers by mail order. Visit rswa.org for current mail order information and pricing.
How the Bag Sticker System Works
Which Facility Is Closest to Scottsville?
The Southern Albemarle Convenience Center at 6269 Esmont Road in Keene is the closest RSWA facility to most Scottsville-area residents. It accepts household trash (bag sticker required) and free recyclables. For more extensive services — HHW drop-off, composting, electronics events — the Ivy Solid Waste & Recycling Center in Charlottesville is the full-service option.
Don't Need Stickers for Recycling
Worth repeating: recycling is always free at RSWA facilities and never requires a bag sticker. If you’re making a recycling-only trip to the Southern Albemarle center, you can leave the stickers at home.
Where to Buy Bag Stickers Near Scottsville
You can purchase RSWA bag stickers at several locations convenient to the Scottsville area:
Green Mountain Country Store
5977 Scottsville Road (most convenient for Scottsville residents)
Brown's Market
2724 Irish Road, Esmont, VA
Ivy Solid Waste & Recycling Center Scale House
4576 Dick Woods Road, Charlottesville
By mail order
Contact RSWA at rswa.org for mail order information
Facilities Serving the Scottsville Area
Southern Albemarle Convenience Center (Closest to Scottsville)
6269 Esmont Road, Keene, VA 22946
This is the most convenient RSWA facility for most Scottsville-area residents. Accepts bagged household trash (bag sticker required) and free recyclables. Check rswa.org for current hours.
Ivy Solid Waste & Recycling Center
4576 Dick Woods Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903
The main RSWA facility — larger and more full-service than the Keene convenience center. Vehicles must cross scales at the entry. Accepts household trash (bag sticker required), free recyclables, vegetative waste/compost (must be dumped from bags at this facility), and more. HHW collection events and electronics recycling events are held here
Recycling — Free at Both Facilities
Standard recyclables are accepted free of charge at both RSWA facilities — no bag sticker needed for recycling. At the Ivy facility, vegetative and compost waste must be dumped from bags before drop-off (the bags themselves are then disposed of separately).
Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics
RSWA holds HHW collection events at the Ivy facility. These events are open to Albemarle County, City of Charlottesville, and Town of Scottsville residents. Registration is required and events have limited capacity — they fill up. Electronics recycling events at Ivy are also registration-required and limited to 10 items per household.
Curbside Service
Private haulers serve the Scottsville area. The bag sticker system makes self-haul viable but adds cost per bag — for high-volume households, weekly curbside pickup may be more economical over time.
Looking for Trash Pickup Service?
Finding reliable residential trash service in rural Central Virginia can be tricky. Tell us where you are and what you need — we’ll help connect you with the right option.
Bag Stickers
$2.00 each | Required for trash (not recycling) | Up to 32-gallon bags
Buy Stickers Near Scottsville
Green Mountain Country Store (5977 Scottsville Rd) | Brown’s Market (2724 Irish Rd, Esmont)
Southern Albemarle Center
6269 Esmont Rd, Keene | Closest to Scottsville
Ivy RSWA Center
4576 Dick Woods Rd, Charlottesville | Full-service | Scale house entry
HHW & Electronics Events
At Ivy | Registration required | Register early at rswa.org
WA Website
swa.org