New Garbage Bag Limits in Elkins, Effective September 1, 2025

Starting in September 2025, Elkins residents will see a change in curbside trash collection rules as the City implements its first-ever garbage bag limit. Approved by City Council on Thursday, June 25, Ordinance 345 amends Chapter 50 of the Elkins City Code, setting the following bag limits for weekly curbside pickup:

• Twelve (12) 13-gallon kitchen bags, or
• Six (6) 30-gallon large trash bags, or
• Three (3) 55-gallon contractor bags

Why the Change?

The new policy seeks to:

• Reduce any theft of city sanitation services: Non-city residents who are not paying for city sanitation services currently leave bags in front of Elkins residents’ properties far in excess of the above limits.
• Cut landfill costs: Fewer bags mean lower tipping fees, saving taxpayer dollars.
• Align with regional and industry norms: Many nearby towns and private trash disposal companies already have similar trash collection policies. Bag limits are common across West Virginia and the U.S.

“The vast majority of Elkins households won’t be affected—this new bag limit targets outliers abusing the system,” says Leon Kaye of the City of Elkins External Affairs office. “We’re simply following the lead of other communities to discourage the people who are taking advantage the city’s services.”

Elkins Aims to Keep Sanitation Services Affordable

While this change may require some adjustment for some customers, it goes hand in hand with the sound financial management practices that have allowed the City of Elkins to avoid a sanitation rate increase in more than a decade. Since 2015, the trash collection rate for Elkins residential properties has remained unchanged at $19.54 per month, despite the recent construction of a new $1.5 million sanitation garage and a tipping-fee increase from the private company that receives Elkins’ solid waste at its Beverly transfer station. All of the City’s utility rates are available on this page.

“The City does its best to keep sanitation rates low for our customers,” adds Kaye. “Letting non-city residents continue to make use of our service for free isn’t fair to our paying customers.”

Residents will receive several reminders about this change before the September 2025 rollout.

Questions? Contact the City of Elkins’ Sanitation Department.