Partners
There's a lot you can do to involve yourself in making Roanoke a cleaner and greener placer to live. Partner with the city by involving yourself in these programs.
Participate in recycling.
The City of Roanoke provides recycling bins to every household and makes weekly pickups along with your regular trash collection. Recyclables are divided into paper products, and bottles and cans. There’s no special sorting beyond separating items according to these two categories.
The following tips will help the city make the most of its recycling program:
- Rinse bottles and cans, to ensure a high-quality process and discourage attracting pests.
- Discard plastic and metal tops and lids.
- Only clear glass is accepted at this time.
- Plastics should be No. 1 & 2, such as soda bottles, salad dressing bottles, and peanut butter jars. Check the recycling symbol embossed on these and other containers to see if it shows a 1 or a 2.
- Remove paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands, spiral bindings, etc. from paper items. Staples are OK.
- Most labels, postage, etc. on boxes are OK, but try to remove excessive amounts of tape.
On the city’s Web site:
Recycling Collection
Plant/commemorate a tree.
Planting a tree is a good way to beautify the city, but it’s so much more than that. A single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, in addition to providing heat-mitigating shade, and contributing moisture to the atmosphere that supports healthy rain cycles.
The City of Roanoke will plant "public" trees on your street, when appropriate, at no cost to the citizen making the request. Contact the city’s forestry inspector at 540-853-5219 to get started.
You can also donate a tree to the city in honor of a loved one or to commemorate a special occasion. Participants choose from a list of available locations (such as parks, streets and greenways) and approved specimens. A $250 donation covers costs, and includes acknowledgement at the city’s annual Arbor Day ceremony, as well as a memento for the recipient or the donor. For a program brochure, call 540-853-1994, or e-mail Urban Forester Dan Henry at
dan.henry@roanokeva.gov.
On the city’s Web site:
Urban Forestry
Report weed/trash violations.
A house with an overgrown yard or one that is cluttered with refuse is an eyesore in any neighborhood – not to mention a violation of city code. You can help keep Roanoke beautiful by alerting the city about weed and trash violations. Concerned citizens may report violations by calling the Citizen Service Center at 540-853-2000, or by filling out an online service request form. Upon receiving a report, code inspectors will begin the process of investigating and addressing the violation.
On the city’s Web site:
Online request for service
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
The next regional household hazardous waste collection event is scheduled for July 18, 2009. From this date forward the event will be held monthly on the third Saturday of each month, and participation will be limited to the first 100 registrants. Pre-registration is required for all participants. To register and receive a time slot, call the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority at 857-5071. Residents who have not pre-registered will not be able to dispose of their waste during the event.
The collection events will be held at the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority's transfer station on Hollins Road, just South of Orange Avenue, in Roanoke.
Household hazard waste collection events are free to residents of the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County, and the Town of Vinton. Acceptable household hazardous wastes include motor oil, antifreeze, paints, varnishes, solvents, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, household cleaners, kerosene & other fuels, lawn & garden chemicals, etc. No commercial waste, asbestos, tires, explosives, medical waste or radioactive materials (including smoke detectors), will be accepted.
For more information on this, or related hazardous waste issues, you may contact the City of Roanoke’s Environmental Administrator at 853-2425.
On the city’s Web site:
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Make your home more energy-efficient.
Home improvements are expensive, but some can pay you back in the form of reduced utility bills. The city offers tax incentives for energy-efficient buildings and for use of certified solar energy equipment.
On the city’s Web site:
Tax Relief and Incentives
Pitch in/get involved.
There are a number of organized cleanups and environmental awareness events in the city each year, and you or your organization can play an important part in their success.
Alternative fuels for vehicles.
The availability of biofuels for non-fleet vehicles is developing gradually, based in part on consumer demand, which can vary greatly from one locality to another. If you want to use environmentally friendly fuel in your car, it will depend to some degree on what you drive and where you live. A number of service stations are already offering blended fuels at the pump, which combine gasoline with a limited percentage of ethanol and can be safely used in most vehicles. These stations post information specifying the content of what they sell. Higher concentrations of ethanol such as "E-85" are only appropriate for new "flexible fuel" vehicles designed specifically to run on these compounds. "Biodiesel" is only appropriate for diesel engines, and users are advised to consult their vehicle’s manufacturer as well as their engine warranty statement before using this fuel.
On the city’s Web site:
Vehicle Fueling