News

1. Facilities will open to general public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Administrative buildings are closed.

2. Household hazardous waste and e-waste stations are closed at the I-95 landfill complex. These services remain available at the I-66 transfer station.

3. Commercial Cash (non-residential) receipts are no longer accepted on Sundays. Only receipts from residential customers will be accepted on Sundays.

4. Donation Stations at both locations are closed.

 

For the most part, people agree that recycling is an easy way to do something good for the environment. It is a service that is provided to everyone in Fairfax County that has trash collection,

it’s not an extra service that only some lucky folks get. This includes businesses, schools, houses of worship, and most every place you visit in the course of your day. Recycling definitely works best when it is easy –

the container is easy to find, it’s easy to see that it’s for recyclables only, and you know what to put into the container. What is recyclable in Fairfax County?

 

Let’s start by saying that there are a few rules when it comes to “what’s recyclable?” Recyclables should be:

·         Clean – no liquid, food, or grease left inside the container

·         Dry – if you rinse something out (which you should) give it a little time to dry before you put it into the bin. Mostly, don’t put a half-full bottle of water in the bin – empty it first.

·         Loose – recyclables don’t need to be bagged – in fact, the bags are a problem for local recycling processors.

·         Leave the lid on – it really is for the best.

 

Next, we can focus on what is ALWAYS recyclable in your curbside bin. These are the things that you don’t have to think twice about – they are the most recyclable:

·         Paper – mail, newspapers, cereal boxes, juice boxes, homework, etc.

·         Plastic - #1 and #2 bottles, jugs, and jars. This is just about anything that held a beverage, including milk, OJ, soda, or water.

·         Metal – beer cans, canned vegetables, tuna and cat food cans.

·         Cardboard

 

Next, there are the things that mess up recycling for everyone. They are the things that should never go into your recycling bin at home. They contaminate the rest of the recyclables and end up in the landfill. They are the Filthy Five:

·         Plastic bags – we’ve mentioned this before. Plastic bags get tangled in the recycling equipment; it is better to take them back to the grocery store.

·         Tanglers – things like hangers, garden hoses, and rope. Metal hangers can be returned to the dry cleaners.

·         Diapers – no, they really aren’t recyclable. They may even be a bio-hazard.

·         Take out containers – they may have the recycling symbol, but nobody wants them. Try reusing them.

·         Shredded paper – it just doesn’t survive the trip to the recycler and ends up as litter. You can add it to compost, use it as packing material, or put it in the trash.

 

If this seems simple, it is meant to be. There’s no need to make recycling overly complicated. Some people give up the first time they find out that they did it wrong. If you focus on the things that are always recyclable,

you’re doing great! There are two other recyclables that need some TLC – Glass and Yard Waste. Your hauler is no longer required to collect glass in your recycling bin. If you put it in there, they will probably take it,

but that doesn’t mean that it will be recycled. If you want to know FOR A FACT that your glass is being recycled, take it to a purple glass recycling bin. They are located throughout Fairfax County.

If you’d rather not, just put your glass in the trash. Finally, please remember that yard waste should be placed in a durable container (like an old trash can) or in paper yard waste bags. Plastic bags are not good for the

environment and we are trying to move away from their use. If you still have plastic bags, use them for trash. That’s the best place for them.

 

Please check out the Fairfax County web page or (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/recycle) for lots of information on recycling in Fairfax County. There are links to resources, fact sheets,

videos, and more. You can request a speaker to come to talk to you and your neighbors about recycling at your next meeting or event. You can also sign up for the Fairfax Recycles Newsletter at

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/subscribe -fairfax-recycler) for lots of information on recycling, or send us your questions through Recycling@FairfaxCounty.gov.