Recycling

The recycling program is tasked with providing recycling collection to eligible single-family homes; encouraging recycling at home, school, and work; as well as providing education about recycling and setting up recycling collection programs.

Page updated on Apr 11, 2019 at 10:11 AM

Child with Recycling Bin

Recycling is an everyday way to fight climate change. Recycling saves natural resources, energy and money.  

    What's New


    NOW LIVE - Alexandria's Glass Recovery Program

    Glass Bottles and Jars The City is pleased to launch glass drop-off centers across Alexandria to provide an option to recover and recycle glass. This service is one of the first short-term action items to be implemented as part of the City’s Environmental Action Plan and WasteSmart Strategic Plan, a roadmap that will guide the city’s refuse, recycling and organics collection for the next 20 years. For more information including drop-off locations and what items are accepted and not accepted, please click here.


    No Plastic Bags in the Recycling Bin

    No Plastic Bags

    Alexandria's recycling processor no longer accepts plastic bags or film of any type in our residential recycling collections. While these plastics are perfectly recyclable, they get caught in the sorting machinery creating maintenance shut downs. Therefore, please return plastic bags to local grocery stores for recycling. Visit our Recycling at Home page for information on how and where to recycle plastic bags and films.

     

    City of Alexandria Achieves 49% Recycling Rate

    The City of Alexandria has achieved its highest recycling rate ever!  The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has approved the City's 2017 Recycling Rate Report that documents a municipal solid waste recycling rate of 49.8 percent.  This is a small increase over last year's reported 49.3 percent recycling rate, and 20 percentage points higher than the City's 2009 recycling rate as certified by the Virginia DEQ.  The City's recycling rate has been continuously improving over the past several years due in part to a significant reduction in the overall waste generated combined with improvements to the City's recycling services which include larger carts for single stream recycling and the addition of alley recycling pickup services.  This improved recycling rate puts us another step closer to achieving the City's long-term Eco-City Alexandria goals while saving the City a considerable amount of money in avoided waste disposal costs. 

    Sign Up for Solid Waste & Recycling eNews - Would you like to receive more information about recycling and solid waste programs? Need a quick reminder when service will be delayed due to a holiday? With the City of Alexandria's free eNews service, you receive updates about recycling and solid waste, in addition to more than 80 additional topics that may interest you.

    City of Alexandria Recycling Information
     

    Home 
    Information for renters and home owners about what, when, where, why and how to recycle at apartments, condos, home owner associations, and single family homes.
     

    Work 
    Information for property managers, tenants and employees about recycling requirements and what, when, where, why and how to recycle at non-residential buildings.
      On the Go   

    Information about recycling at public buildings and special events in the City of Alexandria.
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