Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling

• Why Properly Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics?
• Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling Center Location & Hours
• Acceptable Hazardous Waste & Electronic Items
• Flourescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) and Mercury concerns - Use, Breakage Cleanup & Disposal
• Material Preparation
• Eligible Participants
• Information for Businesses 
• Less Toxic & Reuse Opportunities
• Additional Resources

What's New

• Refrigerant Recovery Now Available
  Residents may now bring any appliances that contain refrigerant to the Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling Center located at 3224 Colvin St. 
• Examples include:   • Refrigerators •   Freezers •   Air Conditioning Units •   Dehumidifiers.
  
• Discontinuation of Battery Collection at Recycling Drop-off Centers.  Per recommendations from the US Department of Transportation, the City of Alexandria Solid Waste Division will no longer collect batteries at the un-manned recycling drop-off centers as of March 26, 2010.  Battery collection in this manner poses a significant safety and environmental hazard.  The un-manned sites do not allow staff to ensure that batteries are properly separated by type and prepared for shipment which can lead to fires. 
  • Residents can continue to bring all batteries to the Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling Center on Monday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (except holidays). 
  • Residents are also encouraged to switch to rechargeable batteries for those items that they use most frequently, which reduces the number of batteries requiring disposal and increases their level of recyclability.  
  • Visit the Reduce, Reuse, and Other Recycling Opportunities webpage to find other locations in the City to recycle or dispose of batteries. 

Why Properly Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics?

Many of the products we use every day contain chemicals that are potentially hazardous to our health and the environment. Improper disposal of the products listed below can pollute our environment and cause injury to collection workers. It is our responsibility to properly use, store, and dispose of hazardous waste.  All household hazardous waste is disposed of by a licensed hazardous waste disposal firm.

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Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling Center Location & Hours

Location:  3224 Colvin Street (click for map)

• From the West: Travel east on Duke Street and turn right onto S. Quaker Lane.  Then take the first left onto Colvin Street.  You will see the site on your right.
• From the East: Travel west on Duke Street and turn left onto S. Quaker Lane. Then take the first left onto Colvin Street. You will see the site on your right.
• From the North: Take Braddock Road, King Street or Seminary/Janneys Lane to N. Quaker Lane. Travel south on N. Quaker Lane to Duke Street; turn left. Travel east on Duke Street to S. Quaker Lane (an immediate right off of Duke St); turn right. Then take the first left onto Colvin Street.  You will see the site on your right.

HOURS OF OPERATION 

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Acceptable and Unacceptable Hazardous Waste & Electronic Items

Acceptable Household Hazardous Waste Items

* Latex (waterbased) paint is not considered hazardous material.  Dried out cans of latex paint can be disposed of in the regular trash.

** Household, alkaline batteries can be thrown away in the regular trash.

Unacceptable Hazardous Waste Items

Electronics - Acceptable Items

The Electronics Recycling Center accepts many types of electronics.   For a comprehensive list of acceptable electronics, please view our brochure below.

These items contain either chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants or hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerants depending on their date of manufacture. Information about the dangers of CFC’s is available on the EPA website.

These items are not acceptable as regular trash nor can they be disposed of at the Covanta Energy Facility on Eisenhower Ave.   Disposal options for these items include:

1. Have your contractor or delivery service exchange your old appliance at time of delivery.
2. Call the Solid Waste Division at 703.746.4410 to arrange for a special appliance pickup   Note: a $20.00 service fee may apply for large appliances
3. Residents may deliver their appliance at no cost to the HHW & Electronics Recycling Center located at 3224 Colvin St
   

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Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL’s) and Mercury – Use, Breakage Cleanup & Disposal

Use: Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are lighting more homes than ever before, and EPA is encouraging Americans to use and recycle them safely. Carefully recycling CFLs prevents the release of mercury into the environment and allows for the reuse of glass, metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights. *Please read this flyer about the use and safe disposal of CFLs.

Breakage Clean Up: Fluorescent light bulbs and some older thermostats and thermometers contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within glass tubing. Learn more about EPA Clean Up Recommendations for broken fluorescent light bulbs and other mercury containing items.

Please contact the City Fire Department's Special Operations Battalion Chief at 703.746.5277 for further information about mercury spill clean up

Disposal: Unbroken fluorescent bulbs or properly sealed broken bulbs can be taken to the City's Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling Center.

 Material Preparation

Household Hazardous Waste

• Please leave all materials in their originally labeled containers.
• Containers should be sealed and properly packaged for transportation.
• Do not mix chemical substances – even similar products from different manufacturers.

Electronics

• Delete all information from computer hard-drives
  
  Disclaimer: The City of Alexandria is not responsible for and does not erase computer hard drives or memory.
  Click here for an article on preparing a computer for donation. 
• For assistance with computer hard drive erasure, please contact our electronics recycling contractor, Service Source for more information.

Service Source
6295 Edsall Rd,  Suite 175  
Alexandria, VA  22312     
Tel:  (703) 461-6000

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Eligible Participants

The City of Alexandria provides weekly household hazardous waste and electronics recycling collection for City residents ONLY (i.e. those living in the following zip codes: 22301, 22302, 22304, 22305, 22311, 22312, and 22314). Proof of residency is required.

Hazardous Waste and Electronic Disposal / Recycling Information for Businesses

Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators:   Business may NOT use the City's HHW collection program to dispose of any hazardous waste.   All businesses that produce hazardous wastes (including conditionally exempt small quantity generators, CESQG) should contact a licensed and permitted hazardous waste disposal company to properly document and dispose of their hazardous wastes.  A partial list of companies is provided below for your convenience.  Please contact the Soid Waste Division main telephone number: 703-746-4410 for additional information.

The City does not endorse any of the businesses below, please check certifications before selecting a vendor.

• Asbestos Disposal Companies:
  • Environmental Waste Specialists, Inc., 703-502-0100, 14100 Sullyfield Circle, Suite 400, Chantilly, VA 20151
  • First Piedmont Corporation, 1-434-432-0211, P.O. Box 1069, Chatham, VA 24531
• Hazardous Waste Disposal Companies
  • Care Environmental Corp., 1-973-299-0774, 100 US Highway 46, Bldg. A, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046
  • Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc., 1-800-638-4440, 1104 West Roslyn Road, Colonial Heights, VA 23834
  • Clean Venture, Inc., 1-410-368-9170, 2031 Inverness Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230
  • Eco-Flo, 1-301-498-4550, 8520 Corridor Road, Suite M, Savage, MD 20763
  • Environmental Management Services, Inc., 1-301-309-0475, 1688 East Gude Drive, Suite 301, Rockville, MD 20850
  • Potomac Environmental, Inc., 1-540-659-1894, P.O. Box 1836, Stafford, VA 22555
  • Remac America, Inc., 1-800-600-9608, 10860 Spring Knoll Drive, Potomac Industrial Park, Potomac, MD 20854
• Medical/Infectious Waste Disposal Service Companies
  • Clean Venture, Inc., 1-410-368-9170, 2031 Inverness Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230
  • Environmental Management Services, Inc., 1-301-309-0475, 1688 East Gude Drive, Suite 301, Rockville, MD 20850
  • SteriCycle, 1-800-234-7822, 5901 Chemical Road, Baltimore, MD 21226
• Petroleum Contaminated Soil or Products Disposal Companies
  • First Piedmont Corporation, 703-432-0211, P.O. Box 1069, Chatman, VA 24531
• Specific Collection Service Companies
  • Davis Industries, Inc., (Junk car removal), 703-550-7402, 9920 Richmond Highway, Lorton, VA 22079
  • U.S. Filter, (Waste oil & anti-freeze collection), 1-410-633-0606, 6305 East Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
  • Mid-States Oil, (Waste oil collection), 1-410-354-9500, 3520 Fairfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21226
  • Valley Proteins, (Rendering of animal waste & cooking oil), 1-410-355-4800, 1515 Open Street, Baltimore, MD 21226
  • U.S. Filter, (Waste oil & anti-freeze collection), 1-888-749-8344, 5800 Farrington Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304
  • Willow Spring Wrecker Service, (Junk car removal), 703-631-9339, 12815 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030

Electronics Recycling Information

KnowToxics:   www.knowtoxics.com and click on private recycling services.

Local Electronics Recyclers:  Call for pricing

• Service Source: 6295 Edsall Road, Suite 175 Alexandria, VA  22312    703-461-6000
• CDM eCycling: 1607 Wicomico Street Baltimore, MD  21230    410-525-1400
• Securis: 14801 Willard Rd, Ste 800, Chantilly, VA  20151    703-436-1967
• eAssett Solutions: 134 W Jefferson ST, Falls Church, VA  22046   703-534-5865
• Shred Station Express:  5604 General Washington Dr, Alexandria, VA  22312   703-347-4638
• Turtle Wings:  1771 Olive St,  Capitol Heights, MD   20743     301-583-8399
  

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Less Toxic & Reuse Opportunities

Residents and businesses can reduce the need to use the household hazardous waste site by using less toxic products and donating reusable electronics to charities.

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Additional Resources

• HHW & Electronics Brochure
• For more Information, please call the Solid Waste Division at 703.746.4410.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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