Skip to main content
You're logged in with MyAlex  |  Logout

City of Alexandria, VA

Search results cleared

Include archived pages
Most of the content here is written in English. Translate your search to find more content? Translating "" to English... Searching for English phrase ""
  • Live
  • Play
  • Services
  • Business
  • Government
  • Projects & Plans
  • Calendar
  • I want to…

Recycling at Home

Recycling is an everyday way to fight climate change. Recycling saves natural resources, energy and money.  
Page updated on May 15, 2024 at 2:42 PM

Resource Recovery

  • Resource Recovery
  • Reduce & Reuse
    • Reduce Tips
    • Reuse, Repair, & Donate Directory
    • Reduce Food Waste
    • Reduce Holiday Waste
  • Recycling
    • Recycling
    • Recycling at Home
    • Recycling at Work
    • Recycling on the Go
    • Recycling Drop-Off Centers
    • Glass Recycling
    • Where do Recyclables Go?
    • Recycling Services for Commercial Properties
  • Yard Waste
    • Yard Waste / Bulky Items Pickup
    • Mulch
    • Leaf Collection
    • Christmas Tree Collection
    • Grasscycling
  • Trash
    • Trash Collection
    • Trash Services for Commercial Properties
    • Local Solid Waste Disposal Facilities
    • Waste-to-Energy Facility Monitoring Group
  • Holiday Collection Schedule
  • Food Waste
    • Reduce Food Waste
    • Food Waste Composting
    • Curbside Composting Pilot
    • Farmers' Market Composting
    • Backyard Composting
  • Special Waste
    • Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics
    • Hazardous Waste Info for Commercial
    • Safely Dispose of Batteries
  • WasteSmart
    • WasteSmart
    • Plastic Bag Tax
    • Eco-City Alexandria
  • Street Sweeping
    • Street Sweeping
    • Leaf Collection
  • Solid Waste Haulers Permitting & Reporting

Share

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook
Translate icon
Translate icon
XWARNING: You have chosen to translate this page using an automated translation system. This translation has not been reviewed by the City of Alexandria and may contain errors.

Recycling at Home in the City

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

Photo of three blue recycling carts used in Alexandria

Residential Recycling Served by the City

Alexandria residents living in detached, single-family homes, duplexes, and some townhouses with four or fewer units receive City trash, recycling, and yard waste services through a fee-based program. The City provides "single stream" recycling collections through a contract with Bates Trucking.

Man recycling flattened cardboard at apartment recycling dumpster

Recycling at Apartments, Condominiums, and HOAs

Condominiums, apartments, and Homeowners Association's (HOAs) are required to provide recycling to residents.

Recycling Program Information

Do I receive City Recycling Service?

Alexandria residents living in detached, single-family homes, duplexes, and some townhouses with four or fewer units are required users of this fee-based service. Commercial properties and condominium complexes are not required users, but may participate at the City’s discretion for a fee.

To determine if you are eligible for City recycling service, visit: realestate.alexandriava.gov, then click on search properties and enter your address, then click on tax history.  You should be able to see a Refuse Fee assessed for each tax year.    

Acceptable Materials

The City's Residential Recycling Program Accepts:

  • Mixed Paper -  White / Color paper, office paper, newspaper, junk mail, magazines, phone books, paperback books, paper board boxes including cereal / tissue / cracker boxes, etc. 
         Note:  Please remove the newspaper from any plastic bags before recycling.  
  • Cardboard  - Clean, unwaxed cardboard may be recycled in your cart along with all other acceptable recyclables.  Larger cardboard boxes should be broken down to fit inside the cart or set beside the cart for recycling collection.  Please remove any Styrofoam, plastic packaging or other contents! 
    • Clean and empty pizza boxes are acceptable. Remember to remove any sauce cups, waxy paper, and food waste. 
    • Any cardboard boxes containing trash will be collected along with the regular trash collection and not recycled.
  • Gable Top Cartons and Juice containers -  Refrigerated Milk and Juice cartons  
  • Plastic Bottles, Jugs, Jars, Tubs, Pails, and Buckets - 
    • Lids are acceptable for all plastic, glass and metal containers. Simply leave them on the container after emptying containers when recycling.
    • Remember - the number on the bottom alone does not necessarily determine its recyclability.   
  • Metal Food & Beverage Containers Only
     

View the City's "Yes/No List" for information on what is recyclable in the residential recycling collection program. 

A photo of the Recycling Yes No List

Yes/No List - Spanish

Yes/No List - Amharic

For residents at apartments, condominiums, and HOAs, please contact your property manager or owner to find out what is specifically acceptable and how to recycle at your home.

The markets for recycled materials are constantly changing.  As these markets change so does the recyclability of various commodities.  Please review our Residential Yes/No List for changes to the currently acceptable recycled materials. 

Unacceptable Materials

  • Plastic Bags, Wrap, & Film -  Disposable plastic shopping bags and other plastic films are best recycled in dedicated collection points such as grocery and department stores.
    • Please do not put recyclables in plastic bags. 
    • Place your recyclables loosely in your City recycling bin or cart.  This helps with the sorting of recyclables at our local processing facility.
  • Small metal items - (i.e. metal blinds, pots & pans, door knobs, etc.)  These items can be recycled at Reworld™ Alexandria:
    • Address: 5301 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA
    • Phone Number: 703-370-7722 
    • Hours: Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.
    • Alexandria residents only, valid City sticker on your car required.  Learn more how to recycle your small metal items at Reworld™.
  • Wire clothes-hangers -  Wire hangers are "springy" and can pose an eye hazard to workers as well as damage sorting machines at the MRF
    • Return hangers to your favorite dry cleaners for reuse or recycle them at the Reworld™ metals recycling box noted above.
  • Glass Bottles & Jars  
    • Note:  Effective January 15, 2020, glass is no longer accepted in the curbside blue recycling bin. Glass can be recycled through the City's new glass purple bin program. Learn more about  glass recycling and drop-off locations.  
  • Coated Paper (paper cups, political signs, wax cooking paper, waxed cardboard, plastic-coated paper)
  • Ceramic Cups and Glasses, Window Glass, Pyrex
  • Styrofoam and Packing Peanuts  
  • Tanglers - (Garden hoses, cables, chains)
  • Clothes, linens, and other textiles - (please donate these materials)
  • Plastic cups, trays and containers:  While all plastics are potentially recyclable, the market dictates which types of plastics are currently acceptable.  Plastic items that are typically non-recyclable include:
    • Clam shell
    • Plastic fruit or salad containers
    • Styrofoam cups and trays
  • Small / large propane tanks (i.e. camping stove propane tanks). 
  • Helium Tanks  
  • Other Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste: Please visit the City's permanent Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Center 
Contact Us
Alex311 | 703.746.4311
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Visitor Information

VisitAlexandriaVA.com

  • Emergency Hotlines
  • Social Media
  • Privacy & Legal
  • FOIA Requests
  • Departments
  • Jobs
  • Payments

Alexandria City Hall
301 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

City of Alexandria Seal
© 1995–2023 City of Alexandria, VA and others.
Hold on, redirecting...