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.    

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. 

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. 

• 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