Things I Just Learned about Recycling in Leesburg

Leesburg residents are fortunate to live in a town that makes it so easy to recycle. We have weekly curbside collection as well as several drop-off centers for recyclable materials.

Recycling is getting easier all the time. Over the past few years, the town has relaxed some of the rules regarding curbside recycling and expanded the number of materials that can be recycled.

In honor of America Recycles Day, which is observed this year on Tuesday, November 15, I have compiled a few facts about recycling in Leesburg that I just learned from the town’s website. These are things I didn’t know before (or wasn’t sure about), even though I have been an active recycler here for years.

The Commonwealth of Virginia requires the Town of Leesburg to maintain a 25% recycling rate. Our current rate of recycling is 28%.

More than half of the waste going to the county landfill consists of paper (38%) and yard waste (18%). Another 15% of the waste stream consists of plastic and glass. Much of this waste could be recycled.

Recyclable materials that are left out in your blue recycling bin do not need to be sorted or separated. They can be mixed together, and will be hand-sorted by workers at CSI’s reclamation facility in Sterling.

Polystyrene (Styrofoam) materials may be recycled, as long as they are marked with a recycling triangle that has a number 1-7 inside.

Many yogurt and margarine tubs may be recycled. Again, check for the recycling symbol on the bottom.

Junk mail may be recycled even if it has envelopes with address windows. But to prevent identity theft, it is advisable to shred materials that contain your name and address, account numbers, other personal information, or application forms.

Mixed paper may be recycled. This includes office paper and lined or colored paper.

All colors of glass bottles and jars may be recycled, and they may have labels and lids.

The following materials may not be recycled through the curbside recycling program: hardcover books, milk and juice cartons, frozen food boxes with a wax interior, and polystyrene packing “peanuts.”

The town does not offer plastic bag recycling, because it takes about 40,000 pounds of plastic bags to make recycling a viable option, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. This makes it very difficult for recyclers to offer a workable plastic bag recycling program in most residential communities. However, many local grocery and discount stores accept plastic bags from any store for recycling.

You may purchase additional recycling bins from the town for $6 (18-gallon) or $10 (24-gallon). If your bin is damaged, the town will replace it free of charge.

The Town of Leesburg has two recycling drop-off centers located in the parking lots of the Bloom grocery store on South King Street and the Wal-Mart at the Rt. 15 Bypass and Edwards Ferry Road. 

This is by no means a complete list of recycling do’s and don’ts. For complete information, including lists of all the materials that may be recycled – and those that may not – check out the town’s website.

Please keep in mind that these facts apply only inside the town. Residents and businesses in unincorporated Loudoun County should visit the county website for information about recycling, and those in other towns in western Loudoun should check with their respective town government.

Additionally, Leesburg residents may also use any of the county drop-off centers, the closest of which is located at the county landfill on Evergreen Mills Road. According to the county website, the recycling drop-off center at the landfill accepts some materials that are not part of the town’s curbside recycling program, including milk and juice cartons, phonebooks, hardcover books, car batteries, motor oil and antifreeze.