Alexandria Helps Residents Recycle Locally

From the City of Alexandria: The City of Alexandria offers these local Resource Recovery Announcements.

Resource Recovery Announcements

• Trash & Recycling Collection – Holiday Schedule
• Food Waste for Composting
• Stop Unwanted Junk Mail
• Don’t Use Plastic Bags to Hold Recyclables
• Reduce Food Waste by ‘Staging’ Leftovers

More Information:
• Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, Resource Recovery Division
• Eco-City Alexandria Initiative

Trash and Recycling Collection – Holiday Schedule
Due to the President’s Day holiday on Monday, February 20, residents are reminded that trash and recycling will be picked up one day later than regularly scheduled during that week.

• Regular collection day: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Holiday collection day: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collection
The Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collection Drop-Off Center will be closed on Monday, February 20 for the President’s Day holiday. Normal hours of operation are Monday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. located at 3224 Colvin Street.

Food Waste for Composting
Are you interested in composting food waste, but aren’t able to do so at home especially in the winter time? The City’s Resource Recovery Division has Resource Recovery Stations, located at the City's Farmers’ Markets (Old Town, Del Ray) to collect food waste. There will also be compost tubs available to purchase for $5; each one conveniently has a lid, handle, and small enough to transport food waste from home to the Farmers’ Markets. For more information visit alexandriava.gov/YardWaste.

Stop Unwanted Junk Mail
It’s easy to recycle unwanted catalogs and junk mail in Alexandria at home and work, but even better would be not receiving these unwanted materials. You can go to a single website to stop most junk mail including unwanted phone books. For more information visit alexandriava.gov/Recycling.

Don’t Use Plastic Bags to Hold Recyclables
Place recyclables such as bottles, cans, paper, junk mail, and cardboard loose in your recycling container for collection. Do not use plastic bags to hold recyclables since they interfere with the sorting process and damage machinery. Plastic bags can be taken to your local grocery store to be recycled or be replaced all together with reusable bags. For more information visit alexandriava.gov/Recycling.

Reduce Food Waste by ‘Staging’ Leftovers
Often leftovers from a delicious meal are overlooked in the refrigerator until the food is hosting a small rainforest and for safety’s sake thrown out. Placing leftovers in high quality glass storage containers with vacuum lids and kept near the front in the refrigerator improves their appearance and thus their desirability. Old opaque containers allow their contents to remain a mystery and forgotten. Successful chefs know that the staging and presentation of food greatly affects is desirability. For more information on reducing food waste visit www.savethefood.com.

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