Public Works and Environmental Services

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mon. - Fri.
703-324-5230 TTY 711
12000 Government Center Parkway
Suite 458, Fairfax, Va 22035
Eric Forbes
Director, Solid Waste Management

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Before recycling, consider ways to reduce your trash, reuse items in other ways, then recycle where possible before throwing stuff away.

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Subscribe to Fairfax Recycles

Fairfax Recycles is an electronic newsletter to inform subscribers of Fairfax County recycling events and news items from the Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program.
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Recycling Right in Fairfax County

Keeping communities clean and healthy. The curbside recycling bin program is designed to collect specific materials. Click on the link at right to open the flyer which will tell you which items you can always place in your curbside recycling bin and which you cannot.

Download the flyer for more information.

Glass Recycling and the Purple Can Club

You can recycle glass in Fairfax County, just not in your curbside recycling bin. Glass placed in a purple container is recycled into new materials in as little as 30 days.

Learn more about Glass Recycling

Please don't place plastic bags in recycling bins

Plastic bags get wrapped around the rollers and stop the conveyor belt. Workers then remove the bags by hand. Plastic bags that make it past the rollers contaminate the other recyclable materials. Please take bags back to the grocery store, place them in the trash, or choose reusable bags

Reduce / Reuse

Source reduction is the first goal of sustainability; then reuse. Recycling is last. Try to reduce waste in the first place, or reuse items before recycling. Give unwanted or unneeded clothing, household goods, books, etc. a second life by donating them to worthy causes. Reducing waste by repurposing unwanted but usable goods is an important part of the Fairfax County Environmental Vision.

Please recycleRecycle

You should be able to recycle everywhere you go - at home, at work, and at play. If you are concerned that there is no recycling available at a location you frequent, call us at 703-324-5230.

View The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) answers to some of the most common recycling questions at EPA's Frequent Questions on Recycling.

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Residential Recycling Requirements

Fairfax County has rules regarding how waste and recycling is managed. One important component of the county’s solid waste ordinance is the requirement for residents to separate recyclables from trash for placement at the curb for collection. Both waste and recyclables are required to be collected weekly if you receive collection service at your residence.

Visit Minimum Residential Recycling Requirements

Where Does Recycling Go?

Did you ever wonder where your recycling materials go? Follow the journey with this flowchart. Click the picture to download for easy viewing.

Recycling flow chart

The Recycling Process Step-by-Step:

Join Fairfax County staff on their visit to a local Materials Recovery Facility.

  • 1. The Tipping Floor
  • 2. Pre-sorting
  • 3. Paper Sorting
  • 4. Steel Sorting
  • 5. Optical Sorting
  • 6. Aluminum Sorting
  • 7. Glass Sorting

I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex

Find phone numbers, hours, addresses, and disposal fees for the I-66 Transfer Station and the I-95 Landfill Complex.

Visit Disposal Center Locations and Hours

Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG)

FOG

Waste cooking oil is accepted every day at the I-66 Transfer Station or the I-95 Landfill Complex. Take cooking oil directly to the Household Hazardous Waste facility for recycling!

Visit Fats Oils and Grease

Composting Organic Waste

Composting

Consider composting, nature’s own way of recycling. Composting is the controlled breakdown of organic material such as yard waste or food scraps. You can buy a compost bin or make one yourself.

Visit Composting Organic Waste

Household Hazardous Waste

The Fairfax County Household Hazardous Waste Program accepts hazardous materials from residents free of charge and disposes or recycles them according to all local, state and federal regulations.

Visit Household Hazardous Waste

Energy Recovery

The I-95 Energy Resource Recovery Facility (E/RRF) located at the county’s I-95 Solid Waste Management Complex in Lorton is owned and operated by Reworld Fairfax, Inc. (CFI). Municipal solid waste (MSW) serves as the fuel for the facility, which is designed and operated in a similar manner to a typical power plant. Steam is produced from the combustion of MSW, and is used to spin turbine-generators that produce over 80MW of electricity.

Visit Energy Resource Recovery Facility

Fairfax County Waste Metrics

For the latest county trash and recycling metrics, visit Waste Metrics | Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.

More About Recycling and Trash

Customers

Recycling and Trash Home
Fairfax County Residents
County Collection Customers
Trash and Disposal Industry
Businesses
Educators, Ambassadors and Students

Services

Pay Bill Online
Apply for a Permit
Schedule a Special Pickup (Customers only)
Report Missed Pickup (Customers only)
Request Trash/Recycling Cart Repair/Replace (Customers only)
Vacuum Leaf Collection (Leaf Customers only)
Report Litter
Request A Tour or Guest Speaker
Mulch

More Resources

Locations, Hours, Phone
Recycle or Trash - What Goes Where?
A- Z Index of Topics
Recycling and Trash FAQs
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Publications, Plans and County Code
Forms and Applications
Safety
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