Environmental Services
Single-family and Duplex Homes - Curbside Recycling
New Curbside Recycling Program!
Arlington has upgraded its residential curbside program to make it easier for residents to trash less and recycle more. Check out the new recycling video explaining the changes!
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NOTE: You may recycle additional acceptable materials without separating them in their yellow bin, until a new cart is received.
Overview/Requirements
Arlington County provides weekly curbside recycling collection services (through a private contractor) to all single family homes, duplexes, and some town homes. If you are a new resident to Arlington County, please call the Utilities Services Office at (703) 228-6570, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to set up a new utilities account to begin water, sewer, and refuse/recycling collection services. These services are billed together for residents in Arlington County. Find out more about setting up your refuse/recycling collection account and the charges on our Accounts/Utilities Bill page.
Recycling Carts
Each residence is assigned a blue recycling cart. This cart has been electronically linked to your address, with a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) to record the cart’s identification number, date and time of collection. This tracks how many carts are set out on any given day and allows the County to target our outreach efforts and help better plan the collection routes. We ask that you record the number on your cart and keep it at your property.
Please do not take it with you when you move. If the cart is destroyed due to misuse or abuse, a replacement fee of $55 may be charged. There is a 200-pound limit on the weight of contents placed in refuse/recycling carts.
If you have an overflow of recycling that cannot fit in your blue container please follow one of the options:
- If you have the smaller 35 gallon cart, request to upgrade to a 65 gallon cart. The size of your cart can be determined by looking at the serial number on your cart. It will start with a '35' or a '65' depending on its size.
- Purchase a personal recycling container to store additional recyclables. The container must meet the requirements below and must be clearly identified for recycling.
Return or Exchange of Recycling Carts
The County realizes that the cart size may not be accommodating to all households. Therefore, if the size cart that you receive is too much capacity, residents are able to exchange for a smaller 35 gallon cart or use a personal container that meets the requirements.
Personal Container Requirements
- The container(s) shall be rigid and have a sealable lid
- Between 20 gallons and 32 gallons.
- The weight when full shall not exceed 50 lbs.
- Clearly identified for recycling collection (County provides decals to place on containers)
- The County shall be permitted to attach an RFID tag for the purpose of tracking participation.
- All maintenance and care of the container is the responsibility of the resident.
Examples of Acceptable Personal Containers
Residents who choose to return a recycling cart should contact the Solid Waste Bureau at 703-228-6570 and make a request for a ‘Recycling Cart Return’. On the requestor’s next recycling collection day, the cart should be left curbside empty and clean. At the time of return, the requestor will receive a letter describing the requirements for a suitable replacement container as described above and two labels to be used to identify the replacement container .
Trash & Recycling Collection Guide - Take It To The Curb , (594 KB, PDF format)
Collection
Once a week on your trash collection day.
Monday - Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except on Christmas and New Year's Day)
Put recycling cart curbside next to your trash cart:
- no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before
- no later than 6 a.m. the morning of collection
How to Recycle
- Place all recyclable materials into the blue recycling cart - include only acceptable materials listed below. "Unacceptable" materials will be tagged and left at the curb
Residents who have not yet received a new cart may recycle materials without separating them in their yellow bin, until a new recycling cart is received. - Empty and rinse all containers
- Place cardboard boxes inside or next to the cart. Boxes do not have a size restriction and do not need to be broken down. Place large rigid plastic toys (plastic tables, chairs, playhouses, etc) next to recycling cart.
- "Bag in a Bag" - Place multiple plastic bags in one plastic bag and place in cart.
Acceptable materials
Acceptable Materials Flyer (594 KB, PDF format)
- Aluminum Cans
- Metal Food Cans
- Glass Bottles & Jars
- Cereal & Food Boxes (toilet paper and paper towel rolls, egg and berry cardboard containers)
- Milk & Juice Cartons
- Plastic Bottles & Jugs #1-7 (with lids)
- Wide-mouth Plastic Containers (yogurt cups, margarine tubs, peanut butter jars, etc.)
- Mixed Paper, Newspaper & Junk mail (inserts, office paper, brochures and other glossy paper, envelopes with and without windows, Post-It notes, self adhesive paper, paper bags)
- Paperback & Hardcover Books
- Aluminum Foil and Aluminum Trays
- Empty Aerosol Cans
- Wire Hangers
- Rigid Plastics (buckets, flower pots, laundry baskets, toys, large children’s play equipment – chairs, plastic tables, playhouses)
- Plastic Bags (place multiple bags in one bag)
- Pizza Boxes & Cardboard Boxes – Do not have to be cut or broken down
Non-Acceptable Materials
- Plastic food trays and cups
- Clamshell Container
- Light Bulbs
- Glassware
- Paper plates and napkins
- Ceramics
- Batteries
- Pots and Pans
- Styrofoam
Where do these materials go? Find out more about what happens to recyclables in Arlington County
Please remember that containers that once held toxic or hazardous materials, including automotive products, herbicides and pesticides, medicine, chemical cleaning products and paint solvents, should not be included with recyclables.
Report a Missed Recycling Pickup
If your recycling was not picked up, you can report a missed recycling pickup on-line 24 hours a day. You can also call our Customer Service Call Center in the Solid Waste Bureau at (703) 228-6570 between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM.
Request a Recycling Cart Repair
If your recycling cart is cracked or broken, you can request a cart repair on-line 24 hours a day. You can also call our Customer Service Call Center in the Solid Waste Bureau at
(703) 228-6570 between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM.
More About Recycling
Want more in depth information about recycling?
What Happens to Your Recyclables
How Trash is Converted From Waste-to-Energy
Closing The Loop - Buy Recycled Content
- Track Arlington's Recycling Cost: Monthly Recycling Data & Costs
For more information please our Customer Service Call Center at 703-228-6570.
