Alexandria Reports 48 Percent Recycling Rate in 2015

ALEXANDRIA, VA --Alexandria recycled 48 percent of its waste last year, according to an announcement Wednesday from the City.

The rate represents the City-wide recycling effort that includes residents, businesses, and schools combined. Nearly half of what people throw away is recovered for reuse as a raw material rather than sent to the Waste-to-Energy facility for incineration, the City noted.

The City’s rate has been steady at 48 percent for the past five years. In 2010, it was 41.4 percent. For comparison sake, Arlington County reported a 47.2 percent recycling rate in November.

The City noted it would like to see an increase in recycling and announced a goal of breaking the 50 percent barrier this year.

"We need your help in achieving this goal. For residents with yards who are already recycling their papers, cardboard, and food containers, the next step is to ensure that yard waste is being separated from regular trash for composting," the City noted.

For residents who live in apartments and condominiums without yards, the critical step is to locate your building’s recycling containers and recycle everything allowed at your building. For more information visit alexandriava.gov/Recycling

The City offers these tips to boost your recycling efforts:

Don't Throw Away… Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
The City’s Resource Recovery programs work as part of the waste management hierarchy: Reduce, reuse, recycle, which also represents the order of importance of these ideas:

• Reduce needless consumption and the generation of waste;
• Reuse any item that can be reused or give it to a person or charity that can reuse it;
• Recycle whatever discards remain if you can and only dispose what you must.

If you are getting rid of old, out of season or unwanted items, make sure to consider donating, selling or reusing those items. Some non-profit donation companies will pick up items at your home for no charge. And consider listing items on CraigsList or FreeCycle. Remember, one person’s trash is another’s treasure. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Recycling

Yard Waste Program
The City’s Yard Waste recovery efforts are an important factor in improving the City’s recycling rate. Residents that use lawn care services are encouraged to require these companies to place grass trimmings in paper yard waste bags or hard-sided containers so these materials can be composted. Grass trimmings placed in plastic bags are thrown away as trash and not composted, therefore not contributing to the City’s overall recycling rate. To request ‘Yard Waste Only’ decals or get more information visit alexandriava.gov/YardWaste.

Recycling at Work
Is recycling easy when you’re at work? Recycling at work should be as easy as recycling at home. If you work in Alexandria, your employer is required to offer recycling to employees. In most cases the same materials that can be recycled at home can also be recycled at work. For more information visit alexandriava.gov/Recycling.

Disposing of General-Purpose & Alkaline Batteries
Alkaline batteries can be safely disposed of with normal household waste. Remember to read the label, and if it says “Alkaline," please dispose of it in your household trash. If you cannot read the label, please take it to a Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling site located at 3224 Colvin Street. Normal hours of operation are Monday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more details, visit alexandriava.gov/Refuse

IMAGE from Patch archive