Arlington Issues Further Guidance on Minimizing Trash, Recycling and Yard Waste

Curbside trash and recycling collection is an important service provided to ensure the health and safety of our community. Our crews play a critical role in providing these services, while balancing the same life and home challenges we all are facing during this time. 

Over the last week, residential trash tonnage has increased more than 30%. The residential collection system is becoming stressed and we all need to do our part and limit the amount of trash, recycling and yard waste being placed out for collection. 

To help ensure their health and safety and maintain our collection schedule, Arlington County is issuing additional guidance: 

• Please minimize setting extra bags outside the cart. 
• Keep your spring cleaning pile in your basement or garage for now. 
• Flatten your cardboard boxes to create more room in your recycling bin  
• If you have a large quantity of cardboard boxes, drop them off at one of our recycling drop-off centers. 
• Drop off glass at one of our recycling drop-off centers instead of throwing it in the trash. 
• Make an appointment and drop-off your household hazardous materials, now available Monday through Thursday (by appointment only. Call 703-228-5000 to schedule.) 
• Grasscycle your lawn clippings. 
  

Unfortunately, our Spring 2020 E-CARE on April 18 has been canceled. Updates will be posted regarding an E-CARE event in the fall or later. 

 

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The Toilet is Not a Trash Can 

 

A toilet is designed to remove only human waste and bathroom tissue with each flush. 

 

Sending other items down the drain threatens home plumbing, Arlington’s sanitary sewer system and ultimately the Water Pollution Control Plant, where wastewater is treated before being safely released to the ecosystem. Learn more here: https://water.arlingtonva.us/the-toilet-is-not-a-trash-can/. 

  

Tip: Keep a small trash can in the bathroom near the toilet and use it to discard all those things that only seem harmless to flush.