Have you ever stopped to think about what happens to your trash and recyclables once they have been collected by your town or county. You may surprised how each county handles the waste they collect. Everything from donating old paint to non-profits, selling old paper to other countries for their use to burying the trash in landfills. Everything you throw out has its place and the process starts with you. By being a responsible resident and properly disposing of trash, hazardous waste and recyclables you can help make the disposal process more successful. So what does that mean? It is different depending on where you live. Below is easy information for those of you that live in Alexandria, VA.
For general trash disposal, you can get a free 64 gallon trash can from the city, unless you live in the old town area. You should not put this trash can out before 5pm on the day prior to pickup and you must have it out by 6am on your collection day. If you are unsure of your collection day, you can find it out by visiting this map. For those that may not be able to get their trash out to the curb on their own you can request assistant through the city.
Use common sense when it comes to trash disposal. Put trash in bags before placing in the bins. Place the bins away from things that may prohibit workers from being able to pick up the trash such as landscaping and cars. You should also be kind to the workers. Don’t put out an item over 75 lbs. They won’t be able to pick it up for you.
Beyond regular trash items, there are always those things that you aren’t sure what to do with. For example, batteries each have a different disposable path based on what kind of battery they are. Regular alkaline batteries like AA can go in the regular trash. Hearing aid and watch batteries though need to be taken to a household hazardous waste site along with rechargeable batteries.
Bulky items like old furniture should be donated if it is still in good shape. There are many charities that will even pick it up for you. If you aren’t going to donate it you can leave it out by the curb for regular trash pick-up, but there are weight limitations. When glass and mirrors are involved you need to make sure they are well wrapped so that they don’t break and cause a mess.
When large metal items are a part of your trash you need to schedule a special pick-up. This includes things like, old grills, small appliances, metal fencing, etc. Larger metal items not only require a call, but also a $20 charge per item. This mainly includes large appliances like dryers, washers and hot water heaters. If you are buying a new one, the company the delivers it will often take your old one for a fee as an alternative option.
Some items will require that you make a trip to one of the four disposal facilities in Alexandria. Each facility has its own rules on what they will take, so make sure you double check before you head out. This includes anything that contains mercury, earth material like rocks, dirt and sand, biological materials, construction and building material and any ammunition or explosives.
If you need more information on how to properly get rid of an item you can go online to https://www.alexandriava.gov/RefuseCollection or give them a call at 703-746-4410