Proper Waste Disposal in Arlington, VA

To continue our series of posts about proper waste disposal in the Mid-Atlantic region, we turn to Arlington, VA. The city has rules when it comes to putting your trash receptacle out at the curb. It must be on the curb by 6 a.m. of your collection day. You cannot put it out before 5 a.m. the day before your collection day, and it must be pulled away from the curb within 24 hours of collection. This means that if you are going on vacation, you cannot leave your trash can out at the curb while you are gone. You will have to ask a neighbor to help you out. This is also a good safety measure. Trash cans left out at the curb can indicate to a burglar that no one is home. If for some reason you are unable to bring your trash out to the curb for collection, you can call 703-228-6570 for backdoor pickup.

Bulk Item Pickup

When it comes to bulk item pickup in Arlington, you do not need to schedule an appointment. As long as the items weigh less than 500 pounds, you can leave them out by the curb on your regular pickup day. For any trash that is over 500 pounds, you will need to rent a dumpster or call a private garbage hauler. We know of at least one place that has dumpsters for you to rent if you are doing a large cleanup in or around your home.

Check the Arlington Website

There may be some changes coming to Arlington, VA, when it comes to yard waste collection. There is currently spring yard waste collection between March 16 and April 24. It occurs the business day after your normal trash collection day. However, this fall, the county will decide if it is going to offer year-round yard waste collection. At this time, you can schedule for brush to get picked up at your curb. Christmas tree pickup does occur after the holiday, and leaf pickup occurs in the fall. You should visit the Arlington trash and recycling website for more information on the schedule for these two pickups.

Electronics Disposal

Electronics are not always the easiest items to recycle. In Arlington, VA, you can choose to either drop them off at the Electronics Collection and Recycling Center or you can schedule a pickup. However, in both cases, you may be charged a fee, depending on what you are recycling.

Hazardous Item Disposal

Household hazardous items such as paint, motor oil, and old cleaning supplies can be dropped off free of charge at the Water Pollution Control Plant. However, before you make the trip, make sure the item you are taking is on the list of acceptable items. You may also have to prep each item in a specific way. It is much better to know before you go.

Arlington, VA, has a couple of noteworthy programs as part of its trash removal and recycling. On the first Saturday of every month, the city offers free paper shredding. You are limited to two boxes or bags full of paper. The city also offers free leaf mulch in the spring that is made from the fall leaf collection. If you want delivery, you will be charged a fee, but it is a great use of all the yard waste that was collected the year before.

If you have additional questions about waste disposal or recycling in Arlington, VA, that we didn’t cover in this blog, feel free to call the city at 703-228-6570 or visit its website.