The Resin Identification Code (RIC), the number in the triangle on the bottom of plastic containers, indicates what resin was used to manufacture the container. The RIC system was designed to make sorting easier for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). The number has no bearing on the degree to which a particular item is or isn’t recyclable as a practical matter. Technically, most plastic items can be recycled into another form - but “recyclability” is a matter of whether there is a buyer for the recovered plastic. If nobody wants to buy the recovered plastic (likely because there’s no plastics manufacturing or processing nearby), then that plastic isn’t going to be recycled. Because your recycling collector may or may not be able to sell a type of resin, follow your recycling collector's guidelines regarding what plastics they accept.
Choose to Refuse. Say NO to buying items that are not really recyclable. Single-use plastic items have an average life span of 15 minutes before they are thrown away—and much of it ends up as litter!
Next time you have a choice, REFUSE single-use plastic bags, water bottles, cups, and straws. Instead opt for reusable bags, refillable beverage containers, and paper straws. Take your own containers from home for any leftovers; use your own cutlery for take-out or delivered meals.
The only plastic generally accepted in Fairfax County curbside recycling programs include bottles, jugs, and dairy containers. Be sure to rinse them out before putting them in your recycling bin at home or at one of the County’s drop-off centers at I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfil.
Let’s Talk Trash About Plastic!
¡Hablemos basura sobre el plástico!
Recycle or Trash - What Goes Where?
A guide for residents to manage their waste
Use the What Goes Where? Wizard and search for Plastic for guidance on how to dispose of different type of plastic items.
Frequently Asked Questions
What gets recycled depends on your recyclables collector and what their chosen processing facility is currently recovering and selling. Ninety percent of the homes putting out recyclables in Fairfax County are collected by private companies, who take your recyclables to a privately-owned Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in the region.
If a private company collects your waste, please contact them directly for specific instructions.
The RIC Number located on your plastic does NOT indicate whether something is recyclable or not; it simply indicates the type of resin that the product is made from. Learn more about what the RIC Number does and doesn't mean. Please recycle your plastic bottles, jugs, and jars rather than relying on the RIC Number.
The overwhelming majority of municipal solid waste collected in Fairfax County is delivered to Reworld’s waste-to-energy facility in Lorton where it is processed to produce renewable energy and a stabilized ash by-product that only takes up about 10% of the original volume which can then be buried in the Fairfax County’s solid waste landfill.
