Public Works and Environmental Services

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our administrative office is open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mon. - Fri.
703-324-5230 TTY 711
12000 Government Center Parkway
Suite 458, Fairfax, Va 22035
Eric Forbes
Director, Solid Waste Management

Plastic

Always and Never Recycle graphic
Visit Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and download the Always/Never flyer in multiple languages

Choose to Refuse. By refusing, you can say NO to purchasing many items that are not ultimately recyclable. Always choose to refuse single-use plastic items, which have an average life span of 15 minutes before they are thrown away.

Many single-use items may be improperly disposed of and end up as litter. Much of the plastic found floating in our oceans and rivers are single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, water bottles, takeout containers, cups, and straws.

Pro-actively say NO to single-use items by bringing your own reusable bags and refillable beverage containers, straws, or takeout containers. Challenge yourself to find waste-free alternatives for other items provided to you with takeout food, such as napkins, beverage containers, and cutlery.

Skip the plastic bag and place recyclables in your recycling cart or container loose, clean, and dry, or take them to one of the County’s drop-off centers at I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex.

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.

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.

Use the Always and Never Recycle flyer for general guidance. Visit Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to download the Always/Never flyer in multiple languages.

If Fairfax County Government collects your waste, visit Curbside Recycling for answers on what is and isn't recyclable. Does Fairfax County Pick Up My Trash? Use this map to find out.

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.

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