(Updated 10/16/19) Fairfax County is now asking residents to toss glass bottles and jars in the trash instead of the recycling bin at home.
The county decided to change its rules that previously required that glass bottles and jars be placed in curbside recycling bins “to improve the quality of single-stream recycling,” according to the county’s website.
As of yesterday (Oct. 1), residents now have two options for glass disposal — take the items to purple, glass-only recycling containers located around the county or throw them in the trash.
“The decision to remove glass from the single-stream recycling program was made after consulting with private recycling sorting centers and Covanta Fairfax, Inc., which operates the waste-to-energy plant,” according to the county.
The county also says that China’s decision to stop accepting some recycling materials has prompted changes to glass recycling.
Glass containers can break in curbside recycling bins, leading to the shards damaging the other recycled items and possible damage of machinery, the county said, adding that bins weighed down by heavy glass can increase transportation costs.
Earlier this year, Arlington County also decided to move away from recycling glass in a single stream system that has recycled items mixed together in one bin.
Meanwhile, the City of Falls Church and the Town of Vienna still allow glass bottles in curbside recycling bins.
The closest purple containers in the Tysons area are at the Providence Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive), Dolley Madison Library (1244 Oak Ridge Avenue) and the Lee Community Center (5722 Lee Hwy).
People can place any colored glass bottle or jar in the purple containers, but should not bring lamps, light bulbs, windows, mirrors or glass sheets.
What about broken glass? The county urges residents to place the broken glass in a rigid container labeled “GLASS” for trash collection.
This is “Big Blue” @ffxpublicworks recycled glass crusher that turns glass into reusable construction material. For everything you need to know about glass recycling in @fairfaxcounty click https://t.co/6efkyFiCr3 @route1corridor @FortHuntHerald pic.twitter.com/YA67hwOFPv
— Tony Castrilli (@TonyCastrilli) October 2, 2019
Map via Fairfax County
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