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Recycling Collection Frequently Asked Questions
Recycling Collection Frequently Asked Questions
| What materials are accepted in the recycling containers? |
| • Food and beverage cans (rinsed) • aluminum foil and foil products (rinsed) • paperboard items (cereal boxes) • glass bottles and jars • plastic bottles, jugs, jars and tubs (rinsed) • corrugated cardboard boxes (flattened and no larger than 3x3) • paper, brown paper grocery bags, magazines, newspaper (including inserts), telephone books, junk mail |
Why can't we put plastic bags in the recycling cart? |
| The plastic bags get stuck in the equipment at the processing plant. Please take your plastic bags to the grocery store to recycle them. |
What do I do with extra recycling, such as cardboard, that won't fit inside the blue cart? Can I put it in a bag next to the cart? |
| Only recyclables inside the recycling cart can be collected. Anything placed outside of the cart will be left behind. Cardboard should be placed inside the cart and flattened to at a size no larger than 3’x 3’. Extra recyclables can be taken to one of the 7 drop off sites located throughout the City: |
| • Main Street Library, 110 Main Street • Fire Station #4, 13561 Jefferson Avenue, near Ft. Eustis • Fire Station #6, 685 Oyster Point Road • Fire Station #10, 12455 Warwick Boulevard • Briarfield Fire Station #7, 5844 Marshall Avenue • Residential Waste Drop-off and Compost Facility, 550 Atkinson Way • Bay Disposal & Recycling, 701 Shields Road |
What if the lid comes off my blue recycling cart? |
| Please call 269-2700 so that a new lid can be put on your blue cart, free of charge, within 5 business days. You may leave your cart in its normal storage location as long as it is accessible (not locked behind a gate or in a garage). |
What if I forget to set my blue recycling cart out on the day of my collection? Will they come by and collect it the following week? |
| No. If you miss your collection day, you will need to wait until your next regularly scheduled collection day or take it to one of the recycling drop off sites. |
What if my recycling container did not get emptied on my regular collection day, and I had my container out at the curb by 7 a.m.? |
| Please check first to make sure your container does not have a pink tag notifying you of any reason why your container may have been rejected. If there is no tag, it is likely that your container was accidentally missed. Please call 269-2700 so that we can have the contractor empty your container. |
What if my recycling container is not big enough? |
| If you consistently find that your container is not large enough for the amount of recyclables your household generates, first let’s determine if you are recycling properly. Below is a list of some items that people incorrectly place in their recycling containers: |
| • Styrofoam • Yard waste (please compost) • Wood • Metals other than household cans • Plastic bags (please take to the grocery store to recycle) • Plastics other than bottles, jugs, jars and tubs • Clothing and/or shoes (please donate if still in good condition) |
| If you are recycling correctly, and you consistently find that your recycling container is not large enough, we can provide a 2nd black recycling bin if you receive manual collection with an 18-gallon black bin, or we can upgrade your blue recycling cart from 64-gallon to 90-gallon. Please call 269-2700 for more information. |
What happens if someone puts trash in their recycling container? |
| Trash that is placed in the recycling containers can contaminate a load of recyclables or jam up the processing equipment. That is why recycling containers found to be contaminated with trash will be rejected and tagged to notify the resident of the contaminant. Residents who repeatedly abuse the recycling program by placing trash inside their containers after notification could have lose their access to the curbside recycling program. |
What time will they be by my house to collect my recycling container? |
| Collection times may fluctuate, so your recycling container must be curbside by 7:00 a.m. the day of your collection. |
What if the recycling container is just too big for my backyard or garage and I don't want it. |
| Recycling is encouraged but not mandatory. Upon request, the City will retrieve the recycling container from your household, but you will only be able to recycle by using the drop off recycling centers. |
If I choose not to recycle, does my solid waste user fee go down? |
| No. Residents pay a weekly solid waste user fee based on the size of their garbage cart. The user fee covers the costs of all solid waste services provided by the City, including household garbage, bulk waste, recycling, composting, and household hazardous waste collection/disposal. |
Can I put yard waste in my recycling container? |
| No. Yard waste placed inside the recycling container is considered contamination and the container will not be emptied. For information on yard waste, call the Compost Facility at 886-7947 or Public Works at 269-2700. |
Questions? Call the Public Works Call Center at 757-269-2700. |
