Alexandria, VA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Single-family/multi-family requirement
- Separate mixed paper + commingled containers
- Business requirement
- Recycle top 2 highest-volume material types
- New business deadline
- 60 days after business license issued
- Small business exception
- Under 1 cu. yd./week may use drop-off centers
- Adequate space rule
- New/remodeled buildings over 2,000 sq. ft.
Summary
Sec. 5-1-93 of the City Code requires every curbside-eligible single-family home to separate mixed paper and commingled containers from the trash, and imposes the same split on apartment buildings. Businesses must instead recycle their two highest-volume material types, with small generators allowed to use city drop-off centers.
Sec. 5-1-93 - Requirements for materials to be collected. (a)The responsible party of each single-family dwelling eligible for city curbside collection, or any property management company or homeowners association that contracts directly with a hauler for curbside collection, must establish a system to separate mixed paper and commingled containers from refuse for recycling.(b)The responsible party of each multiple-family dwelling must establish a collection system to separate mixed paper and commingled containers from refuse for recycling.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 156 | Zoning: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. " Subsection (b) imposes the identical mixed paper and commingled container split on every multi-family dwelling. Subsection (c) treats businesses differently: each must set up a collection system for the two "principal recyclable materials" (PRMs) it generates in the largest quantities annually, determined on a combined basis in multi-tenant buildings that don't manage their own waste; a new business has 60 days after receiving its Alexandria business license to set this up. Businesses generating less than one cubic yard of recyclables per week (about four 60-pound bags) can instead comply by dropping materials at city recycling drop-off centers rather than running their own collection system.
Subsection (d) extends the same two-PRM requirement to every federal, state or local government office operating in the city, again with a 60-day setup window after a new office opens. Sec. 5-1-99 adds a design requirement for new or significantly remodeled buildings over 2,000 square feet: they must provide adequate on-site space for collecting and storing recyclables, with storage areas located next to refuse storage and containers clearly labeled by material type; single-family homes and multi-family buildings without central collection are exempt from this space rule.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 5-1's general penalty in Sec. 5-1-87 makes any violation of the chapter, including the curbside separation duty in Sec. 5-1-93, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. T&ES also enforces the related notification and reporting duties tied to this section as tiered civil violations under Sec. 5-1-97, ranging from $25 to $1,500 per offense depending on the property's waste volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must I put out for curbside recycling in Alexandria?
Do apartment buildings have to recycle in Alexandria?
What if my small business barely generates any recyclables?
How soon must a new business start recycling?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alexandria
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