Alexandria, VA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Sec. 5-1-90 declares that the city exercises its police power "to initiate a mandatory recycling program" to preserve resources and cut disposal costs, and Sec. 5-1-92 sets the effective date at July 1, 2006. The "responsible party" for compliance differs by property type under Sec. 5-1-91: for a single-family home it is the occupant (or the HOA/property manager if they arrange collection); for a multi-family building it is the owner, manager or agent; for a business or government office it is the owner or manager who controls waste disposal there.

Sec. 5-1-94 requires the responsible party to notify tenants and employees in writing that recycling is mandatory, list what materials are recycled and how to prepare them, and post recycling signage in public areas; new tenants get written notice within 15 days and existing occupants no less than every six months. Sec. 5-1-95 requires most responsible parties to file an implementation plan with T&ES (originally due January 1, 2007 and every two years after) and a recycling data report every two years by March 15, with permitted haulers filing their own annual tonnage report.

Sec. 5-1-96 lets T&ES grant temporary, renewable one-year "adaptations" from the recycling requirements where compliance would cause unnecessary hardship not shared by other applicants. Sec. 5-1-98 gives any responsible party hit with a notice of violation, fine or denied adaptation the right to a hearing before the T&ES director if a written appeal is filed within five working days, with a written decision due within 15 business days.