This Wednesday is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup. Please go over what can be recycled. Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night.

If you have not done so already, don’t forget to sign up for your Recycling Perks.
In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.

In recycling news, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s latest annual report on solid waste management, a quarter of all of the waste that winds up in Virginia comes from outside the commonwealth.

So where, exactly, does it come from?

Neighboring Maryland, D.C. and North Carolina — along with New York and New Jersey — are the biggest sources of waste from outside the state.

Nearly 22.5 million tons of waste overall were collected by Virginia in 2020, a small decrease of approximately 24,800 tons from the amount reported in 2019, according to the report.

The amount of waste from outside Virginia decreased as well, by 1.9% or 108,000 tons.

The report showed about 72% of all trash went to landfills. Another 12% was incinerated and most of the rest was either recycled, mulched or composted.

The DEQ said its annual recycling report for 2020 will be issued later this year.