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…

Last April, Arlington County abandoned its curbside glass recycling program, saying separating and recycling glass had become overly expensive. Instead, residents were asked to drop off their glass recycling at dedicated bins that were then taken to Fairfax County for reuse in construction, building, and — more recently — recycling into new glass products.

Since the launch of the drop-off recycling program, county officials say 2 million pounds of glass have been recycled, half of which has been over the last few months.

“A million pounds since January was impressive, and we’ll likely see another million at a much faster pace for obvious reasons” as residents stay at home amid the pandemic, says Department of Environmental Services spokesman Peter Golkin. “Alcoholic beverage control (ABC) stores are definitely doing strong business, as are the grocery stores.”

Golkin said residents are asked to avoid late night or early morning drop-offs at the residential drop-off sites to avoid loud clattering.

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…

WTOP News reports that collections are under strain in all jurisdictions of Northern Virginia.

Many of those people have kept busy spring cleaning, and the result is bigger piles of trash and recyclables on the curb.

“Most of the jurisdictions are reporting a huge increase in trash and major waste generation from our households. Since stay-at-home orders were put in place, some have recorded 30% to 40% increases in the overall waste that is set out,” said environmental planner Debbie Spiliotopoulos, of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. “It’s a huge burden on the waste collections systems.”

In other news, a Virginia Tech science team is helping make lithium-ion batteries more environmentally friendly. By reformulating the materials used for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, researchers have come up with a way to process and recycle the batteries’ electrodes without using organic solvents. The advance could reduce the costs, hazards, and environmental impact of manufacturing and recycling these common power sources.