Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Alexandria
Virginia curbside collection runs weekly from Monday through Friday. Your exact pickup day depends on your local county or city zoning schedule.
State Mandate
Virginia DEQ regulations strictly prohibit lead-acid batteries, motor oil, and whole waste tires in curbside bins.
City-provided Cart (usually black or dark green) Bin (Trash)
All trash must be bagged before being placed in the 64-gallon city-provided cart. Set out no earlier than 5 p.m. the day prior and no later than 6 a.m. on your collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Food wrappers
- ✓General household waste
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Recyclables must be placed loosely in the blue container. Never bag your recycling in plastic garbage bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Mixed paper (newspaper, magazines, mail)
- ✓Emptied and flattened cardboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass containers of any kind
- ✕Plastic bags, wrap, or film
- ✕Styrofoam and packing peanuts
- ✕Food-soiled paper or pizza boxes
- ✕Pots, pans, and scrap metal
Yard Waste Bin
Place in rigid, customer-provided reusable containers or brown paper yard-waste bags. Do not use your city-issued trash container for yard waste. Adhesive 'yard waste' labels are available from the city upon request.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Brush and branches
- ✓Dead plants
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly on your regular trash collection day
Placement
Place items curbside or in the alleyway next to your regular trash bin on your standard collection day.
Accepted
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Large wooden furniture
- ✓ Sofas
- ✓ Bulky non-metal household goods
Not Accepted
- ✕ Automobile parts
- ✕ Rocks and dirt
- ✕ Building and construction materials
- ✕ Hazardous waste
While standard bulk trash requires no appointment, bulk METAL items (appliances, exercise equipment, chain-link fencing) DO require a scheduled service request via Alex311 and may incur a fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a City-recognized holiday falls on Monday through Thursday, collection 'slides' one day later for the rest of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste follows the exact same holiday slide schedule as trash and recycling.
Thanksgiving is the one major exception to the holiday slide rule. Trash and recycling crews work on Thanksgiving to provide Thursday collections on schedule.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Plastic Bags Out of the Blue Bin
Plastic bags, shrink wrap, and film are the biggest contaminants in Alexandria's recycling stream. They tangle in sorting machinery and cause serious safety hazards. Return clean plastic bags to local grocery store drop-offs instead.
Glass is Banned from Curbside Recycling
Do not put glass bottles or jars in your blue cart. The city strictly requires glass to be taken to one of the 24/7 purple drop-off bins located throughout the city, such as the sites on Eisenhower Ave and Colvin St.
Keep Recyclables Loose
Never put your recyclables inside a trash bag. Sorting facilities will often reject bagged recyclables entirely, sending perfectly good materials straight to the landfill. Simply toss your clean items directly into the blue bin.
Seasonal Information
Summer
May through SeptemberFrom May 1 to September 30, a heat-safety policy goes into effect. All bins must be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. to accommodate earlier crew start times.
Autumn
October through DecemberDuring peak leaf collection season, residents are asked to keep their paper leaf bags separate from other woody yard debris to streamline the specialized composting and mulching processes.
Winter
JanuaryThe city offers seasonal Christmas tree collection. Trees must be completely stripped of all decorations, lights, tinsel, and stands, and placed at the regular collection point on your normal trash day.
About Alexandria Waste Management
Alexandria’s Comprehensive Residential Waste Program
The City of Alexandria manages weekly solid waste for over 20,000 single-family homes and small multiplexes, driven by a strong commitment to their WasteSmart initiative. Services include automated trash and yard waste removal operated by city crews, alongside single-stream recycling contracted through Bates Trucking. Given the historic density of neighborhoods like Old Town, the city utilizes a mix of curbside and specialized alleyway collections to maintain efficiency without cluttering narrow streets.
Mandatory Summer Heat Schedule Adjustments
To protect sanitation workers from the intense Virginia summer heat, Alexandria enforces a strict seasonal shift in collection hours. From May 1st through September 30th, residents must have all trash, recycling, and yard waste set out prior to 6:00 a.m. Crews start their routes a full hour earlier during these months, making early set-out critical to avoid a missed pickup.
The Purple Bin Glass Recovery Network
In early 2020, Alexandria officially banned glass from curbside blue recycling carts to prevent machinery wear and improve the quality of recycled paper bales. Instead, residents utilize a localized network of purple drop-off bins. Glass collected in these bins is transported to a specialized facility in Fairfax County, where it is crushed into usable sand and gravel for regional public works and construction projects.
Innovative Curbside Food Waste Composting
Tackling organic waste head-on, Alexandria offers a subsidized curbside food waste composting pilot program for just $5 a month. Participating households are provided with airtight 7-gallon carts and compostable bags to divert everything from meat and bones to produce scraps away from the local Waste-to-Energy facility. For those preferring a free option, the city also accepts food waste drop-offs at local farmers' markets.
Drop-off Facilities
Eisenhower Ave Drop-Off Center
4251 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA
Materials Accepted
Colvin St Drop-Off Center
3224 Colvin St, Alexandria, VA
Materials Accepted
Jones Point Park Drop-Off Center
S. Royal St. and Jones Point Dr, Alexandria, VA
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Alexandria's holiday trash schedule work?
Alexandria uses a 'holiday slide' schedule. If a recognized holiday falls between Monday and Thursday, all collections are pushed back by one day for the remainder of the week. The only exception is Thanksgiving; Thursday collections operate on their normal schedule.
Can I put glass bottles in my blue recycling bin?
No. Alexandria permanently removed glass from curbside recycling in 2020. You must bring empty glass bottles and jars to one of the city's purple drop-off bins, located at places like 4251 Eisenhower Ave and 3224 Colvin St.
Do I need to schedule a pickup for a large couch or mattress?
For non-metal bulky items like couches, mattresses, or wooden furniture, no appointment is necessary. You can simply place them next to your trash cart on your regular collection day. However, metal items and appliances do require an Alex311 request and a fee.
How can I recycle my food scraps in Alexandria?
Eligible residents can sign up for the city's voluntary curbside food waste composting program for $5 a month, which provides a dedicated 7-gallon cart. Alternatively, you can drop off your compostable food scraps for free at various farmers' market locations across the city.