Nearly all our residents participate in recycling, but many blue recycle bins contain items that don’t belong there. Plastic bags are a major no-no, since they get tangled in recycling machinery. Anything in plastic bags is discarded as trash. Here is a list of items that should not go in your blue recycle bin:
| Does Not Belong in Blue Recycle Bin | Where Can it Go? |
|---|---|
| Plastic bags, bubble wrap | Select grocery stores* take clean, dry plastic bags or put in trash |
| Glass of any kind | Put in the big metal bin at the Quincy Recycling Dropoff on Washington Blvd, near W&L High School, or put in trash |
| Plastic less than 4 inches | Goes in the trash |
| Disposable drinking, coffee, and condiment plastic cups/tops and plastic plates | Goes in the trash |
| Styrofoam | For the highly motivated recycler, EPS Recycling in Crofton MD takes Styrofoam. Google them for more info. They do not accept packing peanuts |
| Styrofoam packing peanuts | Parcel Plus in the Lee Harrison shopping center accepts packing peanuts for reuse. Other packaging/mailing stores may also |
| Food and food tainted paper products | Put all food and food tainted paper in your beige, countertop compost bin; transfer to your green yard waste bin for pickup |
| Wire hangers | Drop off at select dry cleaners** if in good shape for reuse or put in the trash |
| Shredded paper | Goes in the trash |
| Plastic eating utensils (e.g., forks) | Drop clean utensils at The Lamb Center for the homeless in Fairfax City for reuse or put in put the trash |
| Electronic waste, kitchenware | See Arlington county’s recycling website for more info |
**Including Hurt Cleaners (3410 Wilson Blvd)
lyonpark.org 