Recycling and Trash Collection

Jefferson Manor is in one of the few areas of Fairfax County for which recycling and trash collection is performed by the County itself rather than a private contractor. A base fee for collection service is applied to the annual property tax bill for your home as a separate line item. For Fiscal Year 2006, the base fee is $270 per home.

Pick-up schedule

Collection of both trash and items for recycling occurs in Jefferson Manor every Tuesday. County guidelines recommend placing items at the curbside by 6:00 AM on collection day to ensure that they will get picked up. Collection service is provided on all holidays except Christmas Day. Different trucks may come at different times of the day to pick up trash and recycling.  

Containers

The county provides a 96-gallon wheeled container for trash and two blue bins for recycling. Personal trash containers and/or closed plastic bags can also be used, although residents should make sure that items will not blow away or be raided by animals. If you lose a county-provided container, you must pay to get it replaced. Do not obstruct roads, sidewalks, storm drains, hydrants, or manhole covers with waste containers.

Not Accepted

Items Prohibited in Normal Curbside Trash Collection:

• Oversized items (appliances, furniture, etc.)
• Construction debris
• Oversized brush (more than 6 feet long or 6 inches in diameter)
• Glass panes, windows, doors, and mirrors
• Broken glass or sharp objects unless packaged and labeled
• Waste from commercial businesses
• Large amounts of animal waste
• Dead animals (small animals like birds and mice are accepted if double-bagged)
• Explosives, live ammunition, or weapons (these are handled through the Police Department)
• Gas and motor oil
• More than four auto tires per collection
• Propane, oxygen, or helium tanks
• Hazardous waste (including car batteries, solvents, pesticides, fertilizer, paint, etc.)

Special Collections

Residents may schedule a special collection of oversized items by calling (703) 802-3322 or visiting the Special Collections website. Special collections are limited to 6 cubic yards of material (about 5 feet by 5 feet by 6 feet) per pick up. Up to four special collections can be scheduled per address per year without incurring an extra charge. Separate metal, brush, lumber, and furniture items since they go to different disposal/recycling locations. Additional collections can be scheduled at a fee through the "MegaBulk" program, again by calling (703) 802-3322.  

Unless otherwise noted, all other items on the prohibited list must be taken to a county disposal site (the I-95 Landfill at 9850 Furnace Road, Lorton, VA or the I-66 Transfer Station at 4618 West Ox Road, Fairfax, VA).

Recycling

Paper and Cardboard

Items that can be recycled include:

• Paperboard (cereal, shoe, and tissue boxes, etc.)
• Newspapers, magazines, phone books, and junk mail
• Office paper and envelopes
• Corrugated cardboard (if flattened and free of food waste - no pizza boxes)

It is not necessary to remove staples, paper clips, or plastic windows from envelopes.

Glass, Metal, and Plastics

Items that can be recycled include:

• Aluminum and steel food and beverage cans
• Glass bottles and jars (no pane glass)
• Plastic bottles and jugs (only plastic items with a neck smaller than the rest of the container - no yogurt cups, tubs, etc.)

Rinse all containers, remove lids and caps, and separate from paper items.

Yard Debris

Leaves, grass trimmings, plants, prunings, and twigs are recycled and must be placed separately from regular trash between April 1^st and December 24^th. Items must be bundled, tied, or contained, and set out in paper bags, transparent plastic bags, or other non-county issued waste containers marked as yard debris. During the winter season (December 25^th through March 31^st) these items can be included with regular trash.

Christmas Trees

Natural/live Christmas trees do not require the scheduling of a special collection as long as they are put out for normal collection during the first two weeks of January. At other times, a special collection must be scheduled. All decorations must be removed before placing the tree at the curb.

Not Accepted for Recycling

Items NOT accepted for curbside recycling:

• Glass (other than bottles and jars)
• Plastic containers (other than bottles and jugs with necks)
• Light bulbs
• Clothes hangers (Area dry cleaners accept these for recycling on a limited basis)
• Ceramic dishes
• Cookware
• Pizza boxes or other cardboard with food residue
• Plastic or wax-coated paper (like milk cartons)
• Hard cover books
• Tissue paper
• Styrofoam
• Plastic bags (Area grocery stores accept these for recycling)
• Aluminum foil
• Pie pans
• Yogurt containers
• Plant containers

For More Information

More information about county trash and recycling collection can be found in the Trash & Recycling section of the Fairfax County web site or by contacting:

Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
Solid Waste Management Program
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 466
Fairfax, VA  22035