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Loudoun County Recycling Drop-off Centers
Individual Recycling Center Locations can be found below in "Subfacilities."
Acceptable Materials
- Bottles, Cans, Jugs, and Jars:
- Aluminum cans
- Steel cans
- Plastic bottles with recycling symbol #1, #2, or #5 (lid may stay on)
- Plastic jugs with recycling symbol #1, #2, or #5 (lid may stay on)
- Plastic jars with recycling symbol #1, #2, or #5 (lid may stay on)
- Plastic containers and cups, recycling symbol #5 only
- Glass bottles and jars (leave lid off)
- Paper:
- Cardboard (flattened)
- Cartons (milk, juice, soup; empty and rinsed out)
- Catalogs
- Cereal boxes, snack boxes, tissue boxes, etc.
- Greeting cards
- Hard cover books (remove and discard cover)
- Junk mail and envelopes
- Magazines
- Maps
- Newspapers
- Office paper
- Paperback books
- Phonebooks
- Site plans
- No shredded paper
Unacceptable Materials
If it is not a bottle, can, jug, jar, cup, paper, or cardboard, then it is not accepted at the recycling center, no exceptions. If in doubt, leave it out. Please don't assume something is accepted at the recycling center just because it is plastic, metal, glass, paper or has the "recycling symbol" on it. The following list of unaccepted items may also help for further clarification:
ABSOLUTELY NO
- Air filters
- Animal feed bags
- Antifreeze bottles
- Batteries
- Beverage glasses
- Buckets
- Ceramics
- Chemicals
- Clothes, shoes, etc.
- Construction materials
- Compressed gas cylinders
- Crates
- Electronics
- Fireworks
- Flower pots
- Food or food waste
- Furniture
- Grass clippings
- Hazardous materials or containers
- Household appliances
- Leaves
- Light bulbs
- Mirrors
- Motor oil bottles
- Nails
- Needles
- Netting
- Paint cans
- Pallets
- Paper plates, cups, napkins, towels
- Pet food bags
- Pesticide or herbicide bottles
- Plastic bags (trash bags, recycling bags, clear bags, blue bags, grocery bags...no plastic bags)
- Plastic containers other than the shape of a bottle, jug, or jar (regardless of the recycling number imprinted on the container)...no plastic baskets, folding containers, bags, wrap, straps, Styrofoam, etc.
- Plate glass
- Plexiglass
- Porcelain
- Pottery
- Rope
- Scrap metal (any metal that is not a can, disposable pan, or aluminum foil)
- Screws, bolts, nails, etc.
- Shredded paper
- Screens
- Spiral bound notebooks (remove and discard binding, recycle the paper)
- String
- Styrofoam
- Syringes, medication applicators, needles, etc.
- Three ringed binders, plastic binders
- Toys
- Trash
- Tree limbs
- Twine
- Wire
- Windows
- Yard waste
Preparation Guidelines
Cardboard boxes, paper, plastic bottles, plastic jugs, plastic jars, and metal cans are collected mixed together in the same recycling container. Glass bottles and jars are now being collected separately at all of the county recycling centers excluding Lovettsville and Lucketts where glass bottles and jars are still collected comingled with other recyclables. All food and beverage containers must be empty and lightly rinsed out. Cardboard boxes should be completely empty and flattened. Deposit recyclables loosely into the recycling collection container. If you transport your recyclables in a plastic or paper bag, dump the recyclables into the collection container and take your plastic bag with you, the paper bag can go in the recycling container. No plastic bags.
Absolutely no Styrofoam packaging or Styrofoam peanuts. Remove all Styrofoam, plastic wrap, bubble wrap, plastic strapping and any other plastic packaging from cardboard boxes prior to recycling and discard with your regular household garbage.
Items left on site or "donated for reuse" such as furniture, exercise equipment, toys, or anything not included in the above "Materials Accepted" list are considered illegal dumping.
At Home
Pour out any remaining liquids or foods from bottles, cans, jugs, jars, cartons, etc. Food and beverage residue should be rinsed out. Try adding a small amount of water to the container, put on the lid and shake to help with rinsing and to conserve water, or use leftover dishwater.
Plastic Bags
If your recyclables are in plastic bags, empty them into the designated recycling bin, and take your bag with you to reuse or dispose with your household garbage. Do not attach plastic bags to the recycling bins, and do not deposit plastic bags in the recycling bins. Bags left at the recycling centers become litter or are mixed in with the recyclables and cause mechanical problems at sorting facilities. Plastic grocery bags should be returned to grocery stores for recycling.
Service Schedule
Recycling dumpsters are emptied at least every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday at all locations except Park View Recycling Center which is emptied on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The Central Western Loudoun Recycling Center and Lovettsville Recycling Center are emptied Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Subfacilities
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► Arcola Community Recycling Center
View Subfacility -
► Loudoun County Landfill Recycling Center
View Subfacility -
► Lovettsville Area Recycling Program
View Subfacility -
► Lucketts Area Recycling Program
View Subfacility -
► Mickie Gordon Memorial Park Recycling Center
View Subfacility -
► Philomont Community Recycling Center
View Subfacility -
► Sterling Park Community Recycling Center
View Subfacility -
► Western Loudoun Recycling Center
View Subfacility