In 2019, curbside recycling of glass became a thing of the past in most of Northern Virginia, when residents were asked to instead bring bottles, jugs and jars to purple bins across the region (use any location in this regional program; see map).
Multimaterial recycling facilities do not handle glass containers well. As a result, single stream curbside recycling was causing most glass to wind up in landfills over time. By bringing glass to “purple bins” instead, we are giving it a new life as containers and other products made in specialized processing plants.
The shift is resulting in more efficient recycling of glass and requests by residents for more purple bins. Prince William’s newest addition is at County Center, in the Occoquan District. It is located next to the blue recycling trailer in the employee parking lot behind the McCoart Building (1 County Complex Ct, Woodbridge, VA 22192).
Other Purple Bin locations include:
- Ferlazzo Building
- PWC Landfill
- Balls Ford Compost Facility
- Fairfax Recycling Center (just a few miles from the 123 bridge that separates the counties)