Recycling Resources
Did you know that nearly 5 trillion plastic bags will be consumed on Earth this year? Less than 1% of these bags are recycled, and a single bag would take 1000 years to break down. Aside from problems stemming from heavy plastic in our landfills, millions of bags end up floating in our environment instead. Every year, an estimated 300 million plastic bags end up in the Atlantic Ocean, polluting water quality and contaminating food sources.
Plastic bags and film are typically never accepted in roadside recycling. KPWB is an active participant in the NexTrex Plastic Bag & Film Recycling challenge to offer you another way. NexTrex collects various plastic bags and certain types of plastic film to have recycled into new benches. KPWB maintains 6 bins for residents’ plastic waste and sorts through the plastic for quality control; once the target weight is collected, KPWB receives a bench made from 500 lbs. of plastic from NexTrex and donates the piece to a local library.
Plastic waste at home?
Bring your waste to a collection bin location, listed below. Be sure to review the plastic type guidelines before dropping off.
- Haymarket Gainesville Library, Haymarket
- Bull Run Library, Manassas
- Montclair Library, Dumfries
- Chinn Park Library, Woodbridge
- Dale City Library, Dale City
- KPWB Office, Woodbridge
- Central Library, Manassas
Download a go-to guide on curb recycling below.
Learn more about county recycling guidelines and other disposal needs.
The Prince William County Compost Facility is open to all residents for disposal of yard waste, food waste, and other organic materials. Please note that these materials may not be contained in plastic bags; instead, drop off waste in paper bags or with reusable containers.
PWC Compost Facility
“In the U.S., food is the single most common material sent to landfills, comprising 24.1 percent of municipal solid waste. When yard trimmings, wood and paper/paperboard are added to food, these organic materials comprise 51.4 percent of municipal solid waste in landfills. [—] When food and other organic materials decompose in a landfill where anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions are present, bacteria break down the materials and generate methane, a powerful greenhouse gas” (Environmental Protection Agency, 2024).
Old cellphones? Broken wires?
In 2023, KPWB partnered with the PWC Green Business Council and The Junkluggers of Gainesville, VA to offer a free e-waste recycling collection point for all community members. E-waste includes any unwanted or broken electronic devices; according to the EPA, around 2.7 million tons of electronic products were generated (production to landfill) in 2018 and only 38.5% was recovered.
Review the guidelines below before bringing your e-waste to the KPWB office.
Reusing or donating materials is beneficial to the environment because we’re diverting materials away from the landfill, where they would be further contaminating our soil quality, water quality, and producing harmful greenhouse gases as they break down. Find local resources below to rid your home of any unwanted items and give them a new life.
Other Recycling Drives?
If you know of seasonal drives or are collecting unique items to be recycled for a special project, submit the details to KPWB through the Community Calendar or by emailing info@kpwb.org to have shared on our platforms.
