More Recycling, Reuse,
& Donation Opportunities
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure! There are many local outlets for good, reusable items. Reuse and recycle through one of the organizations listed below.
Remember, it’s REDUCE, REUSE and then RECYCLE. Reducing the amount of waste we create in the first place will help reduce the amount of materials that need disposal. Many items that you no longer need may still be useable, can find another home and extend its life.
» Reuse Network Directory
Disclaimer: The City of Alexandria Recycling Office does not endorse any of the organizations listed. This information is provided as a general public service. If you know of any changes or additions to this list, please contact us at 703.519.3486 or by email at askrobbie@alexandriava.gov .
Tips for Reuse
Bicycles
Bikes for the World collects repairable bicycles donating them to charities overseas Note: $10/bike donation suggested to defray shipping to overseas charity partners. Receipt provided for all material and cash donations. Check the bike collection schedule at: www.bikesfortheworld.org.
Books
Diana's Books of Fairfax, VA receives donated books and ships books overseas to communities in need. They also resell some books to raise money to support their international efforts. Email Diana's Books for more information: dianasbooks@cox.net or visit www.dianasbooks.org.
Arlington Libraries accepts book donations under specific conditions listed online. The donations may be taken to any library in Arlington except their Shirlington branch. For more information visit: www.arlingtonva.us, or call 703.228-5990
Alexandria Libraries offer an on-going used book sale at all four branches and hosts periodic large book sales every few months. For more information regarding these sales, please visit: www.alexandria.lib.va.us/, or call 703.519.3498.
Building Materials
Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts and sells used building materials. All materials sold by ReStore are donated by local retail businesses, building contractors, suppliers and individuals. For more information visit www.restorenova.org or call 703.360.6700.
Community Forklift welcomes donations of building materials for resale. Acceptable materials include: lumber, windows, lighting, fixtures, paint, and appliances. For more details visit www.communityforklift.com, or call 301.985.5180.
CDs, VHS, and Audio Cassettes
The Lacerta Group offers recycling for CDs and other magnetic media. For more information on The Lacerta Group, visit: www.lacerta.com/recycling
GreenDisk (www.greendisk.com) offers individuals, businesses and government offices solutions for recycling a variety of technology wastes, including discs, CDs, DVDs, videos, audio taps, cell phones, pagers and PDAs.
Cell Phones
Collective Good (www.collectivegood.com) and all Staples stores now offer a nationwide Mobile Devices Recycling program, where customer can recycle their used cell phones, PDAs, pagers and rechargeable batteries. A large portion of the proceeds generated from recycling the mobile electronics devices will be donated to the Sierra Club. The Staples in Alexandria is located at: 3301 Jefferson Davis Hwy Phone number: 703-528-8207.
ReCellular, Inc. is the largest recycler and reseller of used wireless phones and accessories in the wireless industry. ReCellular has well-established partnerships with Easter Seals, Verizon Wireless, the March of Dimes, National Organization on Disability, Goodwill Industries, and The Body Shop. To find a donation location, visit www.wirelessrecycling.com
Recycle for Breast Cancer is a fundraising program designed to help The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation raise funds quickly and easily through recycling many types of electronic equipment, cell phones, and toner cartridges. As a participant, you collect these items, box and prepare them for shipping and the organization will send you a prepaid shipping label. There is no cost to you for shipping. Visit the www.recycleforbreastcancer.org for more information.
Clothing
The Northern Virginia area is filled with local consignment and thrift shops. Check the phone book for a complete list.
Art for Humanity Collects shoes, clothing, jewelry, women's accessories, sheets, towels, etc. We give those donations to poor families in developing countries. They use some of the donations for the needs of their extended family and sell others, using the proceeds to build a home, pay for educational expenses, or begin a small home based business. www.artforhumanity.org
Eclectic Threads is a consignment shop featuring womens' vintage to modern clothing and accessories. www.eclecticthreadsva.com
Elinor Coleman's Vintage Mirage, LLC Vintage to contemporary jewelry and clothing, and unique home accessories, rebuttoning garments and estate consultations. www.vintagemirage.com
Recycled Clothing Store Sells men, women and children's reusable clothing. 703.619.6660
Remix Offers affordable vintage clothing for men and women merchandised in a classy contemporary way. www.remixvintage.com
Computers/Electronics
Alexandria residential households can recycle computers and other electronic items at the City’s HHM drop-off site. The facility is open every Monday, except holidays from 7:30 am – 3:30 pm and is located at 3600 Wheeler Ave. Call 703-519-3486 for more information.
Items accepted include:
- computer monitors
- televisions (no consoles)
- old or unwanted central processing units
- hard drives
- keyboards
- printers and copiers
- laptop computers
- wires and power cords
- computer speakers
- surge protectors
- video cards
- scanners
- computer mice
- cell phones
- software
- other peripheral computer equipment.
The program above is open to all City of Alexandria households. Businesses may recycle computers and electronic items by exploring the following options:
- Cdm eCycling Their mission is to help clients prevent retired electronic equipment from entering the waste stream. They provide innovative programs to reuse and recycle eWaste in a responsible manner, www.cdm4recycle.com/.
- Computer Recycling USA is a nationwide company offering secure electronics recycling services for businesses. Phone: 877-PC-WASTE x704
- Dell Corporation information about computer recycling. You can request a home pickup of computer equipment for recycling, for $15. www.dellrecycling.com
- Electronicsrecycling.org. This web site offers a wealth of electronics recycling information representing all industry work groups (e.g., collection, de-manufacturing, refurbishment/resell, research, recycling). The site also includes a searchable database of computer/electronic companies and events.
- Keep It Green. A joint project of ServiceSource, Inc. and Computer Donation Management, Inc. operates a computer drop-off program out of ServiceSource's Employment Center in Alexandria, Virginia and specializes in protecting our environment through the recycling of computer equipment. A fee is charged for monitors. www.keepitgreen.org
- PCRecycler provides computer and electronic recycling services to businesses and also have a free drop-off day for residents. www.pcrecycler.net
- Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's Computer and Electronics Recycling resources. http://www.deq.virginia.gov/ecycling/computer.html
- e-End USA - All items received are demanufactured in our MD facility or adaptively reused. Also offer on site media wiping, degaussing & hard drive shearing services. Computers, PC's, mainframes, monitors, CRT's, printers, laptops, fax machines, copiers, telephone systems. Materials accepted from businesses and consumers. Please call for a complete list. Data destruction options available. Please call for all pricing options.100% ZERO landfill policy. Contact: Laura Gabel, VP of Sales-Marketing laura@eendusa.com, Phone: (240) 529-1010
Furniture & Household Items
Alive, Inc. ALIVE! serves over 12,000 Alexandrians annually with shelter; low-cost early childhood education and childcare; financial help for rent, utilities, medical care and other critical needs; emergency food; and deliveries of donated furniture and housewares. www.alive-inc.org
Furniture Bank of Arlington, in association with Arlingtons Meeting Emergency Needs (AMEN) The furniture bank provides bedding, mattresses, and basic home furnishings to families and individuals coming out of shelters into a home of their own. www.emergencyneeds.org/Furniture%20Bank.html
Upscale Resale This consignment store Offers an eclectic mix of new and used home furnishings. www.upscaleresale.com/
General Thrift
Back Porch Thrift Store Operated by the United Community Ministries, the thrift store accepts items to assist families and individuals to improve the quality of their lives in a manner that builds their self-esteem and fosters their ability to function at the greatest level of their capacity - socially, economically and emotionally. www.ucmagency.org
Catholic Charities/Christ House Thrift Store They accept general household items for distribution to their clientele. 703.548.4227
Look Again, Prevention of Blindness Society Resale Shop This site provides comprehensive information on vision problems, correction and eyeglasses as well as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and a directory of professional members. You can also donate used eye glasses. www.youreyes.org
St. Clement Thrift Shop They accept general household items for distribution to their clientele. 703.998.6166
Online Services
Greater Good of America is a non-profit on-line thrift shop based in Washington, D.C. Consisting solely of unpaid volunteers, the organization has a storefront on PriceGrabber.com, as well as listings on Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and Half.com. Profits from the sale of donated items go to charities that donors can designate.
Alexandria & Arlington Freecycle A grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. groups.yahoo.com/group/AlexandriaVAFreecycle/ or groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycle_arlington_va/
CraigsList Allows for open online exchange of consumer goods. washingtondc.craigslist.org/
ezAuctioning, Inc. ezAuctioning's team helps you get top dollar for your valuables. They are experts at marketing your unwanted valuables to eBay's 192 million registered users. www.ezAuctioning.com
MissionFish makes it safe and easy for nonprofits to benefit from eBay, The World's Online MarketplaceŽ. They can provide an easy way to convert in-kind donations, such as reusable items, into cash. www.missionfish.org
Packing Peanuts
The Plastic Loose Fill Council offers a toll-free Peanut Recycling Hotline; call (800) 828-2214 or go to www.loosefillpackaging.com to help you identify a peanut collection site closest to you. Locations in or near Alexandria include:
- PAK MAIL
1001 N. Fillmore Street
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 351-7777
- The UPS Store
4094 Majestic Lane
Greenbriar Town Center
Fairfax, VA 22033
(703) 631-4280
- The UPS Store
6412 Brandon Ave
Springfield Tower Center
Springfield, VA 22150
(703) 569-8802
- The UPS Store
3057 Nutley Street
Pan-Am Shopping Center
Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 280-1500
Rechargeable Batteries
Rechargeable batteries are used in the following types of devices: power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, cameras, and two-way radios. Rechargeable batteries, as well as lithium, silver-oxide, and mercury batteries, should be brought to the Household Hazardous Waste site at 3600 Wheeler Ave. (Alexandria residential households only).
The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation includes a searchable database of recycling drop-off locations for rechargeable batteries, including many locations in Alexandria. Visit: www.rbrc.org to find a location near you.
Toner Catridges
The U.S. Council of Mayors has an informative brochure about toner cartridge recycling on their website: www.usmayors.org/uscm/recycle/toner.
GreenDisk also offers solutions for recycling toner cartridges: www.greendisk.com.
The T3 Toner Company buys back empty toner, inkjet, fax, and copier cartridges. T3 Toner then remanufactures and sells the refurbished items. The company will also buy surplus inventory, expired, excess, overstock, and outdated printer supplies. Individuals or companies should use the “Request a Quote” form on the T3 Toner website to get an estimate of how much money they will receive on their empty items. The website also contains a list of items that T3 Toner will accept. www.t3toner.com.
Staples Recycle for Education calls upon communities across the country to recycle their used inkjet and laser toner cartridges to generate funds for educators who "go the extra mile" in their classrooms. Staples will donate $1 to local schools for every eligible old inkjet and laser cartridge dropped off at their store. Check the Staples websites for a list of eligible cartridges. Interested in setting up your own drop-off container for used cartridges? Contact a Staples store associate for more information and a recycling bin or visit: www.staplesrecyclefored.com.
Recycle for Breast Cancer is a fundraising program designed to help The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation raise funds quickly and easily through recycling old cell phones and empty inkjet and toner cartridges. As a participant, you collect these items, box and prepare them for shipping and the organization will send you a prepaid shipping label. There is no cost to you for shipping. Visit the www.recycleforbreastcancer.com for more information and a list of acceptable cartridges.
You can further help the environment and save money by purchasing remanufactured toner cartridges. These cartridges are often available in office supply catalogs and you order them as you would any other office supply. These cartridges are a high quality product and function exactly like the new cartridges do, and often at a lower price.
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