Return of the Purple Can Club

The declaration of a public health emergency due to Coronavirus lead Fairfax County to implement changes to the Solid Waste Management Program in March. The changes ensured protection of their front-line workers. Among those changes were the suspension of the collection of glass dropped off at purple, glass-only containers. Containers were removed from locations throughout the county and residents were directed to bring glass containers to the I-95 landfill complex or the I-66 transfer station.

Containers are being reset at locations throughout Fairfax County as collection resumes Monday, May 11, 2020. Plans to place additional purple containers will make dropping off glass convenient for people near their homes, places of work, or while out running errands. To find the location most convenient for you see the Glass Recover Map below.

Glass can still be taken to the I-66 transfer station or I-95 landfill complex.

Fairfax County stopped accepting glass bottles and jars in their curbside recycling program in October, 2019. Residents were encouraged to reuse glass containers or bring them to the purple, glass-only recycling containers.

Fairfax County and its partners from neighboring jurisdictions introduced the Purple Can Club in April 2019, to make glass-to-glass recycling possible. North America’s largest glass recycler, Strategic Materials, will begin transporting glass from the county’s glass processing plant in Lorton, Virginia, to one of their recycling facilities. There, the glass will be processed and sold to manufacturers of a wide range of glass products. One such customer is Owens-Illinois, Inc. also known as O-I, which produces 3.6 million bottles a day at its bottle manufacturing plants in Danville and Toano, Virginia.

All colors of emptied glass bottles and jars are acceptable materials for glass drop-off. Food residue from jars should be rinsed out before placing glass in the bins. Items that are not accepted include food, plastic bags, lamps or light bulbs, ceramics, porcelain, mirrors, windows, and glass sheets.