Trash and recycling pickup in Alexandria: schedule, holidays and bulk pickup

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Alexandria’s Refuse Collection, curbside recycling, yard waste, leaf collection and holiday collection calendar pages and the Resource Recovery Division’s 2025 Guide to Services (PDF).

Alexandria picks up trash, recycling and yard waste once a week, all on the same day, Monday through Thursday. The service is run by the Resource Recovery Division of the city’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES). Houses, duplexes and some townhouse groups of four or fewer units must use it, and pay through a Solid Waste User Fee on the twice-yearly real estate tax bill. Apartments, condominiums and most HOAs use private haulers; ask your property manager. Questions go to Alex311: dial 311 or 703-746-4311.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, broken cart, bulk metal and brush requests: Alex311, 311 or 703-746-4311, or file a request online
• Ammunition or explosives found in the house: Alexandria Police non-emergency line, 703-746-4444
• Not sure you get city service? Search your address on realestate.alexandriava.gov and look for a Refuse Fee in the tax history

Find your pickup day

Look up your address on the city’s Refuse Pickup Day Map. Recycling and yard waste come the same day as trash.

• Set out no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. From May 1 through Sept. 30, have everything out before 6 a.m. so crews can start early.
• Where: at the curb in most single-family neighborhoods. In most of Old Town, crews collect from the alleys, and homes that cannot fit the 64-gallon can use approved containers for bagged trash.
• The can: the city supplies one 64-gallon trash can to each household on city service (except in Old Town). It belongs to the address and stays if you move.
• Walk-out service: older and disabled residents can ask crews to collect trash and recycling at the door with the city’s walk-out service request form (PDF).

If your trash was left behind, look for an “oops” tag that says why. Common reasons are a container that is too heavy, carpet or lumber longer than 4 feet, construction debris, dirt or brick, and liquids such as gasoline or wet paint. No tag? File a missed collection request on Alex311.

Holiday schedule for the rest of 2026

When a city holiday falls on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, trash, recycling and yard waste pickup slides one day later for the rest of that week.

Curbside compost customers follow a separate schedule on the same holiday calendar.

Recycling

Put recyclables loose in the blue city container, never in plastic bags. The city takes mixed paper and flattened cardboard, clean pizza boxes, milk and juice cartons, plastic bottles, jugs, tubs and buckets, empty medicine bottles, and metal food and drink cans. Lids can stay on.

Glass does not go in the blue container. Take it to a purple glass-only bin or put it in the trash. Plastic bags and film go back to grocery stores that collect them.

The city runs four recycling drop-off centers, free and open around the clock: 4251 Eisenhower Ave., 3224 Colvin St., the end of South Royal Street at Jones Point Park, and the end of South Whiting Street at Tower Court. They take mixed containers, paper and cardboard, with purple bins for glass. The drop-off center page lists what is not allowed.

Leaf collection starts in late October

From late October through January, city crews vacuum leaves from the curb and pick up paper leaf bags. Every household on city service gets three vacuum passes a season. The city is split into five zones, and Old Town (Zone 5) has four subzones; the schedule is mailed to residents and posted every October.

• Look up your dates on the Residential Leaf Collection Viewer.
• Rake leaves into piles at the curb the day before your date. Keep out sticks, stones and litter, and keep piles off storm drains and water meter covers. No leaves are collected from alleys.
• Paper leaf bags go out on your regular trash day. Leaves in plastic bags are treated as trash.
• Free paper leaf bags, up to 15 per household per visit, are handed out from late October at the leaf bag shed at 2900-B Business Center Drive (open around the clock Monday through Saturday) and at the Charles Barrett, Chinquapin, William Ramsay, Mount Vernon and Charles Houston recreation centers.

Yard waste, bulk items and hazardous waste

• Yard waste goes out on your trash day in paper yard-waste bags or your own hard-sided containers marked with a city yard waste label. Yard waste in the city trash can is treated as trash.
• Brush and logs too big for a container are picked up by appointment through Alex311. Branches must be under 18 inches across and under 10 feet long, stacked at the curb with 25 feet of clearance overhead. No stumps.
• Bulk trash such as furniture can go next to your trash container on any collection day. Metal items (appliances, grills, exercise equipment, chain-link fencing) need an Alex311 request, and fees apply for appliances.
• Household hazardous waste and electronics go to the city’s drop-off center at 3224 Colvin St., open 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays and Saturdays only, for city residents with a photo ID or utility bill. It takes paint, motor oil, gasoline, car batteries, fluorescent bulbs and computers.
• Food scraps: households on city trash service can join the curbside composting program for $5 a month or $55 a year, with weekly pickup by the city’s contractor, Compost Crew.

What this means for you

• Veterans Day week, Wednesday and Thursday pickups move a day. Thanksgiving week runs as normal.
• Watch for your leaf zone’s first pass and rake to the curb the day before, not into the alley.
• Glass goes in the trash or a purple bin, not the blue cart.

Related guides: who to call at City Hall, Alexandria property taxes and parks and trails in Alexandria.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Alexandria?

The city collects trash, recycling and yard waste once a week on the same day, Monday through Thursday, by address. Look up your day on the city’s Refuse Pickup Day Map or call 311 (703-746-4311).

What time should I put my trash out in Alexandria?

No earlier than 5 p.m. the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. From May 1 to Sept. 30 crews start an hour earlier, so have everything out before 6 a.m.

Does Alexandria pick up trash on holidays?

When a city holiday falls Monday to Thursday, pickup slides a day for the rest of the week. Thanksgiving is the exception: Thursday collection runs on Thanksgiving Day. On Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, only Wednesday and Thursday routes slide.

Can I put glass in my recycling cart in Alexandria?

No. Glass is not accepted in curbside recycling. Take it to a purple glass-only bin at a city recycling drop-off center or put it in your trash cart.

How do I get rid of an old couch or appliance in Alexandria?

Bulky non-metal items can go next to your trash container on your collection day. Appliances and other large metal items need an Alex311 service request, and fees apply for appliances.