Prince William County’s 2016 recycling rate jumps 3.1 points above 2015

Prince William County achieved a recycle rate of 36.8% in 2016. This was an increase from the 2015 rate of 33.7%.

The Prince William County Public Works, Solid Waste Division Recycling Office received confirmation from Virginia Department of Environment Quality (DEQ) of the County’s Recycling Rate in July, according to a news release.

Recycling laws in the Commonwealth of Virginia are somewhat complicated, the news release said.

The state has 41 solid waste planning units (SWPU) which are required to achieve and maintain a minimum 25% annual recycling rate, unless the population density of the SWPU is less than 100 persons per square mile, or the civilian unemployment rate is 50% or more above the state unemployment average. 

SWPUs which have a population density less than 100 persons per square mile or a civilian unemployment rate 50% or more above the state unemployment average are required to achieve and maintain a minimum 15% recycling rate and are only required to report on recycling activities every four years.

Prince William County’s SWPU includes only Prince William County and is subject to the 25% recycling rate.  Prince William County exceeded the mandated recycling rate for calendar year 2016, as it has done every year since mandatory recycling rates took effect in the early 1990’s.  Prince William County also exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2010 national goal of 35%, the press release went on to state.

The recycling rate is a measure of the materials diverted for reuse, recycling, or composting from the waste stream compared to materials that go into the trash.

Regular trash is buried in the County’s sanitary landfill located on Dumfries Road or combusted at the Fairfax County I-95 Energy/Resource Recovery Facility in Lorton.  Items diverted for recycling and composting are sorted, processed, and converted into materials to produce new products.