FAQ

Recycling FAQ Logo

Who can join the GSA NCR Recycling Program?
Only Federally Owned and Delegated properties may join the program. Leased facilities are not accepted at this time.
Will agencies that participate in the GSA NCR Recycling Program still have to follow local recycling laws (e.g., District of Columbia recycling laws)?
Yes, the GSA Recycling Program is in compliance with regulations in DC, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Arlington City/County, and Fairfax County, as well as the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax.
How does my agency earn a recycling rebate?
Participating federal agencies earn revenue through the sale of recyclable materials. Buildings that are members of the NCR Recycling Program and had at least $100 in generated sales by the end of a fiscal year are eligible to receive a rebate. These funds are electronically sent to the Chief Financial Office of each headquarters agency from GSA's Finance Division via the Intra-Governmental Payment and Collection (IPAC) System.
When will my agency get their recycling rebate?
Usually in March or April following the fiscal year in which is was earned.
How often will my agency obtain the recycling rebate?
Only once per year.
What type of free equipment does the GSA NCR Recycling Program provide?
The vendor provides hold area carts, toters, and gaylords. They also can provide major equipment such as balers, segmented containers, and compactors. GSA does not provide recycling bins or trash cans in tenant-controlled spaces such as offices, conference rooms, kitchenettes, etc.
Does the Recycling Program provide free recycling stations or bins for tenant-controlled spaces inside of my building?
No, tenant agencies are responsible for providing all bins or stations in their spaces (the areas that they control). However, GSA is responsible for providing collection bins in common areas such as lobbies and elevator banks. GSA can also analyze and recommend types of bins and/or signage that work best in a tenant's space.
How often will the recycling haulers pick-up?
As much as needed; however the average pick-up time is once per week.
How do I set up extra pickups for recyclable items?
Just call the vendor whenever you are ready for a pickup. When you develop a collection pattern with the vendor, it can start automatic pickups.
What materials will the Recycling Program accept?
All clean paper products (not tissue), cardboard (not waxed or styrofoam-backed), metal cans/containers, glass containers, plastic items larger than 2 inches in diameter (regardless of resid code), and empty toner/printer cartridges. Please note that plastic bags and plastic film are not accepted.
Can cans/glass/plastic bottles(commingled) be placed inside the compactor with the cardboard without a plastic bag?
No, only paper products are allowed inside the compactor. A separate run has to be made for the commingled.
Can batteries be collected for recycling?
Batteries are a "hazardous waste" that must be handled carefully! Due to the danger of accidental fire if batteries are stored improperly, GSA does not recommend or encourage collecting batteries. However, we recognize that some tenants may have a high usage or significant need to recycle batteries, so please seek guidance from your agency's Safety Office before you proceed. Private companies can be used to collect and safely recycle batteries.
Does GSA NCR recycle any other items via other contracts?
The region has separate contract vehicles to collect scrap metal, eWaste, universal waste, construction and demolition debris, and used cooking oil from cafeterias, which can be collected and turned into biodiesel. (Since 2011, GSA has contracted with Valley Protein, formerly Greenlight Biofuels, to pick up cooking grease from our buildings at no cost to the government, which has resulted in thousands of gallons per year being diverted from landfills or incinerators and instead being converted into fuel.) Arrangements must be made on a building-by-building basis.
Are recyclable items mixed with trash?
Under the NCR Recycling Program, recyclable items are collected, stored and hauled separately from all compostable materials and landfill-bound trash.
Why don't we just "single-stream" all waste? Why should tenants bother to separate recyclable materials?
All recent reports about the recycling industry have been advocating against going this route. When all materials are thrown in the same bin-bottles and cans with paper products and with food-the materials degrade considerably and can become un-recyclable; paper, in particular, tends to become too soiled to be recycled and ends up in a landfill. So instead of recycling, tenants just end up contributing to landfills! In addition, soiled paper products tend to gum up the equipment at sorting facilities, causing them to be taken out of service for cleaning and repair.
Compostable materials are not recyclable by local recycling facilities. Finally, there is a cost element to having tenants separate recyclable materials. All agencies that are on NCR's recycling contract receive revenue for their recyclable material, so the more material that can be truly recycled, the more revenue an agency can earn; conversely, the government pays tipping fees for every load sent to a landfill. Coupling the revenue for recycling with the cost avoidance of not landfilling equals hundreds of thousands of dollars in this region!

What is recycling?
A three-step process: collecting used materials; using recovered materials to make new products; purchasing and using the recycled products.
What do we recycle in the National Capital Region?
The standard materials disposed of by tenants and collected for recycling in GSA-operated buildings are: all papers (including shredded), cardboard, plastics (#1-6 greater than two inches), glass, metal (aluminum/tin/steel/bi-metal) containers and foils, and ink/toner cartridges. For more detail, see the "What Is Recyclable & Compostable" link! The region has separate contract vehicles to collect scrap metal, eWaste, universal waste, construction and demolition debris, and used cooking oil from cafeterias, which can be collected and turned into biodiesel. (Since 2011, GSA has contracted with Valley Proteins, formerly Greenlight Biofuels, to pick up cooking grease from our buildings at no cost to the government, which has resulted in thousands of gallons per year being diverted from landfills or incinerators and instead being converted into fuel.)
Can batteries be collected for recycling?
Batteries are a “hazardous waste” that must be handled carefully! Due to the danger of accidental fire if batteries are stored improperly, GSA does not recommend or encourage collecting batteries. However, we recognize that some tenants may have a high usage or significant need to recycle batteries, so please seek guidance from your Safety Office before you proceed. Private companies such as Call2Recycle (http://www.call2recycle.org/) can be used to collect and safely recycle batteries.
Why don’t we single-stream all waste in this building (like I do at home)? Why should I bother to separate recyclable materials?
All recent reports about the recycling industry have been advocating against going this route. When all materials are thrown in the same bin—bottles and cans with paper products and with food—the materials degrade considerably and can become un-recyclable; paper, in particular, tends to become too soiled to be recycled and ends up in a landfill. So instead of recycling, tenants just end up contributing to landfills! In addition, soiled paper products tend to gum up the equipment at sorting facilities, causing them to be taken out of service for cleaning and repair. Compostable materials are not recyclable by local recycling facilities. Finally, there is a cost element to having tenants separate recyclable materials. All agencies receive revenue for their recyclable material, so the more material that can be truly recycled, the more revenue an agency can earn; conversely, the government pays tipping fees for every load sent to a landfill. Coupling the revenue for recycling with the cost avoidance of not landfilling equals hundreds of thousands of dollars in this region.
How can a tenant agency add additional recycling stations or bins to common spaces, such as elevator lobbies?
Any additional bins beyond initially provided sets have to be purchased by the tenant. GSA will be happy to give advice on what types of bins work best, where to place them in the building, where to purchase them, or how to start an RWA.
Are paper coffee cups recyclable?
If they are wax-lined, then no, they must be placed in bin labeled “Trash”. If they are not wax-lined, then a used cup should be placed in a bin labeled “Compostables”.
How can you tell if a paper/cardboard item is wax-lined?
“Wax-lined” cardboard is often confused with glossy or shiny cardboard/paper, but they are not the same thing. You can tell if you have a wax-lined item by running your fingernail along the coated or shiny surface; if you have waxed cardboard, the wax will peel off where you’ve scratched the surface. Glossy materials can and should be recycled; they can be placed in regular paper recycling bins. This site has good explanations of the difference.
Can we recycle any resin code at work?
No. Resin code #7 (“other” plastics) is not recyclable and any such items should be placed in a bin labeled “Trash”. Items that are less than two inches in diameter (e.g., straws, cutlery, creamer cups, etc.) should also be placed in “Trash”. Note that no plastic items made with or permanently attached to metal can be accepted either.
What about bottle caps? They are small plastic items.
Despite their size, it is actually okay to leave plastic caps on bottles when placing the bottle in a “Plastics, Metals, Glass” recycling bin! Area recycling facilities are equipped to separate caps from bottles as they move through the recycling process. (If you want to take the cap off and place it in a “Trash” bin, you may certainly do so, but this is not required.)
What does “contaminated load” mean? How much contamination does it take to ruin a load?
A load of recyclable material would be considered contaminated if non-recyclable items are mixed in with it—if plastic bottles and polystyrene containers are thrown into the same bin, for instance—or if materials are too soiled to properly recycle—such as grease-stained paper. Similarly, a load of otherwise compostable material would be considered contaminated if non-organic materials were mixed in with it, such as when plastic bags are thrown into a bin with paper towels and food scraps. Contamination would either degrade the quality of our recyclables (reducing the revenue we earn), make the item unrecyclable and thus sent to a landfill, or break recycling machinery. Sometimes one incorrect item can cause an entire load to be rejected by our recycling or composting vendors; this is especially true with plastic items ending up in our compostable material toters.
Napkins and tissues are paper products; can I put them in either recycling or composting?
No, they are only compostable. Please only place these items into a “Compostables” bin and not in a “Paper” recycling bin.

What is composting?
The process of naturally breaking down organic materials into a rich soil; composting facilities break down food waste and other organic material and turn it into fertilizer.
What do we compost in the region?
In 2016, NCR started to send paper towels collected from restrooms and locker rooms to an offsite composting facility. In 2017, we phased in the collection of food scraps (including bones and dairy products) and wrappers, napkins, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, paper cups and plates, and plants collected from cafeterias, kitchenettes, and workspaces. Depending on what building you work in, there should be clearly labeled compostable material collection bins installed in all GSA-occupied spaces.
Where will compostable materials be collected in my building?
In bins placed in areas determined by your Building Manager, most likely next to or in lieu of existing recycling or trash bins in your office space and in break rooms/kitchenettes. Existing trash bins in restrooms and locker rooms will be used to collect paper towels. All of these items will be sent offsite to be composted. Note that no new materials will be added to your workspace or break rooms; these materials are already being thrown away in your space, they will just go into different bins than they do now.
How often will the compostable materials be picked up?
The bins inside of the building will be emptied every day and the contents will be placed in closed containers by the loading dock; these containers will be emptied into trucks and sent to a composting facility everyday or every other day.
Will it smell?
Only if raw materials are left out uncovered over a long period of time. Compostable materials will be removed from the building each day and stored in closed containers on the loading dock that will be picked up frequently, so there should be no odors. Remember, these items are already thrown away in the building; they are just going to be placed in different containers.
Will it attract pests (rodents, insects, etc.)?
Only if the containers are left open and not hauled away frequently. This will not happen.
Why is this necessary?
Much of our “trash” is actually compostable! Composting helps to support new, local composting businesses instead of sending waste outside of the region; extends municipal landfill life by diverting organic materials; and reduces GSA’s expenses when we no longer send materials to a landfill. The use of compost prevents conventional fertilizer pollutants from reaching streams, rivers, lakes, and the Chesapeake Bay; is an environmentally responsible and low-cost way to enrich/regenerate landscape and farmland; and helps to clean up contaminated soil; reduces need for chemical fertilizers. In addition, all local jurisdictions—the District of Columbia; Montgomery, Prince George’s, Arlington, and Fairfax Counties; the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church—have strict waste diversion mandates in place. While it is still active, Executive Order 13693 mandates that at least 50% of non-hazardous solid waste be diverted from landfills and incinerators. Your participation will reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills. Your participation will create compost that will be used for landscaping and will send as many items as possible to be recycled, which will reduce pollution as well as manufacturing and landfill costs.
So how can I do my part/what is expected of me as a tenant?
Pay attention to where you place items for disposal—place them in the correct composting, recycling or landfill bin.
In addition, try to buy food items with compostable packaging/wrappers and place those in the "Compostable Materials" bin after use. Either bring your own reusable cups/plates/utensils to the office or use recyclable/compostable whenever possible and dispose of them in the correct bin.