Recycling


How It All Started



Recycling began in Rockbridge County in 1989, when volunteers worked together to collect recyclables and forward them to available markets.  By 1991, it was necessary to formulate a more structured program, both to encourage more participation and to establish guidelines for citizens and businesses.  During this time the first recycling center was established at the College Square Shopping Center.


In 1993, a second recycling center was established in the Fairfield vicinity to serve the population in the north sector of the county. In 1996, a third satellite-recycling center was established, providing service for the residents in the Murat/Collierstown vicinity. In 2007, a fourth center was established in Goshen, and in 2008 a fifth center in Glasgow. In 2009, the College Square center moved to its new and improved location on Greenhouse Road.


Please make sure your recyclables are clean upon arrival to the collection centers. For information on staffed collection center locations, please see the Centers page. For information on all accepted recyclable and waste materials, please see the Accepted Materials page.  For any additional questions on the county's recycling program, please contact Daniel Miear.

​Education

Our outreach effort is comprised of the LIVE program (Limit Your Impact. Value The Earth.) This program and our mobile classroom, the LIVE trailer, features interactive educational displays and a comprehensive message of sustainability and stewardship. We strive to be involved in our schools and at community events, as well as serve as a resource for information and education to our citizens. 


Use the Three R's


Reduce


You can reduce the overall amount of garbage generated in your home by buying fewer disposable items, avoiding over packaged items, and buying in bulk.
 

Reuse


Another form of recycling; reusing means saving items that would often be thrown out and using them again. Some suggestions for reuse are:
  • Donating magazines to libraries, waiting areas, nursing homes, and local book swaps
  • Conducting or shopping garage sales
  • Frequenting thrift shops
  • Donating used goods to charities

Recycle


Check items that are going to be put in the trash to see if they can be recycled at your local recycling center. Many containers and everyday items that we throw away can be recycled. By taking the above simple steps to recycle, we can save money, landfill space, and help preserve our natural resources. Our cooperative efforts will make a difference.

Quick Facts


  • Recycling reduces litter.
  • Recycling saves energy.
  • Recycling saves the tax payers’ money.
  • Recycling reduces the size of disposal sites and increases the life of existing landfills.
  • Recycling saves resources.
  • Recycling takes little time.
  • You can make 20 recycled aluminum cans with the energy it takes to make one new aluminum can.
  • There are approximately 23 cans to one pound of aluminum.
  • It takes three tons of recycled newspaper to make one ton of paper.
  • Paper made from waste papers instead of virgin wood requires 61% less water and results in 70% fewer air pollutants.
  • A foot of newspaper tightly twined equals 30 pounds.
  • Tin turns to dust in 100 years, aluminum in 500 years, and glass in 1,000 or more years.