Waste & Recycling | What do you want to do?

Where to Recycle Anything
Go to www.search.earth911.com and type in what you want to get rid of, along with your zip code. Enter "VCR," for example, and you see that this item is accepted at the Best Buy at Tenleytown.

Flash - DC Reduces Grocery Bag Use by 80%
While shoppers have drastically cut their reliance on bags at District stores since a controversial tax was enacted last year, business owners have reported little harm to their bottom line and in some cases saved money because they are buying fewer bags, according to a survey released Wednesday by an environmental group.  ... MORE

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How to Recycle in DC
What Can and Can't be Recycled

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Recycle old electronics.
Office Depot & Best Buy
Both companies take electronics for recycling.

Office Depot
There are two advantages with Office Depot: (1) they are conveniently located on Connecticut at Yuma (just north of Van Ness) and (2) they take more then the three items/day, which Best Buy limits you to.

Program Details:

Office Depot Tech Recycling Program
4455 Connecticut Ave, NW
(202) 363-5758
Hours: 
M-F, 8:00-7:00
Sat: 09:00-05:00
Sunday: 10:00-05:00


See their site for more info and to download a PDF of all they accept.

Best Buy
Three items per household per day. Nearly everything electronic, including tube TVs and monitors up to 32", flat-panel TVs and monitors up to 60", peripherals, DVD players, home and car audio, cell phones, MP3 players, and cables.

• Desktop or laptop computers with the hard drive removed. See this Geek Squad video for Do-it-Yourself hard drive removal instructions, or we will remove it for $9.99.
• Small electrics, fans and vacuums.
• We charge $10 for televisions and monitors, but you immediately receive a $10 Best Buy gift card good toward future purchase.
• $10 fee does not apply to any Insignia®, Dynex® or VPR Matrix® products. Best Buy accepts these brands free of any charge.

What they don’t take:

• Internal and External computer hard drives.
• Console TVs of any size, or tube TVs and monitors larger than 32". Use our haul-away  or pick up programs for these items.
• Electronics containing refrigerants, such as mini refrigerators or air conditioners. Please contact your local waste disposal department.
• Appliances. Use our haul-away  or pick up programs for refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washers and dryers, ranges and microwaves.

Recycle paint/ donate surplus paint.

Rebuilding Together DC
Accepts donations of paint in good condition.

Recycle other hazardous materials.

Department of Public Works (DPW) DC 

Donate/sell used books.

Stone Ridge

Better World Books

Dispose of pharmaceuticals/medicine

Do not flush down your toilet or sink as pharmaceuticals are showing up in water supplies.

Occasionally the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors a national drug disposal day and DC then collects pharmaceuticals at district police stations which was done on Sept. 25, 2010; however no future date has been set.

DC WASA, following DEA, says to take pills or liquids out of their original container and place in a sealable container like a coffee can; mix with coffee grounds, kitty litter or any other material so that the medicine cannot be used by anyone else; seal container and dispose of with your garbage.

While this is not an ideal solution, it significantly decreases the likelihood that the medicine will leach into water supplies from landfills.