The Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board (R-Board) has expanded the list of items accepted for recycling at the Regional Landfill in Stafford, the Belman Road Recycling Center in Fredericksburg, and at recycling centers in both localities.

The R-Board’s mixed container recycling program will now accept empty aerosol cans; shrink wrap and plastic grocery store bags that have been placed in one larger bag; and plastic lawn furniture and buckets. The mixed paper definition of “anything that tears” has been expanded to include milk and juice cartons, and hard backed books. Residents do not have to pre-sort recyclables. All items can now be deposited in one bin.

“We predict that increasing the list of items and the fact that they don’t have to be separated will add to the amount of recycled material by up to 30 percent,” said Paul Milde, Chairman of the R-Board. “While Virginia requires that each jurisdiction recycle 25 percent of their waste stream, our facilities recycled 44 percent of its waste stream last year. That’s a real success story.”

Additional items accepted for recycling include:

·        Non-metallic wrapping paper

·        Aluminum food and beverage containers

·        Cereal and shoe boxes

·        Junk mail, phone books, magazines and catalogs

·        Plastic toys

·        Empty garbage and recycling bins

The R-Board is a joint venture of the governments of Stafford County and Fredericksburg. It manages the Regional Landfill and recycling centers at no cost to taxpayers through tipping fees paid by commercial trash haulers. 

For a complete list of recyclables and directions to the landfill and recycling centers, please visit www.r-board.org or call Diane Jones, Recycling Coordinator at (540) 658-8680.

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