Purple glass recycling bin will be removed
Bring your glass bottles and jars to the purple bin at the Mason Government Center before it’s taken away on March 23.
The bin is being removed because a large section of the parking lot has been taken over by temporary buildings and construction vehicles due to the renovation and expansion of the Mason Police Station.
“We have truly enjoyed hosting this bin and seeing so many residents take advantage of it to recycle responsibly. It’s been a great example of our community’s commitment to sustainability, which makes this change especially disappointing,” Supervisor Andres Jimenez wrote on Facebook. “Unfortunately, with construction underway and a reduced parking lot, it is no longer safe or feasible for us to continue hosting the bin at this site.”
“We looked at a number of alternative locations for the purple bin but weren’t able to find one,” said Catie Torgerson, the outreach coordinator in the Department of Public Works and Environmental Service’s Solid Waste Management program. “We’re still looking.”
She said Mason District Park was considered as a temporary location, but there were too many restrictions. The bins have to be on county-owned property with sufficient parking, lighting, and room for large trucks.
The art contest that called for the winning entry to be posted on the purple bin at the Mason Government Center is being extended to the summer, Torgerson said.
The contest, sponsored by the solid waste program and the Mason District Arts Council, calls for students in grades 6-12 to submit an original artwork focusing on the importance of glass recycling. The original goal was to have the winning artwork painted on the purple bin by Earth Day.
Related story: Art contest for kids focuses on glass recycling
The supervisor’s office suggests residents take their glass bottles to other nearby recycling centers at Wakefield Park, 8100 Braddock Road, in Annandale; Tower Court and Whiting Street, Alexandria, in the Landmark area; or 2800 S. Taylor St. in Shirlington.
The purple bin will be returned to the Mason District Government Center after the police station project is completed.
The project includes a new layout, an additional entry for the police, an upgrade to the public entry, a photovoltaic solar system on the roof, interior finishes, upgrades to the building systems, reconfiguration of the parking lot, and a façade refresh. The work is anticipated to be completed in fall 2027.
This is BS. Find a place in Annandale to move it. Cop outs not acceptable. If recycling is not easy most people won’t do it!
Agree. 100%. The county made the rules. Don’t see why the county can’t make exceptions on a temporary basis. Really the argument about not being able to find any other place for it is really lame. Do we lead here or do we just worry about art displays?
Originally I was so sad to hear this, but Wakefield Park is not that far, and once the construction is done the container will be returned, so all good. Looking forward to seeing the results, especially the solar panels.
I mean how hard did they really try?
Agree with comments above. I do not believe that in that large area they cannot find a place to keep the purple glass recycling bin. It probably gets more constituent usage than the building itself does. Why can’t it stay in its temporary present spot? The construction crews have been making lots of progress going around it. They can be mildly inconvenienced and continue working around it. Our Supervisor needs to stand up on this.
Could it be relocated to the ABC store parking lot on Little River Turnpike where the recycling bins used to be? That was convenient for Annandale residents.
I agree with others: there should have been a plan for a nearby alternative location for glass recycling that is convenient BEFORE construction began at Mason District Government Center. I fear people will not recycle if it’s inconvenient and that have to travel some distance. And I’m disappointed that I only found out about its removal by reading AT on March 20th, 3 days before its removal on March 23rd. This is yet another failure of our local government to communicate with our community and to prioritize environmental conservation. In the past, we had glass recycling bins for curbside pick up on trash days which was convenient and didn’t require our driving to Mason District. One more reason not to live here, with services being reduced and cost of living rising even faster than surrounding areas.
Can’t they put it on a school property? That is County owned with access by trucks. The lack of imagination in unbelievable.
Plunking down a massive dumpster and inviting extra, random, traffic and people onto school property is NOT practical or safe. A library lot, on the other hand, might make a decent site, but the od ABC parking lot in Annandale is as spacious and well-lit as it was 30+ years ago when I took ALL my recycling there.
Recycling is for fools. I’ve known for 25 years that almost all “recycled” materials go to landfill. Why don’t you people ride your electric bikes to a litter pick up? That will make a difference and make your life feel less empty.