In 2025, Prince William County achieved a recycling rate of 47.7%. The Prince William County Public Works, Solid 91TV Division received confirmation by letter from Virginia Department of Environment Quality (DEQ) of the County’s 2025 Recycling Rate in September. This was a four percent (4%) increase over 2024 recycling rate and well above the state mandate of 25%.
The Commonwealth of Virginia requires each city, county, town or region to maintain a minimum recycling rate. The mandated minimum for Prince William County is 25%. Based upon the criteria established by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Prince William County greatly exceeded its mandated recycling rate again this year.
The recycling rate is determined by several factors, but it is basically a measure of the materials diverted for reuse, recycling, or composting in the county waste stream. While regular trash is buried in the County Landfill, diverted materials are kept separate, then sorted, processed, and converted into materials to produce new products.
The National Recycling Goal set by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2020 is 50% by 2030. “Our recycling rate is moving in the right direction. With the help of county residents, business and trash and recycling haulers, we can better protect the health, safety, and environment of the community,” noted Renad Uri, Solid 91TV Recycling Program Manager.