Spring 2026 E-CARE Accepting Drop-offs on March 28

Bring old electronics, household hazardous materials (HHM) and other hard-to-dispose-of items to the County’s spring 2026 Environmental Collection and Recycling (E-CARE) Event, happening Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wakefield High School (1325 South Dinwiddie Street). 

The free rain-or-shine E-CARE, held twice a year, offers County residents fast, environmentally safe disposal of things and substances that otherwise would take up space around the home. Last fall’s E-CARE saw more than 1,600 Arlington residents drop off close to 37 tons of HHM, 20 tons of electronics, and about two tons of scrap metal.  

Accepted materials include paint products (25-can limit); pesticides; motor oil and solvents; devices containing mercury; fluorescent bulbs; garden and swimming pool chemicals; batteries; smoke detectors; fire extinguishers; propane tanks; and small metal items. The full, extensive list of accepted (and unaccepted) items and appliances is available at www.arlingtonva.us/E-CARE. Business and commercial waste will not be accepted. 

Bicycles and bike parts, as well as Halloween costume donations, will not be accepted at Spring 2026 E-CARE due to lack of space. Bike donations are sought in Arlington by Bikes for the World.  

E-CARE is offered exclusively to County residents so please bring a photo ID or a recent utility bill for check-in. 

Participants are encouraged to coordinate with neighbors to combine loads and cut down on trips to the site. Vehicles should be packed in reverse order to make unloading easier: small metal items go in first, electronics and HHM next. Place HHM and electronics in separate cardboard boxes for easy handling and to prevent spills. The cardboard will be recycled. 

Those bringing materials to the site on foot or by bicycle will receive VIP attention in the spirit of the event. 

E-CARE returns to Wakefield after a year at a County site on North Quincy Street. 

Can’t Make it to E-CARE on March 28?  

Here’s how to get rid of any accepted materials or items almost any time: 

• The HHM Facility at the Water Pollution Control Plant accepts drop-offs year-round (by appointment only, except on Saturdays). 

• Arlington’s Solid Waste Bureau offers specific year-round guidance on proper disposal for thousands of household items with the handy online Where Does It Go? database. 

Paper for shredded disposal, plus unwanted construction/landscaping materials, can be brought to the County’s monthly Free Paper Shredding and Inert Material Drop-off on Saturday, April 4, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Solid Waste Bureau.