Trash, Recycling & Holiday Calendar

Mandatory Receptacle & Wildlife Safeguards

Bentana Woods borders mature deciduous woodlands and the Snakeden Branch stream valley. Uncontained plastic trash bags attract raccoons, red foxes, and rodents, creating neighborhood litter and public health hazards.

Rigid Cans with Locking Lids Mandatory: All household refuse must be placed in heavy-duty, enclosed plastic or metal receptacles with secure lids. Loose plastic trash bags placed on the curb are strictly prohibited.
Curbside Staging Window: Cans and recycling bins must be placed at the curb after sunset (or after 6:00 PM) the evening before pickup. Daytime curbside staging on Mondays or Thursdays is a cluster rules violation.
Prompt Retrieval: Receptacles must be returned to your garage, rear fenced yard, or screened enclosure by 8:00 PM on pickup day. Containers may not remain visible from cluster roadways between collection cycles.

Fall Leaf Season & Saturday Yard Waste Guidelines

During peak autumn leaf drop across our oak and maple canopy, our collection contractor (Patriot Disposal Services) manages high-volume seasonal yard waste every Saturday.

Leaf Season Route Timing & 24-Hour Recovery: Scheduled collection days remain unchanged during leaf season, though daily pickup hours may vary due to heavy yard waste volume and route optimization. Please wait until the end of the service day before reporting a missed pickup; when delays occur, our hauler targets a 24-hour recovery window and notifies the Board directly.

Biodegradable Paper Bags or Reusable Cans Only: Place leaves, grass clippings, and yard trimmings at the curb in brown paper lawn bags or clearly marked rigid containers. Loose plastic bags are not collected for yard waste.
Brush & Limb Bundling: Branches and sticks must be cut to lengths of 4 feet or less and tied securely with natural twine in bundles weighing under 50 lbs.
Zero Common Area Dumping: Never rake, blow, or dump private yard leaves, grass clippings, or branches onto cluster common property, stormwater drainage swales, or adjacent parkland.

Major Holiday Schedules & The 1-Day Slide Rule

Our collection contractor observes six major holidays annually: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

How the 1-Day Slide Works: When an observed holiday falls on a weekday (Monday–Friday), service on or after the holiday is delayed by one calendar day for the rest of that week. If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there is no route delay.

2026 Holiday Collection Schedule

Holiday	Calendar Date	Status	Rescheduled BWCA Pick-Up
New Year's Day	Thursday, Jan 1, 2026	1-Day Delay	Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Jan 3
Memorial Day	Monday, May 25, 2026	1-Day Delay	Tuesday → Wednesday, May 27; Friday → Saturday, May 30
Independence Day	Saturday, Jul 4, 2026	Normal	Regular Tuesday & Friday collection (No delay)
Labor Day	Monday, Sep 7, 2026	1-Day Delay	Tuesday → Wednesday, Sep 9; Friday → Saturday, Sep 12
Thanksgiving Day	Thursday, Nov 26, 2026	1-Day Delay	Tuesday normal; Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Nov 28
Christmas Day	Friday, Dec 25, 2026	1-Day Delay	Tuesday normal; Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Dec 26

2027 Holiday Collection Schedule

Holiday	Calendar Date	Status	Rescheduled BWCA Pick-Up
New Year's Day	Friday, Jan 1, 2027	1-Day Delay	Tuesday normal; Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Jan 2
Memorial Day	Monday, May 31, 2027	1-Day Delay	Tuesday → Wednesday, Jun 2; Friday → Saturday, Jun 5
Independence Day	Sunday, Jul 4, 2027	Normal	Regular Tuesday & Friday collection (No delay)
Labor Day	Monday, Sep 6, 2027	1-Day Delay	Tuesday → Wednesday, Sep 8; Friday → Saturday, Sep 11
Thanksgiving Day	Thursday, Nov 25, 2027	1-Day Delay	Tuesday normal; Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Nov 27
Christmas Day	Saturday, Dec 25, 2027	Normal	Regular Tuesday & Friday collection (No delay)

Recycling & Special Waste Instructions

Single-Stream Recycling: Accepted items include flattened cardboard, paper, aluminum/tin cans, and rigid plastic jugs labeled #1 or #2. Rinse food containers clean.
No Plastic Bags in Recycling: Plastic shopping bags, bubble wrap, and plastic films jam sorting machinery. Place recyclables loose in your cart.
Glass Disposal: Fairfax County no longer accepts glass in curbside single-stream recycling. Glass bottles and jars should be deposited in designated purple recycling containers. The nearest glass drop-off site is located at Baron Cameron Park (11300 Baron Cameron Ave).
Yard Waste (March 1 – December 24): Grass clippings, leaves, and small twigs must be set out in brown biodegradable paper lawn bags or designated reusable cans. Tree limbs must be cut to lengths ≤ 4 feet and tied in secure bundles.
Bulk Waste Pickups: The Association does not facilitate bulk trash pickups. Homeowners must contact our hauler, Patriot Disposal, directly at (703) 257-2580 to schedule and pay for private bulk item collection (furniture, appliances, mattresses).