Decorating the outside of your home with an American flag is as American as apple pie and baseball. But a tattered flag is no show of respect for Old Glory.
Take a good look at your current flag. If the American flag flying at your home or business is faded, torn, tattered or frayed, then it should be replaced and no longer displayed.
Prince William area residents and businesses can bring their old flags to special collection bins at the Prince William County Landfill or the Balls Ford Road Compost Facility to be properly retired. The Boy Scouts in our area, with the help of other civic groups like Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion and the Prince William County Solid Waste Division, will make sure that “the Stars and Stripes” gets retired with the respect it deserves.
David Byrne, Occoquan District Scout Master and flag center initiator, urges, “Please do not throw our flag in the trash. Fold it neatly and bring it to one of the flag collection centers during normal operating hours.”
The Prince William County Landfill is open Monday-Saturday from 6:00 a. m. to 6:00 p. m. and Sunday from 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. The Balls Ford Road Compost Facility is open Monday-Saturday from 7:30
a. m. to 5:00 p. m. and Sunday from 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. Visit pwcgov.org/trashandrecycling for holiday closings and information about other solid waste programs and services.
