Post date: Sep 5, 2021, 7:46 PM
Due to temporary labor shortages, Fairfax County is now allowing service providers to pick up Yard Waste on the same days as their regular Trash collection. Republic Services has notified us that they will be implementing this change starting this week.
So starting tomorrow (Monday, Sept. 6) and until further notice, both regular Trash and Yard Waste will be picked up on Mondays and Thursdays, and there will be no separate Yard Waste pickup on Wednesday. Recycling will still be picked up on Tuesdays as before.
Please note that there is no change to how Yard Waste may be placed at the curb for collection: Yard Waste (leaves, grass trimmings, shrub and tree trimmings, flowers, vines, etc.) must still be placed in Paper Bags made for Yard Waste (not in Plastic Bags), or alternatively, Yard Waste may be placed in the Reusable Containers (along with the regular Trash). And as before, Branches (up to 6 inches in diameter) tied in bundles (up to 4 feet in length, and up to 50 pounds in weight) will be picked up from the curb as well.
For reference, here is the official Fairfax County notice (found at: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/alert-message):
Temporary Change to Yard Waste Collection
Please be advised that Fairfax County will allow solid waste service providers to collect trash and yard waste together if they are experiencing labor shortages that prevent them from completing their routes in a timely manner. This means that some providers may not pick up yard waste separately beginning on August 31, 2021. As a result, you may observe your service provider collecting yard waste and trash together. The temporary change is in response to national labor shortages adversely affecting our region.
Also, as mentioned during our last Board meeting (and as documented in the meeting minutes), in late July we contacted Republic Services to investigate the presence of small pieces of broken glass that residents had found on our neighborhood roads. Republic informed us that their drivers will be monitoring their trucks closely to ensure there is no spillage, but if a spill is found, they will report it immediately to their dispatch and supervisors in order to quickly remedy the situation.
The Board would like to remind residents that glass items may not be included in their curbside recycling bins (a change in Fairfax County policy that was made in October 2019), and that residents are encouraged to bring glass to the Purple recycling containers located throughout the region (see: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/glass), but if this is not possible, glass items may be disposed of in their regular Trash bins, however to reduce the chances of the glass possibly breaking and spilling, the Board recommends that the glass items be placed in bags (even double-bagged) before placing them in their Trash containers.