Article Text

Trash collection companies are urging Fairfax County to back away from a proposed system that would put the county in charge of assigning residential waste and recycling contractors.

During a two-hour community forum on Jan. 21, industry representatives defended the current approach, which allows residents and homeowners’ associations to choose among private companies or, in some neighborhoods, opt into government service.

“We’ve really proven ourselves over time,” said Phillip LeMaster, founder of Garby Disposal Services.

LeMaster argued that competition among haulers has helped lower prices and improve service. Dan Ciesla, Republic Services’ municipal sales manager, made a similar case, saying competition promotes innovation and accountability that a government-managed system would lack.

Fairfax County began examining its decentralized collection system in 2022 after complaints about missed pickups surged during pandemic-related staffing shortages. The unexpected bankruptcy of a private hauler that December also forced customers to find new providers.

As part of a broader solid waste management plan update, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services announced in late 2024 that it intended to establish “unified sanitation districts.”

Under the proposed model, which resembles Arlington’s system, the county would hire contractors to serve assigned single-family neighborhoods. Residents would pay an annual fee and could not opt out.

County officials say centralized contracting could provide stronger oversight while creating more consistent services and prices. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors paused consideration of the proposal in August, however, to allow additional public outreach.

“We’re here to listen to you — your concerns and how we can work to mitigate your concerns,” DPWES Director Christopher Harrington said.

Comments from the industry forum will be presented to the supervisors to help them make a more informed decision, Harrington said. The meeting aired live on the county’s Channel 16 and will be archived online.

County staff had previously sent a survey to all 26 companies licensed to provide trash and recycling service in Fairfax. Nine responded, though the forum drew broader participation from haulers and industry groups.

Tad Phillips, representing the Virginia Waste Industries Association, described the existing system as a market-driven arrangement that delivers results.

He called for “partnership, not mandates” and urged officials to strengthen the current system instead of disrupting it.

Fairfax County already provides opt-in public collection to some neighborhoods, accounting for about 10% of residents. Industry representatives said those customers receive one pickup per week, compared with twice-weekly service in many privately served communities, and often pay higher fees.

State law permits local governments to regulate waste collection and create exclusive territories for chosen contractors. However, localities must give displaced private companies five years’ notice after adopting an ordinance or compensate them for the equivalent of 12 months of service.

Katie Evans of the National Waste and Recycling Association said county leaders would have difficulty showing that the existing system fails to meet residents’ needs.

“The county needs to take a step back,” Evans said.

Smaller companies also fear they could disappear from the Fairfax market if contracts are too large for them to pursue. LeMaster said excluded businesses would expect fair-market compensation for their companies.

Ciesla said the industry’s concern is not necessarily with county employees overseeing service, noting that staff members care about the work. Instead, he pointed to Arlington’s difficult transition between contractors in mid-2025 as a warning about the risks of countywide dependence on one system.

“The entire county suffered because of that,” he said.

Harrington acknowledged that implementing such a sweeping change would present challenges.

“There’s no question,” he said. “There’s complexity.”

The county will also hold an online meeting with homeowners’ association representatives on Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m.