Fairfax County officials are moving forward with plans to overhaul how trash and recycling are handled, aiming to have a centralized collection system by 2030.
The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) has proposed a “Unified Sanitation District” model to replace the current system, where most residents hire private haulers. Instead, the county would grant exclusive contracts to private companies to manage waste collection in specific geographic areas.
County officials argue that a centralized system will improve service reliability, lower residents’ costs and reduce waste collection’s environmental impact by streamlining operations and decreasing truck traffic.
“This is a major undertaking, but I believe very strongly that the unified sanitation districts have the opportunity to be really transformative for our residents,” Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw said during the Board of Supervisors’ environmental committee meeting on Tuesday (Dec. 10).
Unified waste collection system will be phased in
DPWES began developing its proposal for a unified sanitation district model as part of a larger effort to update the county’s 20-year solid waste management plan and meet greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability goals.
According to DPWES Division Director Matthew Adams, the transition to the new model will begin in 2025 with single-family homes, initiating a five-year, state-mandated displacement period — a legally required timeframe for private waste collection companies to phase out operations in affected areas.
While that phased approach doesn’t meet the timeline targeted by the county’s Community-Wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP), Adams says it will “continue to move toward an improved long-term diversion strategy for the community and the overall goal of CECAP.”
Adopted in 2021, CECAP calls for a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. In addition, the county hopes to achieve “zero waste” — defined as the diversion of at least 90% of solid waste from landfills — by 2040.
During the transition period, the county will hire staff, establish district boundaries, develop contracts, and conduct a bid process to transition over 300,000 homes to the unified system.
“It is anticipated that the unified sanitation district rollout will take approximately four years to reach full implementation,” Adams said.
The more complex transition for commercial and multifamily properties will follow later, Adams said. County officials plan to adjust timelines for those sectors based on the success of the single-family rollout.
Other waste management changes proposed
The updated solid waste management plan could also introduce a “Pay as You Throw” system that charges residents based on the size of their trash carts. Currently, the county provides each residence that gets its collection services with a 95-gallon trash cart and a 95-gallon recycling cart.
While residents could still opt for the larger 96-gallon carts, the county plans to offer smaller options for waste collection, including 64 gallons and 35 gallons. The smaller sizes, Adams noted, “will result in a lesser fee for collection,” giving residents a cost-saving incentive to reduce waste.
Another major component of the plan is the rollout of an organics collection program.
Beginning with pilot programs and voluntary participation, the county aims to make composting and recycling the standard approach to handling food and yard waste for single-family homes by 2030. The county currently recycles or composts only about half of the 23,000 tons of waste residents produce each week. The rest is taken to landfills or incinerated — a practice the county wants to minimize.
To support this effort, Fairfax County would need a regional composting facility capable of processing 150,000 tons of organic waste annually.
Discussions are underway with neighboring jurisdictions about potential partnerships to help fund and operate the facility, according to Adams.
“The undertaking is in the very early stages, or the very early planning stages, but the current model suggests that a private partner would be contracted to run said facility through committees and partnerships,” he said. “Fairfax County has heard interest from other jurisdictions in the region willing to partner on an organic processing facility as well.”
Proposed costs and funding timeline
County staff propose funding the plan with a “zero waste fee” that will scale up over several years to cover program costs, including for new infrastructure, public outreach and enforcement staff.
For single-family residential properties, the fee would start at $12 per year in 2026, increasing to $28 annually by 2030. Multifamily properties would begin paying $10 per year in 2028, rising to $20 by 2033, while commercial properties would see annual fees starting at $200 in 2028 and reaching $300 by 2033.
County officials estimate the program will generate $3.7 million in revenue in its first year and grow to $25.2 million annually by 2033. The funds will support the rollout of unified sanitation districts, organic waste collection programs, the regional composting facility’s construction and the hiring of additional staff.
Concerns raised by county supervisors
Most county supervisors agreed that the new system would improve service reliability, address long-standing issues with private haulers and advance the county’s environmental goals.
“At the end of the day for this, service has got to be better,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “And I think that’s going to be the thing that most people are looking at and wanting to be convinced of through this process. But I do think this is the way the community wants us to go.”
However, some concerns still emerged in the discussion. Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman questioned how the system will be enforced, especially in townhome communities with communal trash areas.
“You keep saying enforcement and saying enforcing contractual obligations. As a lawyer, I love that,” Bierman said. “But what about enforcement of ‘pay as you throw’ policies in multifamily? How are we going to do it?”
Adams acknowledged that education would be the first step. Still, the county plans to have the capability to tag contaminated bins and follow up if residents aren’t complying with the new rules.
“That is part of that enforcement: capabilities for those individuals to go out, see what’s happening and try to hold those that are doing the thing that they’re not supposed to be doing accountable,” Adams responded.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity raised concerns about how the transition to the unified distrct could impact smaller waste collection companies.
“What’s going to happen to those smaller, innovative companies?” Herrity asked. “Are they going to get squeezed out?”
County staff acknowledged the potential challenges for smaller haulers but said the phased displacement period is designed to give businesses time to adjust. The bid process for the unified sanitation districts could still offer opportunities for smaller companies to secure county contracts.
Herrity also pointed to possible logistical burdens for glass recycling, especially if residents are required to make additional trips to drop off glass. Officials responded that the county intends to maintain its purple bin program, which maintains designated drop-off locations.
The program has successfully reduced contamination and improved the quality of recycled glass, Adam said. However, discussions are ongoing about better integrating glass recycling into a unified system, while minimizing additional costs or inconveniences for residents.
“We’re looking to add these Zero Waste centers — the mobile collection events,” Adams said. “Some of those are going to be ways that we can make it more convenient to collect all of those different commodities to your point on the pay-as-you-throw we certainly welcome direction from the board throughout the process.”
In response to the opposition raised by some supervisors, McKay said that, while details still need to be worked out, he believes residents will support a proposal to significantly reduce waste.
“We’re in the business of trying to reduce waste, period,” he said. “It’s not in our interest to encourage people to generate more waste. So, I’m just intrigued by this … and really, frankly, look forward to a much more robust conversation as we move on.”
According to the timeline presented to the board, county staff will submit an update to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on its plan to create unified sanitation districts by April 1. Collectors will receive notices throughout the spring, and a public hearing is expected in early summer 2025.
