Curbside food scrap collection will reduce the residential waste stream going to the Waste-to-Energy facility by 20 percent (wet food scraps don’t burn well) and increase the countywide recycling rate to about 55 percent. These organic materials will be turned into compost and some will be returned to Arlington to be used to enrich soil in county parks, backyards, and community gardens. While the program is limited to single family homes, the County expects that private collectors responsible for multifamily and commercial buildings will eventually offer similar services.
This content originally appeared in the August 2021 issue of The EcoAdvocate newsletter produced by the EcoAction Arlington Advocacy Committee. For more information about the Advocacy Committee, please visit ecoactionarlington.org/get-involved/ecoaction-arlingtondvocacy/
