Aug. 18, 2025
Arlington Curbside Collection Customers:
We want to acknowledge and sincerely apologize for the recent disruptions in curbside collection service for trash, recycling and organics. We understand the frustration and inconvenience this has caused. We are actively working to resolve these issues through a variety of measures and appreciate your continued patience.
On Aug. 1, the County’s new curbside collection contractor began its service, following a competitive bid process after the previous contract concluded. In transitioning to this new contractor, we anticipated reasonable transition-related challenges. However, the challenges created by this transition have surpassed what was expected.
During the first day of service, approximately 200 missed collections were reported. Unfortunately, inconsistent quality of service continued, with missed collections ranging from just over 100 to several hundred per day over the past two weeks. For comparison, the previous average for Arlington over the past year was about 10 missed collections per day.
The County services around 6,600 curbside customers a day, which is more than 15,000 cart pick-ups. While the vast majority of customers have not experienced issues, the current level of service falls short of the County’s standards.
Our Department of Environmental Services’ (DES) Customer Contact Center has experienced a significant increase in call volume since Aug. 1, with hold times reaching up to 86 minutes. We recognize this only adds to the frustration felt by some customers. In response, we added two temporary staff members to help manage the call surge and improve response times.
What We Are Doing
We are committed to resuming the high-quality, reliable residential collection service our community expects.
We are actively working with the County’s new contractor to improve performance and minimize missed collections. Measures taken so far include:
- Extending collection hours and weekend service
- Mobilizing County resources to assist with missed collections
- Frequent, ongoing check-ins with the new contractor to ensure increased staffing and the inclusion of required logistics technology in the contractor’s trucks
- Initiating contractual remedies, including financial penalties, to compel improved performance
- Identifying additional resources to bolster the contractor’s crews and alleviate the backlog.
Please keep carts at the curb until they’ve been serviced. Once they are emptied, please remove carts from the curb to reduce unnecessary stops as trucks work through their assignments.
If your collection has been missed, report it using the County’s 24/7 online Report-a-Problem tool at arlingtonva.us/reportaproblem, or call the DES Customer Contact Center at 703-228-5000, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please wait until after 7 p.m. on your collection day to report a missed collection online to give the contractor time to complete routes.
We are committed to restoring consistent, reliable service and appreciate your continued patience and understanding during this transition.