The Fairfax County Chapter of the National Waste & Recyclers Association has provided the following:
FAIRFAX COUNTY RESIDENTS: A CAUTIONARY TALE
Fairfax County is considering a Unified Sanitation District (USD) — a plan to centralize trash collection under a single county-managed contract.
It promises cost savings and streamlined service.
But what happens when the lowest bidder wins?
County leaders have repeatedly pointed to Arlington’s USD system as a model — calling it “efficient” and “affordable.”
But the reality tells a very different story.
What Went Wrong in Arlington?
In August 2025, Arlington hired a new hauler to serve 33,000 homes.
Within days, the system began to collapse:
Hundreds of missed pickups every day
Trash piling up for days in neighborhoods
Customer service overwhelmed — hold times reached 86 minutes
County inspectors and trucks deployed to help finish routes
Financial penalties issued just to get basic service restored
“We’re still staring at full trash bins and piles of rotting garbage bags…”
— Arlington resident, ARLnow
This wasn’t a one-time glitch — it was a system-wide breakdown that left thousands of residents without reliable service for weeks.
A Pattern of Fatal Accidents
The same hauler has been involved in multiple deadly incidents:
- Baltimore (Oct 18, 2024): Dump truck lost control, killed its own driver, hit 4 vehicles & a building
- Riverdale Park (May 5, 2022): Garbage truck flipped, killing the driver
- Churchton (Aug 23, 2022): Trash truck overturned, crushing worker Francisco Javier Madero
- Glen Burnie (Aug 11, 2025): Trash truck struck and killed a bicyclist
Despite this record, the hauler was reawarded a major contract in 2025.
What Would This Look Like in Fairfax?
Fairfax County has over 426,000 households — more than 13 times Arlington’s service area.
If similar failure rates occurred here, residents could face:
1,300 to 4,000 missed pickups every day
Overflowing waste in every district
Public health risks and environmental hazards
Long delays and overwhelmed county resources
The Current System Works
Fairfax’s existing network of local, experienced haulers has delivered reliable, consistent service for decades.
These companies know our neighborhoods, respond quickly to issues, and are directly accountable to the communities they serve.
They’ve built trust through performance — not promises.
And they’re ready to keep delivering the service Fairfax residents expect and deserve.
What Can You Do?
Visit Choice4FFX.org to learn more and sign the petition- Contact your Supervisor and ask for transparency before any vote on USD
Share this flyer with neighbors and community groups
Support local haulers who know our neighborhoods and care about our safety