Arlington Pilot Program Collects More Than 11,000 Pounds of Food Waste

Published on September 24, 2024

Arlington residents have answered the call to feed the green machines deployed to collect food scraps and food-soiled paper to divert them from trash bins. To date, more than 11,000 pounds of food waste has been collected since the launch of the Solid Waste Bureau’s pilot program in early July, which seeks to expand the County’s ability to compost food scraps and prevent waste.

Average weekly collection rates for the composting machines have totaled 1,000 pounds of food scraps and food-soiled paper since July 8, 2024, leading to more than 4,000 pounds per month collected on average, according to data from the Solid Waste Bureau. This pilot is in addition to the County’s food scraps collection program launched in 2021 for residential curbside collection customers.

There are 14 food scraps collection bins across parts of Arlington with a high concentration of multifamily buildings, which to date have been opened more than 4,000 times by around 800 unique program participants. As of September 2024, the top-five bin locations with the most pounds of food scraps collected are: Aurora Hills Library, Clarendon Boulevard and North Pierce Street (Rosslyn), Quincy Park, Wilson Boulevard and North Quincy Street (Ballston) and Wilson Boulevard and North Pierce Street (Rosslyn).

How it Works

Here’s how residents in multifamily buildings in Arlington County can take advantage of the On-Street Food Scraps Collection pilot program:

1. Download the Bigbelly Smart Compost app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. The app will show the locations of on-street collection bins, their availability and what items are accepted.
3. An unlock button will appear once you are within reach of the available bin. Tap the button to unlock the bin.
4. Open the lid, toss in your food scraps, and close the lid. It’s that easy! 

Find a complete list of locations—as well as acceptable and unacceptable materials—on this webpage.

Supporting Sustainability

The pilot program helps divert food waste from landfill and incineration to turn food scraps into nutrient-rich compost that can be used to create healthy soils. These efforts help advance the County toward its established 90% waste diversion goal detailed in the County’s recently approved Solid Waste Management Plan/Zero Waste Plan, which details other initiatives that support Arlington’s broader sustainability vision.

Read the full Solid Waste Management Plan/Zero Waste Plan.