By Jeff Edwards, reprinted from fairfaxtimes.com, June 13th, 2025

For over 50 years, my family has proudly served Fairfax County as a local waste hauler. We’ve seen the industry evolve and continually adapt to meet the needs of our neighbors and customers. But that legacy—and the livelihoods of more than 20 small, local haulers—are at grave risk.

Fairfax County’s Solid Waste Department proposes a Unified Sanitation Districts (USDs) program. Under this plan, the county will divide neighborhoods into zones, choosing a single hauler to serve the tens of thousands of residential customers in that zone. They promise affordability, innovation, improved quality of life, and simplicity—but what they’re really doing is eliminating a resident’s right to choose their own hauler, and offering empty promises backed by little data and even less experience.

Instead, the county will establish new solid waste fees that all households and businesses will start to pay next year, increasing over time. This money will fund a $22 million program that will hire about 24 new County personnel to supervise the haulers. County residents would prefer that their taxes and fees be spent on schools, parks, and libraries, not on waste collection and recycling. The well-known phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here.

The County’s

Claims vs. Reality

Affordability: The county claims you’ll save “up to” 25%. However, in a recent hauler survey, 70% of residents are expected to pay more, with increases up to 45% monthly. Eliminating 20+ companies means much less competition, and historically, USD prices don’t go down after the first contract. The county even wants to charge a fee for the program before it starts. Affordability –  FALSE

Customized Service: A USD eliminates service flexibility. You won’t be able to choose backdoor pickup, extra stops, or twice-a-week collection. In a lowest-bid system, quality suffers. Customized Service – FALSE

Improved Quality of Life: The county hasn’t even finalized what a USD would look like, so any promises about fewer trucks or emissions are premature. Trash and recycling trucks are less than one percent of the vehicles on county roads, and generate an even smaller percentage of the county’s greenhouse gas emissions. The county’s aggressive Zero Waste plan might result in additional trucks and more traffic on busy county roads and highways. Improved Quality of Life – FALSE

Innovation: Real innovation is driven by competition. When Evergreen Disposal entered Fairfax in 2024, we introduced curbside glass recycling—a service the county still doesn’t offer. The county’s long-term contracts with USD winners will deter innovation and improvements to the system. Innovation – FALSE

Simplicity: The county says USDs will streamline service, but residents will be forced to call a county call center for issues. That center must relay messages to whichever hauler won the bid, slowing down resolution and removing direct accountability. Simplicity – FALSE

The County’s Track Record:

•Failed to manage school trash collection—had to outsource it.

•Failed to handle yard waste—contracted it out.

•Runs the most expensive, least efficient disposal site in the area.

•Currently adds a 30%+ markup when subcontracting sanitation services.

Fairfax County has repeatedly proven it can’t outperform the private sector in waste services. Now it wants to centralize control, displace numerous long-serving local businesses, and sell residents a rigid, costly system under the illusion of progress.

This isn’t about trash—it’s about control and money. The Board of Supervisors is holding a public meeting on June 24 to proceed with this proposal. If you care about being able to choose your own hauler, service quality, price transparency, and supporting local businesses, now is the time to speak up.

Don’t let Fairfax County throw away decades of trusted service in exchange for wishful thinking.