If you’re spending a lot of time in your home this spring, the urge to purge and declutter is understandable.
Unfortunately, it’s really not something you should be doing right now.
As homeowners with time on their hands take on home improvement projects, the waste they produce is putting a significant strain on trash services. It is also putting sanitation workers at risk.
This week, the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County and Arlington County put out a rare joint statement asking residents to stop throwing out so much stuff.
With many donation locations closed and buy nothing groups moving to no-touch transfers or only essential trades, homeowners are resorting to just throwing things away in the trash.
“As residents heed the call to stay home, an increase of up to 40% in residential trash tonnage since mid-March has placed strain on regional waste management systems,” according to the joint statement.
Yard waste collection has been suspended in most areas, and bulk trash pick-up is largely suspended, as well. Hazardous waste collection points are closed, as well.
Alexandria’s Transportation & Environmental Services division has posted multiple Facebook updates pleading with residents to stop dumping things at closed facilities. Residents are starting to shame each other in comments on the TES Facebook posts, yet more trash arrives daily.
If you need to reorganize your living space for your mental health, please try to hold onto donation items until you can safely donate them, and try to avoid projects that will produce significant amounts of trash.
City of Alexandria residents can learn more about trash collections during the coronavirus outbreak here.
Fairfax County residents can learn more here.
