Arlington County is enhancing its composting initiative, with plans to increase the number of food disposal bins from 14 to 24 by the end of this year.
This expansion responds to significant positive feedback since the program’s launch in the summer of 2024.
The initiative is particularly focused on serving the 89,000 households residing in apartments and condominiums throughout the county.
Douglas Krietemeyer, an environmental planner with Arlington County, noted that residents of multifamily housing have limited options for diverting food waste compared to those living in single-family homes.
As it stands, approximately 21% of those in multifamily residences are within a 2.5-minute walk of one of the current composting bins.
The expansion is expected to significantly increase that percentage once the new bins are installed in late summer or autumn.
During a meeting of the county’s Climate Change, Energy, and Environment Committee on May 19, Krietemeyer shared insights about the program’s performance.
Since the initiative’s inception in July, residents have deposited over 89,000 pounds of food scraps into these bins.
Currently, over 2,000 participants are using the app-driven system designed to facilitate composting.
Volume of food waste collected peaked in November 2024, with nearly 12,000 pounds processed before a dip occurred through February.
However, participation has been on the rise again, with the total amount collected in April approaching the record levels set during the previous November.
In terms of distribution, half of the existing bins are located in the Ballston area.
Two bins are positioned in Rosslyn and National Landing, with one each at site locations including Arlington Mill, S. Glebe Road, and Culpepper Garden.
Once collected, organic materials from these bins are taken to Shirlington for composting into mulch and topsoil.
The composting program is part of a broader set of strategies aimed at encouraging the community to minimize food waste.
Committee chair Cindy Lewin stated, “There’s a lot happening” to promote food waste reduction within the county.
Diverting food scraps from landfills presents numerous benefits.
When food waste is sent to landfills, it decomposes and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Moreover, incinerating food scraps, which is a common practice for trash in Arlington, requires additional energy and takes longer due to the moisture content in food.
This effort aligns with the county government’s goals as it develops a new Climate Action Plan, according to Lewin.
In addition to expanding composting services, the Arlington government has outlined nine key actions residents can take to reduce food waste.
These include managing portion sizes, creating grocery lists, purchasing only necessary items, composting food scraps, consuming leftovers promptly, understanding date labels, freezing food, prioritizing fresh foods, and smart ordering of takeout meals.
These tips are promoted through posters displayed on Arlington Transit buses, in bus shelters, atop cabs, and in various locations throughout the community.
However, an outreach effort utilizing video advertisements on local streaming services did not yield the expected impact as most residents ignored them, according to Krietemeyer.
He remarked, “They just kind of skip over it,” highlighting the need for more effective outreach strategies in the future.
image source from：https://www.arlnow.com/2025/06/02/arlington-plans-more-food-disposal-bins-for-people-living-in-apartments/
