Issues with Arlington County’s new solid waste contractor have continued throughout this month, with customers still reporting about 100 missed collections every day.
While the new contractor, Bates Trucking and Trash Removal, has extended collection hours and weekend service since beginning work on Aug. 1, the county has initiated “financial penalties” and lent some trash trucks to assist with collection. The Department of Environmental Services (DES) has four trash trucks it uses to assist with street litter cans, special events and other activities.
“We want to acknowledge and sincerely apologize for the recent disruptions in curbside collection service for trash, recycling, and organics,” the county said in a message to its 6,600 curbside customers yesterday (Monday). “We understand the frustration and inconvenience this has caused.”
Customers reported about 200 missed collections on Bates’ first day of service, the county said. Since then, the number of missed collections has ranged “from just over 100 to several hundred per day.”
“While the vast majority of customers have not experienced issues, the current level of service falls short of the County’s standards,” the bulletin said.
Since Bates began collecting trash, recycling and organics from Arlington single-family homes, some customers have reported trash sitting out on the curb for days, awaiting pickup. The Customer Contact Center at the county’s DES has taken on two temporary staff members as hold times have reached up to 86 minutes.
The county listed the following measures taken so far:
- Extending collection hours and weekend service
- Mobilizing County resources to assist with missed collections
- Frequent, ongoing check-ins with the new contractor to ensure increased staffing and the inclusion of required logistics technology in the contractor’s trucks
- Initiating contractual remedies, including financial penalties, to compel improved performance
- Identifying additional resources to bolster the contractor’s crews and alleviate the backlog
Arlington County’s current contract with Bates, which did not respond to a request for comment, provides procedures for missed collections and other slip-ups.
For instance, the contractor is required to collect any missed refuse or recycling within one business day of receiving notification from the county, so long as the waste was set out properly. It’s also required to report any delays or issues by phone and email within one hour.
The penalty for missed collections is listed as $100 per location per day.
“The assessment of any damages due to performance is at the sole discretion of the County,” the contract states.
Arlington County’s contract with its former solid waste contractor, American Disposal Services, expired on July 31. The terms of the agreement limited the number of times that the county could extend the contract.
“The County is exploring all options and utilizing available County resources to improve service,” DES spokesperson Katie O’Brien told ARLnow. “We are optimistic that our new contractor will be able to meet the contractual requirements, and our community’s expectations. We want to thank our residents for their understanding and patience during this transition period.”
To report a missed waste collection, the county advises customers to use the online “Report a Problem” tool or call the Customer Contact Center at 703-228-5000.
The complete notice to curbside collection customers is below:
Arlington Curbside Collection Customers,
We want to acknowledge and sincerely apologize for the recent disruptions in curbside collection service for trash, recycling, and organics. We understand the frustration and inconvenience this has caused. We are actively working to resolve these issues through a variety of measures and appreciate your continued patience.
On Aug. 1, the County’s new curbside collection contractor began its service, following a competitive bid process after the previous contract concluded. In transitioning to this new contractor, we anticipated reasonable transition-related challenges. However, the challenges created by this transition have surpassed what was expected.
During the first day of service, approximately 200 missed collections were reported. Unfortunately, inconsistent quality of service continued, with missed collections ranging from just over 100 to several hundred per day over the past two weeks.
The County services around 6,600 curbside customers a day, which is more than 15,000 cart pick-ups. While the vast majority of customers have not experienced issues, the current level of service falls short of the County’s standards.
Our Department of Environmental Services’ (DES) Customer Contact Center has experienced a significant increase in call volume since Aug. 1, with hold times reaching up to 86 minutes. We recognize this only adds to the frustration felt by some customers. In response, we added two temporary staff members to help manage the call surge and improve response times.
What We Are Doing
We are committed to resuming the high-quality, reliable residential collection service our community expects.
We are actively working with the County’s new contractor to improve performance and minimize missed collections. Measures taken so far include:
- Extending collection hours and weekend service
- Mobilizing County resources to assist with missed collections
- Frequent, ongoing check-ins with the new contractor to ensure increased staffing and the inclusion of required logistics technology in the contractor’s trucks
- Initiating contractual remedies, including financial penalties, to compel improved performance
- Identifying additional resources to bolster the contractor’s crews and alleviate the backlog.
How You Can Help
Please keep carts at the curb until they’ve been serviced. Once they are emptied, please remove carts from the curb to reduce unnecessary stops as trucks work through their assignments.
If your collection has been missed, report it using the County’s 24/7 online Report-a-Problem tool at arlingtonva.us/reportaproblem, or call the DES Customer Contact Center at 703-228-5000, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please wait until after 7 p.m. on your collection day to report a missed collection online to give the contractor time to complete routes.
We are committed to restoring consistent, reliable service and appreciate your continued patience and understanding during this transition.
