Talking Trash: The In’s and Out’s of New Bins
By ANNETTE HENNESSEY
Falls Church Times Staff
December 16, 2010
As reported by Wyatt Shields at the City Council meeting last week, Falls Church City households received new rolling trash bins earlier this month. In the City Focus last week, residents were informed that old trash cans can be recycled on December 20-21, if they are rinsed and placed face down at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on Monday, December 20. Before deciding to get rid of old containers, you may want to read the helpful guide on the City’s web site.
The City has also revised its Solid Waste Guidelines, based on the new bins and “Waste Wednesday”. Some highlights:
- Next Monday, the City will collect all kinds of trash receptacles (metal and plastic, including lids and green bins) as long as they are clean. The green bins that are in good shape will be kept for redistribution to customers in town homes. Ones in moderately good shape will be used by the City for events and for other uses. Cracked and broken bins will go to recycling along with most of the trash cans. If you do not recycle your containers on December 20, you may put them on the curb any Wednesday marked “please recycle this container”.
- You may want to keep your old trash can to hold brush (but not yard waste). Trash cans may be used for brush as long as the brush is stacked neatly in one direction, the can is less than 30 gallons and weighs less than 50 pounds when full. The can should be labeled “brush” and the brush should be visible sticking out of the top or the truck driver may not see it. Branches must still be less than 5 feet in length and less than 6 inches in diameter. Yard waste must still go into brown bags with orange stickers.
- City policy restricts trash and recylcling bin weight to 200 pounds for safety reasons.
- If residents have an overflow of recycling, the excess may be placed in green bins, cardboard boxes, paper bags or extra containers clearly marked “recycling.” Please keep all recycling separate from the trash.
And in this season of giving, remember wrapping paper — except for the foil metallic paper — can be recycled, along with all the gift boxes. I know for one, the Hennessey household will have an overflow of recycling on Wednesday, December 29!
By Annette Hennessey
December 16, 2010
Falls Church in the News
I’ve been hearing and reading alot about these new trash receptacles.
Is Winter Hill (condos, not low income aprts.) not going to receive them?
I hear the recycle bins are huge. Probably wouldn’t fit in my little back yard anyway.
Any clarification is most welcome.
Jodi, this page has many links describing the cart program plan.
http://www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Government/Departments/EnvironmentalServices/SolidWasteCollection.aspx?cnlid=3288
Can we get bigger containers? ? I was amazed at how much more we recycled when we went to single stream a year ago or so because all the little cardboard pieces that were too small to be worth collecting and trying to tie up with larger pieces got recycled. We always filled two containers and usually had more in boxes or bags separately. [Note: There are three of us in the house.] For the first week with the new container, I had to jam the stuff down so that my son had enough room to put in the newspapers. Now that we have a container with a cover, a lot of loose paper that would have ended up all over the streets from uncovered containers is getting recycled rather than tossed. It’s not like we filled the container last week up with empty shipping boxes either. Boxes go separately. I’m glad we finally got these.