ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The City of Alexandria, along with Arlington and Fairfax counties, is asking residents to reduce the waste they discard, in order to help protect collection crews during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As residents are continuing to abide by the stay-at-home order in the commonwealth, officials said there has been an increase of up to 40% in trash within residential areas since mid-March. Officials said this has placed a strain on regional waste management systems.
"Refuse and recycling collection are vital to the region's health and safety, and localities are committed to providing this essential service," according to the press release. "Every morning, collection crews report to work while facing the same life challenges as the rest of the community."
Officials are asking residents to follow these guidelines to help protect the crews' health and safety while on their daily routes:
- Dispose of used wipes, tissues and paper towels in trash bags that are tied shut.
- Refrain from generating large amounts of waste--wait to dispose of the bulk materials in your basement, attic or garage until normal operations resume.
- Flatten cardboard boxes to create more room in recycling carts.
- For customers with City-issued trash carts, bags and bulk material placed outside the carts will be left uncollected. This change will go in effect starting April 13.
- For customers who do not have City-issued trash carts, all trash must be contained within sealed or securely tied plastic bags (loose and bulk material will be left uncollected).
- Yard waste pickup in Alexandria remains suspended until further notice; consider backyard composting or grasscycling lawn clippings.
There are now more than 3,000 positive cases of coronavirus in Virginia. Gov. Ralph Northam has advised all Virginians to wear a mask when they have to leave their homes for an essential trip to help slow the spread of the virus.
The Virginia Department of Health reports 3,333 positive COVID-19 cases and 63 deaths in the commonwealth.
Check the status of the virus in your state with your state health department's websites by tapping below: