Trash pick-up delays impact Arlington residents

Arlington residents impacted by trash pick-up delays

FOX 5's Josh Rosenthal reports that residents in Arlington are being impacted by trash pick-up delays related to supply chain issues and staffing shortages.

ARLINGTON, Va. - In Arlington, residents are dealing with a problem that you might say, well, stinks.

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"It can start to smell and attract rodents," said Liesl Arends.

"Sometimes in the summer it gets a bit stinky sitting out here kind of rotting away in the bins," added Oakley Winters.

They were talking about trash, recycling, and organics pickup that in some cases recently has been picked-up after a delay.

In a letter to residents, county officials said they expect this summer to be a challenge, largely because the contractor that handles it is dealing with supply chain issues affecting the maintenance of current trucks and the arrival dates for new ones. Plus, there’s a shortage of workers too.

"As everybody knows there are staffing shortages everywhere and if someone can choose to be a waiter as opposed to doing work on a trash truck, they may choose to do other things," explained Arlington County Solid Waste Bureau Chief Erik Grabowsky.

Add it all up and he said you’ve got roughly 100,000 carts that will be collected on a weekly basis, although some of those pick-ups may be delayed.

"We see which routes aren’t being completed every day and we know that we’re impacting those customers in a negative way," Grabowsky added.

The county’s email to residents recommended they report any problems online.

For what it’s worth, both Arends and Winters told FOX 5 that given the conditions, they aren’t upset about the delays.

"I understand why it’s happening," Arends said. "It’s not like they’re just, you know, choosing to not pick up the trash."

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For more information about the delays, you can click here.