FAIRFAX, Va. — A Fairfax County proposal to create a Unified Sanitation District (USD) is drawing strong opposition from local private waste companies, who say the plan could put them out of business.
County officials say that consolidating waste management for single-family homes under a "unified system" would lower costs, reduce the number of trucks in neighborhoods, and improve overall service.
Under the current system, about 90% of homes contract with private sanitation services, while the other 10% receive county waste collection services.
Currently, the county says it collects trash, recycling, and yard waste from about 44,500 households.
The proposed change, county officials say, would cut the number of waste trucks travelling through some neighborhoods from 18 to six. But small business owners like Larry Foster, who runs Evergreen Disposal, say the consequences could be devastating.
"We've been around in Fairfax for about a year. We've grown drastically. We have 20,000 customers," Foster said. His company, based in Manassas, operates 12 trucks daily in Fairfax County.
He told WUSA9 that this will impact not only his business, but the other "smaller" trash haulers who service Fairfax County.
"It will change the entire scope of work in Fairfax. It'll put about 20 haulers out of business automatically. We're not gonna have the ability to compete with large national haulers," said Foster.
He added that the impact won't only be on the businesses, though. "As far as homeowners, they're gonna lose the right of choice. It's gonna be more expensive based on the numbers that we've run," he said.
Nathaniel Gheen, whose family owns Flag Disposal, emphasized the value of personal service.
"I'm sitting inside of my little puppy packer. It's an 8-yard trash truck," Gheen said. "We have a customer, we knock on the lady's front door and she hands her trash bag. You know, I mean, some people want the personal service and mainly I'd say it's about 50% elderly."
David Biderman, president of Biderman Consulting LLC, compared the proposal to limiting consumer choice.
"It's like the county would be telling us that we have to go to a certain supermarket or we can only choose Uber as opposed to Lyft," Biderman said. "What's gonna happen in that situation? Service quality goes down, prices go up. The same thing will happen here."
In a statement to WUSA9, Eric Forbes, the Deputy Director of Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, wrote:
“Fairfax County is exploring a new approach that, if adopted, in five years would enable the county to make trash and recycling service more affordable, consistent, and convenient for residents. By managing waste contracts directly with private haulers under this new model, the County aims to reduce costs, improve service, and cut down on truck traffic in neighborhoods.”
State law requires the county to give private haulers five years' notice before transitioning to a unified system. Right now, the county is considering the "option" to implement the new collection system, as in approval to start the "five-year notice" to business owners who would be impacted.
According to the county, if the board approves to implement that notice, it doesn't guarantee that the USD will be implemented in five years.
But the business owners who shared their concerns with WUSA9 say they are already bracing for the worst.
"It's gonna be in a lowest bid scenario and we've been told that by the public works department," Foster said. "With the resources of the national companies, it's hard for us to compete."
He and Gheen say they hope by speaking up now, they'll be able to sway the board in their favor.
"We'll be happy to work with the county in any way necessary to achieve their goals too, without putting us out of business," Foster said.
Gheen echoed that concern, urging officials to weigh the broader impact. "I just hope that they really think about this," he said.