Arlington leaders pleased with progress on food-scrap pilot

A three-month-old pilot program to divert food scraps from Arlington’s waste stream is paying dividends, the county government said Sept. 23.

More than 11,000 pounds of food waste has been collected since the launch of the Solid Waste Bureau’s pilot program in early July, officials said. Over 1,000 pounds of food scraps and food-soiled paper are being composted in a typical week.

About 800 program participants currently are depositing appropriate waste in 14 food-scrap collection bins in areas of the county with large numbers of multi-family buildings, county officials said. To participate, county residents must download the Bigbelly Smart Compost app, which is used to unlock composting bins.

The top five bin locations with the most pounds of food scraps collected have been Aurora Highlands Library, Clarendon Boulevard and North Pierce Street (Rosslyn), Quincy Park, Wilson Boulevard and North Quincy Street (Ballston), and Wilson Boulevard and North Pierce Street (Rosslyn).

A complete list of locations, as well as acceptable materials, can be found here .