The City of Falls Church announced a new curbside food waste collection service last week, one of the first of its kind in Virginia. All City residents receiving curbside solid waste services are eligible to sign-up for this voluntary pilot program, starting August 2.

“Food scraps and organic waste make up 25 percent of what consumers throw in the trash, but diverting organics from the waste stream is relatively new to the D.C. region,” said Falls Church Solid Waste Coordinator Chris McGough in a press release. “With this new pilot program, Falls Church is leading the way to expand composting infrastructure in our region.” The curbside food waste collection program will operate similarly to curbside recycling and trash pick-ups. Participants will be provided an airtight collection bin and compostable liners and every week a contractor will collect the food waste then empty and clean the bins, replace the compostable liner and transport the food waste to a composting facility. There it will be turned into a high-quality soil amendment. Participants will receive free finished compost each spring.

The cost for this program will be $6 per month or $66 per year. There is a one-time fee of $10 to cover the setup and bin. The City’s announcement noted that comparable programs in neighboring jurisdictions charge $30 per month for a similar service.

To help kick off the Falls Church program, the first 600 residents who sign-up for the program will receive six months of free service. Sign up is available via email at recycling@fallschurchva.gov or by phone at (703) 248-5456 (TTY 711).