Viewpoint: Bring back the purple bin

By Chris Delta

During the July Fourth weekend, I attended a cookout in my neighborhood. In the course of various lively conversations, many topics came up, including the unpredictable weather, climate change, and what we can do to fight it. 

One neighbor mentioned he had been committed to recycling his glass bottles, but now with the loss of the purple bin at the Mason Government Center, he lamented that they really do not make it easy for people to recycle glass anymore. Another person chimed in that she and many people she knows now throw glass in with the trash because there is no longer a glass recycling bin near us in Mason District.

Shortly thereafter, I telephoned Fairfax County’s Department of Solid Waste to inquire about the purple glass recycling bin and asked when it would return and if an alternative location could be identified for it in the interim.  

The woman I spoke with was very professional and politely informed me the county was unable to find county-owned land within Mason District. Therefore, the bin would not be available to Mason residents until the renovations at the government center are completed, a project that is likely to last multiple years.

When I asked if the bin could be stored in any private parking lot in the interim, I was informed that was not possible as the bin had to be placed on county property. 

At that point, I noted that Fairfax County often extols the virtues of numerous private-public partnerships to serve the public good, and inquired if there was any effort to reach out to local private property owners to identify one that might be open to hosting the purple bin until the renovations are complete. I was told no such effort had been or would be made.  

Related story: Purple glass recycling bin will be removed

No one in county government can provide a satisfactory explanation as to why the residents of Mason District no longer have a convenient way to recycle glass. Placing a recycling bin in Mason should not require too much creativity.  

My experience in county government informed me that when something requires a bit of extra work, effort, or creative thinking, the bureaucracy resists taking action. Instead of working with us, the Mason supervisor (a self-described environmentalist) and the Department of Solid Waste delay and deflect.

In this scenario, leadership and constituent service from our local elected officials would make a difference by insisting that the Department of Solid Waste be more proactive in removing impediments. Isn’t looking for solutions one of the responsibilities of elected officials? 

However, the Mason office has been even less responsive to constituent needs than the county’s Solid Waste bureaucracy. Instead of directing Solid Waste to work with the community to find a way to return the glass recycling bin, Supervisor Jimenez has been aloof and unresponsive. 

When I mentioned one site as a possibility, the Department of Solid Waste said they would consider it if I could email them a picture and address of the location. I will do that, but one has to ask, why should I need to do that instead of the supervisor’s office taking the initiative to find an alternative location?

Why couldn’t a school property have hosted the purple bin during the summer vacation months? After Labor Day, would one of the local swim clubs be willing to host it during the fall and winter months? Surely it would be easy for their members to swing by to recycle their glass. 

What about the temporary fire station property at Annandale Road and South Street, across from Bill Page Plaza? How about reaching out to the owners of vacant lots like the old Sears building or one of the churches that already have an established partnership with the county to host election day voting precincts in Mason District? 

Some of my neighbors have sent emails or called the supervisor’s office to inquire about the status of glass recycling in Mason, only to be told that the purple bin won’t return until the building renovations are complete. The supervisor’s staff act as if our inquiries are an imposition and show no inclination whatsoever to assist us in our efforts to recycle.

As the old expression goes, when there is a will, there is a way. When there is no will, however, there is no way. Mason District residents deserve better.

Chris Delta is a resident of Mason District.