Arlington County has removed two apparently “abandoned” trash cans in Pentagon City.
Earlier this week, a resident posted on social media scenes of overflowing trash cans near the intersection of 12th Street S. and S. Eads Street, across the street from the Pentagon City Whole Foods.
https://twitter.com/rdc20132/status/1584233716456755201
Despite the post, the trash cans were not immediately emptied. The Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) said on social media that the offending trash cans were, in fact, not the county’s responsibility.
The pile of refuse — including many bags of dog waste — continued to grow.
https://twitter.com/rdc20132/status/1585003640409890816
DES has since decided to remove the trash cans, after concluding they were “abandoned” by their original owner.
“The Solid Waste Bureau determined that the two overflowing receptacles were abandoned and removed them this week for safety,” DES spokesperson Peter Golkin wrote in an email.
Trash should be disposed of in other nearby receptacles, he said. The closest trash can handled by the county is three blocks away at 12th Street S. and S. Hayes Street.
It remains unclear to whom the abandoned trash cans belonged. Golkin noted that “ownership has not been determined.”
ARLnow reached out to developer JBG Smith due to its ubiquitous presence in the neighborhood and the fact that the trash cans were in front of a banner bearing the company’s name. But a spokesperson there said, “it’s not theirs.”
Now, the bins and the pile of doggie waste bags, plastic water bottles and cardboard coffee cups stacked on top have gone to the great landfill in the sky.
Back in May, the neighborhood had similar trash troubles that Golkin attributed to “increased seasonal tourism and more weekend events.”
He said at the time that the Solid Waste Bureau was shifting schedules and doing weekend checks to ensure full trash cans were being emptied in a timely manner. This is still happening, Golkin noted this week.
“The Solid Waste Bureau is still continuing with weekend stops in the busy Pentagon Row area,” he wrote.