Fairfax County, VA’s Plastic Bag Tax Successfully Reduces Waste and Supports Sustainable Efforts

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Fairfax County’s plastic bag tax is proving to be an effective tool in reducing plastic bag usage, according to data recently released by the county. Since 2022, when the the bag tax begun, 3.6 million fewer plastic bags have been used by consumers in the county. The data shows a positive and sustained decline in disposable plastic bags throughout the past few years.

•          In 2023, there was a reduction of approximately 1.6 million plastic bags used compared to the previous year.
•          And when comparing the first eight months of 2024 to the same period in 2023, an additional 2 million plastic bags were eliminated from use.

That’s nearly 4 million bags so far that will never find their way into county waterways. “We are seeing the results of this program in the significant reduction of plastic waste,” said Jeffrey C. McKay, Board of Supervisors Chairman. “The primary goal of the tax is not revenue generation, but the funds are helping to ensure that vulnerable people have access to reusable bags and other critical resources. I am proud of how our community is responding to this initiative to create a cleaner, more sustainable future for Fairfax County.”

Protecting and preserving the environment through efforts such as waste reduction is a key focus of the Countywide Strategic Plan. Meanwhile, the five cents collected since 2022 for each used disposable bag provided by grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies have added up to more than $6 million for county projects and programs that benefit environmental sustainability and community support.  Among the initiatives paid for by the bag tax has included giving away reusable shopping bags and compostable produce bags to visitors of the county-hosted farmers markets, further aiming to reduce reliance on disposable bags.

 Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com