Fairfax County recently delivered hundreds of recycling bins to a manufactured homes community in Hybla Valley for free.
The 35-gallon, lidded carts were provided in response to years of complaints from Audubon Estates residents, whose private trash hauler has declined to provide designated recycling containers, according to the county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES).
“Until now, the residents have taken recyclable materials to the curb in any container they may have,” the department said in a Nov. 5 press release. “Waste material easily falls out of unlidded containers, often from storms or curious wildlife, resulting in unsightly littered streets.”
DPWES worked with the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) to purchase 700 new recycling carts — approximately one per household — with funds generated by the county’s plastic bag tax, per the release.
In place since Jan. 1, 2022, the 5-cent tax applies to all disposable plastic bags provided by convenience stores, grocery stores and drug stores. After just two years, county staff reported that it had reduced the circulation of plastic bags by an estimated 3 million, while generating approximately $3 million in revenue.
As of June 30, 2026, the tax has now generated over $10.7 million in revenue, according to the OEEC. Just over $8 million of that has been allocated, as required, to a variety of waste reduction and sustainability initiatives, including litter clean-up through Operation Stream Shield, trash collection at commuter parking lots, illegal sign removals, community recycling campaigns, composting programs and reusable bags.
Audubon Estates, which is located in the Richmond Highway corridor and consists of approximately 700 manufactured homes, is the latest beneficiary.
Valued at $43 each, the blue recycling carts have imprinted instructions explaining what materials should be disposed of in them, along with a QR code that leads to the county’s solid waste management web page.
“Lending a hand to help solve a recycling problem is an example of what great things can happen when county agencies work together to support residents,” Eric Forbes, the deputy director of solid waste management for DPWES, said. “We thank all of our county and community environmental champions for helping us get closer to Fairfax County’s zero-waste goals.”
In the press release, Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk highlighted the need for different county agencies to cooperate.
“The Audubon Estates community cares deeply about beautifying their neighborhood, preserving quality of life, and being stewards of the environment,” he said. “DPWES has been a valued partner in helping them do just that, and this is another example.”
According to OEEC’s website, Fairfax County will distribute a portion of its plastic bag tax revenue to the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton starting this fiscal year, which began on July 1. The revenue split will follow the county’s local sales tax distribution formula.
Legislation requiring counties to distribute part of the tax revenue to any towns located within their boundaries was passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger this spring.
An identical measure was vetoed during the state legislature’s 2025 session by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who argued that plastic bag taxes “fail to achieve their intended goals” of reducing plastic litter and “burden Virginians amid escalating inflation.”
