By Tram On and James Jarvis
Inside a small storefront in Vienna, neatly labeled dispenser bins line the walls. Wooden shelves are laden with bulk containers of everything from hand soap to vinegar, reusable bags to pasta.
Fairfax County’s efforts to divert more waste away from landfills have taken a literary turn.
The county launched a book reuse and recycling program last month that encourages residents to drop any unwanted books into a green donation bin at the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road) near Fair Lakes.
South County residents now have an option closer to home for recycling clothes and other fabrics.
After seeing robust participation at the I-66 Transfer Station on West Ox Road, the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) has expanded a pilot program for textile recycling to the I-95 Landfill Complex (9850 Furnace Road) in Lorton.
Fairfax City is seeking community input on how it handles trash and recycling.
The city will hold a public meeting tonight (Thursday) from 7-8 p.m. at Katherine Johnson Middle School (3801 Jermantown Road) on its Solid Waste Management Plan, which is undergoing a state-mandated update and will guide trash, recycling and composting practices over the next 20 years.
Fairfax County leaders are tapping the brakes on a plan to potentially oversee trash collection in single-family neighborhoods countywide.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay announced yesterday (Tuesday) that a planned June 24 public hearing on the proposal to establish unified sanitation districts will be delayed until Oct. 14.
Fairfax County is seeing mixed results in its efforts to eliminate solid waste.
“We’ve made progress,” Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, chair of supervisors’ environment committee, said after the Board of Supervisors received an update on the county’s Zero Waste program on Tuesday (May 20).
Fairfax County officials are moving forward with plans to overhaul how trash and recycling are handled, aiming to have a centralized collection system by 2030.
The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) has proposed a “Unified Sanitation District” model to replace the current system, where most residents hire private haulers. Instead, the county would grant exclusive contracts to private companies to manage waste collection in specific geographic areas.
Fairfax County is seeking feedback on its current solid waste management practices and strategies for achieving “zero waste.”
Open from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, the survey asks residents to share their opinions on how the county handles solid waste and possible ways it could divert 90% of trash from landfills and incineration. Participants have the chance to win a $100 gift card.
Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) is working to develop a new 20-year plan for managing solid waste.
The county produces roughly 1.2 million tons of trash every year, processing about 630,000 tons as municipal solid waste (MSW). Currently, about 43.9% of waste is diverted from incineration. However, the county adopted a Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) that set a goal of 90% diversion by 2040.
Fairfax County wants to know what trash collectors are telling residents about recycling.
In anticipation of Fairfax Recycles Day, which will fall on Nov. 15, the county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is surveying residents throughout October about whether their hauler is sharing educational materials on recycling.
