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.
Yard waste is piling up in Fairfax County, as a nationwide labor shortage in the hauling services industry has triggered collection delays that could potentially last weeks.
The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has made some temporary changes to its practices after recently warning customers, who make up about 10% of residents and businesses, to expect delays for the next several weeks.
