Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open to visitors by appointment only. Please call or email from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
703-324-7136 TTY 711
12000 Government Center Pkwy, Suite 533
Fairfax, VA 22035
John Morrill
Director

Proposed Plastic Bag Tax Public Hearing is September 14, 2021

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is considering adopting a new five-cent tax on disposable plastic bags provided to consumers at grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores in the county. The purpose of the tax is to curb our collective use of disposable plastic bags, to reduce the amount of plastic waste in our local waterways and the damage it causes.

Plastic bags frequently end up in local watersheds, polluting our natural landscapes and negatively impacting the fish and wildlife that depend on clean waterways. The plastic bag tax is intended to influence consumer behavior by discouraging consumers from using single-use disposable plastic bags, thereby reducing plastic bag residue in our local streams, rivers and lakes. As an added benefit, the revenue collected from the plastic bag tax can help fund pollution reduction and environmental education programs. Should Fairfax County adopt an ordinance this month, the tax would become effective January 1, 2022.

A public hearing about thisproposed tax ordinance is scheduled for Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at 4:30 PM at the Fairfax County Government Center. County residents and stakeholders are encouraged to submit written testimony or to sign up to testify in person before noon on September 14, 2021. More information on testifying at the public hearing is available online.or by calling 703-324-3151 TTY 711. County residents are welcome to share questions and concerns about the bag tax with the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination via email.

For more information on the proposed plastic bag tax please click here, or visit the plastic bag tax FAQ page.

Fairfax Virtual Assistant