Five-Cent Tax on Bags From Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores, and Drugstores
To Take Effect January 1, 2022

FAIRFAX, Va. – September 14, 2021 – Today, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted the county’s first-ever tax on disposable plastic bags. The five-cent tax is intended to influence consumer behavior by discouraging individuals from using single-use disposable plastic bags, thereby reducing plastic bag pollution in our local streams, rivers and lakes. The tax will go into effect across the county on January 1, 2022.

The new plastic bag tax will be administered and enforced by the Virginia Department of Taxation in a manner similar to the administration of the Sales and Use Tax. Revenue collected by the state from retailers in Fairfax County will be remitted to the county on a monthly basis. This revenue may be used to fund environmental cleanup programs, pollution and litter mitigation programs, educational programs on environmental waste reduction, and to purchase reusable bags for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits.

The tax applies to disposable plastic bags provided for in-store, to-go, delivery and curbside pick-up purchases from grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores located within Fairfax County. Exceptions include plastic bags that are solely used to wrap or package food items, such as chicken, to avoid damage or contamination, as well as plastic bags used to carry dry cleaning or prescription drugs. Multiple plastic bags sold in packages and intended for use as garbage, pet waste, or leaf removal bags are also excluded, as are durable plastic bags with handles that are specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse and that are at least four millimeters thick.

The plastic bag tax ordinance is the result of a joint board matter brought by Chairman Jeff McKay, Supervisor Dan Storck, and Supervisor James Walkinshaw in July of 2021.

“I have been a long-time supporter of measures to mitigate the environmental damage caused by plastic waste, especially in our waterways,” said Jeff McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. “By encouraging county residents and visitors to bring reusable bags when they shop, we can markedly improve the health of our local ecosystem and contribute to the global solution to plastic pollution.”

“Plastic pollution is a significant problem in Fairfax County and disposable bags are one of the chief contributors. These bags clog up our waterways and threaten the health and life of our wildlife,” said Dan Storck, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Environmental Committee. “Plastics are forever, they don’t break down like other, natural materials and therefore their environmental impact is substantial. This tax will help to curb the use of disposable plastic bags in our community.”

"Plastic bag pollution mars our local environment and has a devastating effect on the health of the Chesapeake Bay. This measure will help ensure that our water supply is free of potentially harmful micro-plastics," said James Walkinshaw, Fairfax County Supervisor for the Braddock District. "Bringing a reusable bag or declining to have small purchases bagged are simple, smart ways to keep our communities clean."

Research has found that the average lifespan of a disposable plastic bag is 12 minutes, then it becomes waste, and a third of all plastic waste ends up in nature. From a health perspective, it is estimated that, on average, each person consumes five grams, or the equivalent of a credit card’s weight of plastic each week, with drinking water as the largest source of ingestion.

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