Post written by Kate Daley, Environmental Analyst, OEEC and Chair of Fairfax Employees for Environmental Excellence 
Earth Day is April 22, which means you may be seeing a lot of information about ways to be more sustainable at home and on the go. But what about at work? That’s a topic that’s top of mind for members of Fairfax Employees for Environmental Excellence (FEEE), Fairfax County’s employee green team. Read on to learn more about FEEE – who we are, how we got started, and what we do. We hope it inspires you to start or join a green team at your own office!
Who We Are
FEEE is made up of employees who are committed to the goal of environmental stewardship and want to help foster a culture of sustainability within Fairfax County Government. Membership is voluntary and open to all interested employees, regardless of background or experience. We currently have 150 members from over 30 agencies, representing a diverse range of service areas.
FEEE has gone through several transformations since its founding. Our origins date back to the early 1990s, when a group of employees formed an interagency task force to increase awareness and education on waste reduction and recycling in the office. In 2010, the group was officially renamed Fairfax Employees for Environmental Excellence, and the scope expanded to also include energy and water conservation, environmentally preferable procurement, conservation of natural resources, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and other sustainability issues.
What We Do
In keeping with its origins, FEEE continues to provide an opportunity for employees to identify and pilot strategies to minimize the county’s environmental impact. Most recently, FEEE sponsored a compost pilot program, where participating agencies were able to offer in-suite 
composting to employees. When the county passed its operational Zero Waste Policy in 2021, the Zero Waste Team was able to draw on the results of this pilot and expand employee composting options. Today, employee composting is offered in all kitchenettes and in the cafeteria of the Fairfax County Government Center, with options available to agencies located outside the Government Center as well.
FEEE also continues to deliver outreach and education on sustainability issues to county employees through field trips, webinars, volunteer opportunities and at our monthly meetings. Members are invited to help organize meetings and events through participation in a Planning Committee. General membership can weigh in on FEEE activities through development of an annual workplan and through feedback at our monthly meetings. Several of our events are advertised to all staff, so that they can participate, regardless of membership status.
This year alone, we have hosted presentations for staff on conservation initiatives, ways to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and urban stormwater runoff. We hosted an invasive plant workday at the Fairfax
County Government Center, where employees volunteered to clear honeysuckle vines and other invasives from the forest edge and along the walking trail. We also held a tour of the Woodlands Stewardship Education Center at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park this past March, where members learned about the sustainable design criteria of the building and the programs and resources offered on-site. We have more fun activities in store this year, including a webinar on energy efficiency, a storm drains labeling activity, and a site visit to a local food forest to learn about urban gardening.
Learn How to Start Your Own Green Team
Do you want to start a green team at your own workplace? We have tips on how to start one. Also, check out simple steps to lower your businesses’ carbon footprint.
