At Fairfax County government facilities, our goals are to:
Fairfax County's Zero Waste program works to minimize solid waste in County facilities to close to nothing and to do so through a holistic approach: by rethinking not only how we dispose of materials, but also what we use and how we use it. This is why Fairfax County government's Zero Waste goal is twofold: to decrease by 25% the amount of waste it generates and to divert 90% of its waste from the trash.
While this website focuses primarily on achieving Zero Waste in municipal operations, all are welcome to use and apply the resources to their home and community.
Zero Waste is a philosophy, commitment, and design principle to minimize waste to close to nothing. It requires addressing waste from the creation to the disposal of the things we use.
The concept is about managing materials across their entire lifecycle with a focus on making changes in “upstream” waste reduction as well as “downstream” waste management.
The best way to minimize waste is to create less of it in the first place!
Moving toward Zero Waste in Fairfax County can have many social and environmental impacts. Reducing, reusing, and recycling or composting materials all help to create less trash, which leads to less pollution from litter and incineration - both of which tend to disproportionally affect low-income communities and people of color. Looking "upstream" to the source of the waste, the extraction and processing of raw materials to make products can create even greater environmental degradation, pollution, and health hazards. By reducing consumption, reusing as much as possible, and recycling so that waste can be made into new products, positive impacts can be far-reaching.
Zero Waste efforts can also create opportunities for new, greener business models and innovations around sharing, reusing and salvaging materials. These innovations support a transition to a more sustainable and resilientcircular economy that designs out waste and pollution and keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible.
The plan provides direction, recommendations, priorities, and milestones for achieving Zero Waste. It is intended to be a living document that can be revised and updated as the County makes progress.
To minimize waste production by Fairfax County government and schools, the Board of Supervisors and School Board's Joint Environmental Task Force recommended that staff develop a Zero Waste Plan to set direction and recommendations. This Plan was then adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2021 and implementation is now underway.
The Zero Waste Core Team is made up of staff from County and Fairfax Public Schools departments. The Team plans and carries out system-wide policies, trains Zero Waste Champions and assists departments with planning and strategy implementation.
COUNTY EMPLOYEES: HELP GET FAIRFAX COUNTY TO ZERO WASTE
A suite of resources for Zero Waste Champions and any other staff involved in the Zero Waste program. The toolkit includes strategies for improving your facility’s reduction, reuse, and recycling; key facts about waste in Fairfax County; guidance on being a Zero Waste leader; and outreach resources.
Achieving zero waste is no small task. It requires the participation of every employee and user of government facilities, as well as County leadership and business partners!
View below the four pillars, known as the 4 R's, and the 24 priority strategies for Fairfax County's Zero Waste program.
THE 4 R'S
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THE 24 STRATEGIES
The Zero Waste Plan identified 24 optimal strategies for Fairfax County to prioritize to achieve its Zero Waste goals. These strategies have the highest potential for waste prevention and diversion in Fairfax County facilities:
The following resources provide information on Zero Waste practices and strategies:
What Goes Around: An Intro to the Circular Economy
A Fairfax County article introducing the concept of a circular economy and providing tips on how to be mindful about the lifecycle of materials and the environmental impacts of products.
Source Reduction and the Materials Management Hierarchy
An EPA resource on waste management that discusses the importance of reducing waste at its source—the most preferred way to manage waste—and the hierarchy of material management.
Households
Read the Fairfax County A to Z Recycling Guide to find out how to recycle common items in Fairfax County; Learn which items do and do not go in the recycling bin.
The Core Zero Waste Team is here to help you with strategic planning, identifying resources, connecting you with other Champions taking on similar projects and more!
