Zero Waste 2030

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Toolkit
What is Zero Waste?
How Can We Achieve Zero Waste?

To minimize waste production by county government and schools (FCPS) to Zero Waste by 2030, 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.

Everyone who visits a government building, school or park plays an important role in helping reach Zero Waste! 

At Fairfax County government and school facilities, our goals are to:

Zero Waste diversion goals
Toolkit

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.

Zero Waste Champions Toolkit

What is Zero Waste?

Zero Waste logoZero Waste is a philosophy, commitment, and design principle to minimize waste to close to nothing by adopting a holistic and climate-conscious approach to the flow of materials through society.

The concept is about managing materials across their entire lifecycle with a focus on making changes in “upstream” waste reduction rather than “downstream” waste management. The best way to minimize waste is to create less of it in the first place! 

 

Explore the resources on this page to learn how to achieve Zero Waste in Fairfax County Government and Schools.

Reducing, reusing, and recycling or composting materials decreases solid waste, prevents litter, and reduces the climate-warming emissions and pollution caused by extracting and processing raw materials and producing goods.

Zero Waste efforts 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 resilient circular economy that designs out waste and pollution and keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible.

What Goes Around: An Intro to the Circular Economy

The Fairfax County Government and Schools Zero Waste Plan is a guide for Fairfax County’s municipal and public school operations to transition to a future without waste.

The plan provides direction, recommendations, priorities, and milestones for achieving Zero Waste. It is intended to be a living document that will be revised and updated as the County makes progress. 

The Zero Waste Plan (PDF)

The Zero Waste Core Team is made up of full-time staff from County and Fairfax Public Schools departments. The Team plans and carries out system-wide policies, trains Zero Waste Champions and assists departments and schools with planning and strategy implementation. Initially, the plan is for Fairfax County Public Schools and County departments and agencies.

County Employees: Help get Fairfax County to Zero Waste!

How Can We Achieve Zero Waste?

How Can We Achieve Zero Waste?

Achieving zero waste is no small task. It requires the participation of every employee, student and user of government and school facilities, as well as County and FCPS leadership and business partners. We can achieve Zero Waste by creating less of it in the first place.

The 4 R's

Practice the 4-R’s: Reach out; Reduce; Reuse and Recycle.

The 4 Rs: Reach Out, Recycle, Reduce, Repurpose/Reuse
Click image to view at full size.

There are many actions we can take to reuse, repair, repurpose and extend the lives of products and packages. It’s also important to reduce waste through recycling and composting.


The 24 Strategies

Fairfax County identified 24 optimal strategies that Zero Waste leaders, decision-makers, and champions across the County will undertake to achieve our goals. These strategies have the highest potential for waste prevention and diversion in Fairfax County and FCPS facilities.

You can also see the: 

  • Zero Waste Plan for information on how these strategies were developed.
  • Champions Toolkit for information on how Zero Waste Champions and others can take action.

Learn more about the strategies and who’s involved. The 24 Zero Waste strategies are organized into four key themes.
Click each theme below to see the associated strategies.

Employees: For info on how the below strategies can be applied to your department/facility, check out the Best Practices section of the Champions Toolkit.
Strategy Fairfax County Departments and Agencies Board of Supervisors, School Board, Executives, Directors Zero Waste Core Team Zero Waste Champions Zero Waste Enthusiasts, Supporters, Stakeholders
Designate Zero Waste Champions ✔        
Develop Strategies to Recognize, Motivate, and Compensate Staff ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔  
Develop Educational Resources, Signage, and Training ✔   ✔ ✔  
Facilitate Action through Campaigns, Toolkits, and Guides ✔   ✔ ✔  
Maximize Opportunities for Student Engagement       ✔ ✔

 

Employees: For info on how the below strategies can be applied to your department/facility, check out the Best Practices section of the Champions Toolkit.
Strategy Fairfax County Departments and Agencies Board of Supervisors, School Board, Executives, Directors Zero Waste Core Team Zero Waste Champions Zero Waste Enthusiasts, Supporters, Stakeholders
Establish Zero Waste Team ✔        
Expand Sustainable Purchasing Program ✔ ✔ ✔    
Establish Commitments by all County Departments and Schools to Participate in Zero Waste Efforts ✔   ✔    
Establish Programmatic Reporting of Activities by County Departments and Schools     ✔    
Measure Success: Waste Audits, Reporting, Facility Assessments     ✔ ✔  
Establish or Expand Alternate Recycling, Reuse, and Recovery Program Partnerships ✔   ✔ ✔  
Launch a Reusable Packaging Program ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔  
Establish or Expand Edible Food Rescue and Donation Program ✔ ✔   ✔  

 

Employees: For info on how the below strategies can be applied to your department/facility, check out the Best Practices section of the Champions Toolkit.
Strategy Fairfax County Departments and Agencies Board of Supervisors, School Board, Executives, Directors Zero Waste Core Team Zero Waste Champions Zero Waste Enthusiasts, Supporters, Stakeholders
Design and Retrofit Zero Waste ✔ ✔ ✔    
Standardize and Increase Waste Receptacles and Signage ✔   ✔ ✔  
Implement Reusable Food Service Ware ✔   ✔    
Install Additional Hand Dryers ✔   ✔    
Install Additional Bottle Filling Stations ✔   ✔    

Employees: For info on how the below strategies can be applied to your department/facility, check out the Best Practices section of the Champions Toolkit.
Strategy Fairfax County Departments and Agencies Board of Supervisors, School Board, Executives, Directors Zero Waste Core Team Zero Waste Champions Zero Waste Enthusiasts, Supporters, Stakeholders
Establish a Zero Waste Policy ✔ ✔ ✔    
Establish Funding and Allocate Resources Appropriate to Meet Zero Waste Goals ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔  
Establish Board Directive/Policy for Organics of a Food Disposal Ban   ✔ ✔    
Establish Board Directive/Policy to Ban Single-Use Plastics   ✔ ✔    
Support Legislative Actions at the State Levels ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Use Events as a Catalyst to Minimize or Eliminate Waste ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔

More Information on Achieving Zero Waste

The following resources provide information on Zero Waste practices and strategies:

Frequently Asked Questions 

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!

You can also contact the Core Zero Waste Team if you have questions or concerns as you begin your work. Please reach out any time to discuss ideas and request assistance:

The Core Zero Waste Team can provide support to departments requesting Zero Waste-related funding and training. More information coming soon.

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