Plastic Bag Ban For Yard Waste Approved By Fairfax Supervisors

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 to ban use of plastic bags for yard waste. Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity voted against the ban.

The county executive proposed amendments to Fairfax County’s Solid Waste Management Ordinance to prohibit use of plastic bags for set-out and collection of yard waste. On Jan. 26, the Board of Supervisors voted to set a public hearing for Tuesday, Feb. 23.

The county's solid waste management ordinance maintains that yard waste must be recycled. Under the amended ordinance, yard waste would be allowed to be collected in paper yard waste bags, reusable containers, or other approved storage devices but not plastic bags.

According to the proposal, plastic bags in the compost can result in plastic shreds in the final compost product that are difficult to remove. Paper bags are seen as an alternative that can be part of the finished compost product, reducing process waste.

Herrity had voiced opposition to the proposal in his February newsletter. He cited a survey from his office last year that got nearly 1,400 responses with approximately 80 percent against an outright ban.

"I remain opposed to the ban based on the input I have received from residents, the fiscal impact on residents, the inequitable impact of the ban on our older adults as well as residents living in heavily wooded areas, and unanswered questions including the impact on illegal dumping," Herrity wrote.

The supervisor noted that the county has already started to transition away from use of plastic bags. Signage at the waste and recycling centers informs residents that yard waste cannot be dumped in plastic bags, and some private collectors may have informed residents they will no longer be allowed to put yard waste in plastic bags.

The Board of Supervisors meeting will start at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The estimated start time for the public hearing on the plastic ban for yard waste is 4 p.m.