Fairfax County taxes plastic bags
A new 5-cent tax on plastic bags in Fairfax County took effect Jan. 1. The Board of Supervisors approved the tax in September.
The tax applies to disposable plastic bags from grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores.
Bags exempt from the tax include reusable plastic shopping or grocery bags with handles at least 4 mils thick; plastic bags used for meat, fish, poultry, produce, ice cream, unwrapped bulk food, or perishable food; dry-cleaning bags, bags for prescription drugs; and bags sold for garbage, pet waste, or yard waste.
The purpose of the new tax is to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags because plastic bags often end up in waterways where they harm wildlife and water quality.
The revenue from the tax will go toward environmental cleanup programs, pollution and litter mitigation, educational programs on environmental waste reduction, and reusable bags for lower-income households.
Retailers will get 2 cents from the tax collected on each plastic bag through Dec. 31, 2022, which will help them make the switch to environmentally friendly alternatives. This discount drops to 1 cent on Jan. 1, 2023.
A new tax on disposable plastic bags also took effect Jan. 1 in Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. A plastic bag tax in the City of Falls Church will take effect April 1. Washington, D.C.’s 5-cent tax on disposable plastic bags has generated over $19 million since it was enacted in 2010.
5 responses to “Fairfax County taxes plastic bags”
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Just ask for paper and you get out of this silly tax.
Thank you Fairf*cks county for screwing the poor even more
you are doing amazing work with white gentrification
You do realize that reusing bags of any kind is 100% free, right? And that environmental degradation hurts low-income people and minorities far more than well-off or even middle-class whites?
My father was born during the Great Depression. When I was younger, he embarrassed me and my brothers with all the reusing and can/glass collecting for cash that he did. (We weren’t actually in need.) Guess what? He was also one of the first people in the area to recycle things even when he didn’t get a penny back and taught us a boatload about taking care of the environment. through his actions alone. I suppose things have come full circle when reusing something is only for the affluent. [eye roll]
Thank you! It’s about time we catch up to Europe from 50 years ago. Loved their rope bags that would expand amazingly and fit around everything, no matter the shape. Here’s a market niche for you entrepreneurs.
Plastic grocery bags wind up in our environment in trees, along roads, in waterways and just blowing around. They’re unneeded, take ages to degrade and put micro plastics in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, especially seafood. Of course if you want to rinse them out, keep them and reuse them, that works too. I wonder if EBT cards will cover purchase of reusable bags for a while? Once you have a supply you don’t need anymore, and some events give them out free. And what other things can you buy for a few cents? I’m sure it won’t be a big burden for poor people.
So simple to take reusable bags everywhere. I keep them in my trunk to get out before I go into any store (not just the grocery store) and toss them in with the wash periodically. There are bags that fold up tiny enough to be carried in purses or pockets. Giant used to sell really sturdy plastic weave bags made by blind people. Wish they would do that again. Mine have lasted decades and they hold everything no matter how heavy.
I swear people are so lazy these days soon they’ll be complaining about having to breathe on their own.
Good! It’s so easy to use re-usable tote bags.