Tag: recycling
Plastic bag tax generated over $6 million
Fairfax County’s plastic bag tax has generated over $6.2 million in revenue since it took effect on Jan. 1, 2022, the county reports. The largest share of those funds supported Operation Stream Shield, a program that pays homeless people for temporary work removing debris from streams and other locations. Funds also went to waste collection … Continued
Fairfax County plans to overhaul waste collections
Fairfax County is developing a new trash and recycling collection system. The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is working on a Unified Sanitation District model, with all trash and recycling collections handled by private companies contracted by the county. Matthew Adams, director of the solid waste management program, described the new concept at … Continued
Jimenez works to retain leaf vacuuming
Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez told Annandale Today he is working to ensure Fairfax County permanently retains its leaf vacuuming service.
Justice HS holds a Recycling Fair
Justice High School student volunteers helped local residents declutter their homes while keeping unneeded items out of landfills.
Paint recycling program launched
Fairfax County launched a paint-recycling program that will provide job training while reducing waste in landfills. The 12-month pilot program, announced June 13, is being carried out by the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services in collaboration with Operation Stream Shield and the Washington, D.C.-based Pangea Markets, an organization dedicated to sustainability. Participants in … Continued
Falls Church HS student launches a glass recycling business
For those who see the benefit of recycling but find it cumbersome to bring their glass bottles and jars to a county bin, Falls Church High School student Sam Ross has a solution. Ross launched a business, called Glass Goat, that does it for you. The company gives customers a blue bin to fill up … Continued
The county will collect discarded Christmas trees
The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services’ Solid Waste Program will collect discarded Christmas trees left on the curb during the first two weeks of January. The trees will be recycled, with the mulch made available to county residents. Tree lights and decorations should be removed. After Jan. 13, residents who receive … Continued
School news roundup
A Mayan partnership – Braddock Elementary School’s Mayan partners adorned the newly renovated school with two new murals. Braddock has had a partnership for the past eight years with Task-Tarea, an organization of people from Guatemala who moved to the United States and wanted to continue to support Mayan village schools back home. They raise … Continued
Fairfax County gets an electric trash truck
Fairfax County is rolling out its first electric trash truck, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services announced Aug. 18. The truck will hold up to seven tons of recycling and up to 12 tons of trash. The public is invited to the official unveiling of the EV truck on Aug. 25, at 11 … Continued
Discarded trees belong on the curb
After Christmas, your lovingly decorated live trees become yard waste. Fairfax County urges people to leave their tree – with lights and ornaments removed – on the curb for pickup. It’s illegal and also harmful to the environment to dump old trees, as well as other yard waste and trash, in local parks. All licensed … Continued
Supervisors to address problems with American Disposal Services
Faced with numerous complaints about bad service, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed Sept. 13 to explore legal action against American Disposal Services. Since January, “the complaints against American Disposal Services have risen dramatically,” said Supervisor James Walkinshaw (Braddock). The problems include late pickups, missed pickups, and poor customer service. The board passed a … Continued
Supervisors approve county trash service for two Annandale neighborhoods
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this week approved a motion to add two communities in Annandale to the county-operated trash and recycling program. A new Small and Local Sanitary District will be created for the Canterbury Woods community, and the sanitary district in the Pleasant Ridge neighborhood will be expanded. The changes will take … Continued
Supervisors urge county staff to improve trash service
A common sight in Annandale. Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill told the Board of Supervisors he will submit a plan for improving trash service. That announcement was made at a Board of Supervisors hearing Oct. 5 on requests from two Annandale communities to switch from private to county services for the collection … Continued
Staffing shortages blamed for yard waste pickup delays
Yard waste piled up for weeks on Glen Forest Drive, as well as all over Mason District. [Kevin Phillips] Bags of yard waste are piling up all over the Annandale/Mason District area as Fairfax County grapples with a severe staff shortage. Kevin Phillips, a resident of Glen Forest Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads, reported on Sept. … Continued
Board of Supervisors sets hearing on proposed plastic bag tax
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on July 27 agreed to hold a public hearing on a proposed plastic bag tax. The tax would be 5 cents per bag provided by grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores.