In 2023, Fairfax County produced almost 1.2 million tons of waste – that is enough to fill two entire Tysons Corner Shopping Malls and all of its parking garages! Thanks to your hard work, we were able to divert 44% of that “trash” through recycling, reusing, and composting. The graphic below explains where all of the trash in Fairfax County comes from and where it ends up.

Current State of Waste in Fairfax County

But we still have work to do. If our current waste management practices are left unchecked, we will create even more waste. That could lead to higher trash disposal costs, impact environmental quality, and affect our county’s health and livability.

To address this concern, Fairfax County approved the Community-Wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) with the goal of achieving zero waste by 2040 by diverting 90% of trash from landfills. The county is now updating its Solid Waste Management Plan to include actions that can help us reach our zero waste goal.

We invite you to complete a survey to provide feedback on your current trash and recycling practices and the proposed countywide zero waste strategies. Survey responses will be summarized and shared with the Board of Supervisors to help inform the Board’s review of the draft Solid Waste Management Plan this winter.

The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will be open from August 1 through September 30, 2024. You can also choose to be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card. Select the Continue button below to start the survey.

Toma la encuesta en español aquí- Encuesta sobre Cero Residuos para residentes del Condado de Fairfax - PublicInput (fairfaxcounty.gov)

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

  • Review the Zero Waste Strategies Overview and Key Points document for a short summary of the proposed zero waste strategies.
  • Watch the video on this page for an introduction to county's zero waste planning efforts.
  • Join the virtual community meeting in September where you can learn more about the zero waste plan strategies. The webinar date and time and registration will open in mid-August.
  • A public hearing on the Solid Waste Management Plan update will take place at the beginning of 2025. More details will be posted on this PublicInput project page once available.

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