Five for 5: Virginia localities pass single-use plastic bag fees

Five localities in Virginia have now passed a 5 cent fee on single use plastic bags which will go into effect Jan 1st. Authority for localities to implement a fee on plastic bags was approved by the General Assembly in 2020.

Roanoke City was the first in the state to pass the fee back in May. In September, Virginia’s most populous county, Fairfax County, also passed the fee. In the following weeks three more localities took action on single use plastic bags. Next were Alexandria and Arlington and then just before the Oct 1st deadline (for the fee to go into effect Jan 1, 2022) Fredericksburg passed the fee. 

Virginia’s waterways and wildlife are among the Commonwealth’s best assets and by taking action on this dangerous single use plastic, leaders across the Commonwealth have chosen to put the planet over plastic.

By approving the fee, our local leaders have recognized what most Virginians already know: a lot of waste comes from things we don’t need and we know we shouldn’t use, including single use plastic bags. This trash ends up in our open spaces and waterways, where it endangers wildlife. Nothing we use for five minutes should pollute our planet for generations to come. 

Environment Virginia has talked to tens of thousands of Virginians about plastic pollution and we are excited to see localities starting to take action on one of the most harmful types of single use plastic. We thank the county Board of Supervisors and the city council members for their leadership on this issue. We look forward to seeing more cities and counties across Virginia adopt the fee as well as encourage our state leaders to go even further by taking statewide action.