As of January 1,2022 disposable bags provided at grocery stores, convenience stores and drugstores in Fairfax County are to pay a 5-cent-tax. To avoid paying the 5-cent-tax people have been using reusable bags from home.

The purpose of the 5-cent-tax is to reduce the amount of plastic waste in our local waterways, roadways, and open spaces and the damage it causes. Plastic pollution is a serious problem for ecological and health reasons. 

The money will be used for environmental cleanup programs, pollution and litter mitigation programs, education programs teaching environmental waste reduction, and for providing reusable bags to recipients of food stamps and Women, Infants, and Children program benefits.

By imposing this tax, some supervisors hope that shoppers will stop overusing plastic bags.

Fairfax advises to not throw away bags so they can be used again while going out for grocery shopping while it can still bring shopping bags.