Support for Fairfax County Zero Waste Initiative

In 2021, Fairfax County, Virginia, adopted a plan that set the Fairfax County government and schools on a path to zero waste by 2030. Fairfax County’s Department of Procurement and Material Management engaged ERG to help employees understand how they can help the county achieve its zero waste goals.  

To encourage employees to play a role in reaching this goal, ERG worked with Fairfax County to develop a variety of tools and resources to educate employees about how they can become “Zero Waste Champions” and take simple actions to help achieve zero waste. For example, our project team designed and developed the content for a Zero Waste Toolkit. The toolkit describes why zero waste is important, details strategies and best practices, and includes a suite of resources, such as strategies for improving a facility’s reduction, reuse, and recycling; key facts about waste in Fairfax County; outreach resources; and guidance on becoming a Zero Waste leader. We also helped Fairfax County develop easy-to-understand website text to help educate residents about the county’s Zero Waste actions, activities, and goals. To supplement the toolkit and website content, we also developed videos showcasing information about solid waste in Fairfax County and what employees could do to help the county meet its goals.