The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is challenging local residents to avoid buying products made of and packaged in plastic throughout July.
In part because of confusing trash and recycling guidelines, 70 percent of plastic products bought by consumers end up in the trash, either to be incinerated or dumped in a landfill.
Another 20 percent becomes litter that pollutes the environment and less than 10 percent goes into the recycling bin for repurposing, officials said.
If you cannot easily avoid products made of and packaged in plastic, consider declining the single-use plastic straws, cups and utensils when ordering takeout food this month. Single-use plastic is essentially throw-away plastic, so county officials recommend residents use their own reusable utensils instead.
Among their tips:
• Store and heat food in ceramic or glass containers. All plastic containers are made of chemicals, some of which can leach into food, especially when heated.
• Trying drinking water from a reusable and refillable water bottle. Disposable plastic bottles account for 14 percent of all plastic waste that ends up in local waterways. Such bottles potentially can shed hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic particles that pass into people’s bodies and can harm their long-term health.
For more information on the negative impacts of plastic and to learn about healthier and more environmentally sustainable alternatives, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/plastic.
