Fairfax County is set to substantially broaden its recycling requirements for businesses, apartments, condominiums and other private institutions under a sweeping ordinance that goes into effect next month.
County supervisors passed the regulations a year ago, which bring the properties under the same regulations that have applied to single-family homes and town houses since 1995, Fairfax County spokeswoman Merni Fitzgerald said.
“It basically affects everyone,” she said.
The property owners, as of July 10, will be required to set up systems to recycle cardboard and “mixed paper,” a term that encompasses newspapers, magazines and other paper products. Violators could face civil fines of up to $500.
“Getting the commercial facilities is going to really help our recycling rates in the region,” said Debbie Spiliotopoulos, senior environmental planner for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, on Fairfax’s new regulations. “There’s a real need for greater participation by multi family properties and commercial businesses. That’s across the board throughout the region.”
The regulations will require owners of apartment and condo buildings built after July 10 to set up recycling service for glass, metal and plastic bottles, paper and cardboard.
Since the passage of the ordinance last year, the county has sent out 2,500 mailers to businesses, as well as advertising the change in newsletters and electronic publications, Fitzgerald said.
Materials that must be recycled in Fairfax include:
» cardboard
» magazines
» office paper
» catalogs
» cereal boxes
» telephone books
» envelopes
Source: Fairfax County
