Plastic Bag Tax To Take Effect April 1 At Stores In Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH, VA — The City of Falls Church’s plastic bag tax will take effect April 1, with about 20 stores in the city affected by the new tax, the city said Friday.

Grocery stores, convenience stores and drug stores will charge 5 cents at checkout per each plastic bag used. Some plastic bags, like those used for meat, seafood and vegetables, are exempt from the tax.

A plastic bag tax for Arlington and Fairfax counties and the City of Alexandria went into effect Jan. 1. A plastic tax in Loudoun County takes effect July 1.

Residents are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags to stores, or choose a paper bag if one is available.

The city said Friday that it has distributed 400 tote bags to Falls Church residents in need for use at stores.

Revenue from the plastic bag tax will go toward environmental cleanup programs, pollution and litter mitigation programs, educational programs on environmental waste reduction, and for providing reusable bags to neighbors in need, the city said.

Localities have been working with the Northern Virginia Regional Waste Management Board to coordinate on outreach, timelines for implementation, and common language in the ordinances, a regional informational website has been created to share common information between the localities' plastic bag tax and frequently asked questions.

The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2020 allowing localities to create ordinances for a 5-cent tax on disposable plastic bags provided by retailers in grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores. The Virginia Tax Commissioner adopted guidelines in September 2021.

The plastic bag tax is intended to influence consumer behavior by discouraging consumers from using single-use disposable plastic bags that often end up in local streams, rivers and lakes.