By Paula Demegret
As we descend into an inescapable climate pitfall it won’t matter whether a person lives in a city, suburb, or the middle of nowhere, their lives will change. However, the suburbs which make up the majority of American neighborhoods are behind on their eco-friendly policies and practices. If we want to make even a little progress on the climate crisis, then the suburbs need to step up their eco-friendly policies and may need to learn a thing or two from cities on how to do it.
I have lived in the Northern Virginia suburb, Springfield, my entire life. I come from a very environmentally aware family; I’ve always been taught to recycle, never waste food, and to be conscious of my actions concerning the environment. My consciousness has led me to truly question the policies and practices in my area. Throughout the time I have lived here, I don’t recall ever seeing a public outdoor recycling bin; it is also rare to see an individual using anything other than a plastic bag at the grocery store.
Some may say that at this point in the climate crisis, recycling and using reusable bags are the bare minimum, and while I agree, most suburbs are behind on these basic practices. Recycling in Fairfax County, the county that Springfield is part of, is limited. According to Fairfax County’s Government Website, glass can not be recycled unless disposed of at a glass disposal container site. Having to store glass containers and driving to a container location is not accessible for some and is a hassle. In cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Washington D.C. glass can be recycled. There’s no reason why the suburbs can’t do the same.
The only plastics that can be recycled in Fairfax County are numbers 1,2,5 while the city of New York allows numbers 1,2,4,5,7. According to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, number 4 plastics included plastic that is found in grocery bags, bread bags, shrink warp (used to wrap items most often books) and margarine tub tops ( which are the plastic covers often found on top of butter containers). While number 7 plastics are used in ketchup bottles, microwavable dishes, and items that contain a mixture of plastics. While some may argue this is because the county has a smaller budget to spend on recycling than the city of New York, I would say as the fifth richest county in the U.S. we can afford to expand the budget.
In addition to limited items that can be recycled in the county, the other problem is the lack of public recycling bins. According to Fairfax County’s Government Website, “ninety percent of residents and businesses in Fairfax County [have] a private collection company [that] picks up your trash and recycling.” These companies supply bins, one trash and one recycling, for each household. However, I have never seen a public recycling bin in Springfield before. At the local Starbucks I will often see a number of plastic cups in the trash can that could be recycled if public recycling bins were provided.
Earlier this year a five cent plastic disposable bag tax went into effect In January 2022. This pleased some including myself. I was glad that my county had taken a step forward in environmental policy that was only being heard about in big cities such as Washington D.C. and San Francisco. This new policy demonstrated some effort on behalf of the county. However, I have not noticed many people using reusable bags in place of plastic bags which is the point of the tax. Most people are paying the tax and continuing to use the plastic bags. Emma Doll, 16, who has lived in Springfield her whole life stated that “in the moment most people think that five cents doesn’t really matter and use plastic bags anyway.” This policy that I was once pleased about is not serving its purpose. I now believe that if the county wants individuals to not use plastic bags, they should not provide them in stores. If there are no plastic bags provided then people will have to use reusable bags. That is actual change.
Moreover, having public outdoor recycling bins is a basic necessity that should be included in every public space where people might be eating or drinking. Plastic bags should be a thing of the past. State and local governments need to be taking the initiative to limit plastic and stop putting the blame on individuals. People know that plastic is bad for the environment but they can not be blamed for using it when it’s being provided everywhere. If access to plastic was taken away then people would not be using it and if more access to recycling was added then people would be taking advantage of the resource.
The bare minimum is not being accomplished, as strange weather and heat continue to ravage every corner of the earth. The conversation should not be about recycling and plastic bags, it’s time to move past the basics, and the suburbs need to show up and do the work. By mirroring some of the policies enforced by cities the suburbs can move on to more important conversations in the climate crisis.
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