19 Aug Saxons Go Green’s Reusable Bags

Saxons Go Green is a club at Langley High School that drives action to promote environmental activism among the student body through activities such as raising awareness, hosting cleanups, and promulgating sustainable habits. As Vice President of the club, I’ve recently spearheaded an initiative that has distributed over 500 reusable bags across the community, including at Langley High School, the district supervisor’s office, and local grocery stores.

In December 2021, Saxons Go Green (SGG) hosted a community fundraiser that yielded over $450 in earnings. 100% of the proceeds were donated to the local non-profit environmental organization, Clean Fairfax. Founded in 1985, the mission of Clean Fairfax is to encourage environmental stewardship and urban sustainability in Fairfax County, Virginia through education, programming, and community involvement. As I collaborated with Clean Fairfax’s Executive Director, Jen Cole, Clean Fairfax matched the donation and produced 500+ reusable grocery bags to distribute across the region.

This initiative is especially relevant in my local community because, effective January 1, 2022, the county implemented a $.05 plastic bag fee at grocery and convenience stores. In turn, these reusable bags aid the community to bring their own bags when shopping and avoid single-use plastic bags. Currently, it is estimated that the US alone goes through 100 million plastic bags per year, and fewer than 10% of those bags are ever recycled. Almost 70% of what Clean Fairfax finds in their monitoring and cleanup of area streams is single-use plastic pollution (bags, bottles, plastic wrappers). By partnering with Clean Fairfax, Saxons Go Green is able to promote sustainable habits across the Northern Virginia region, tangibly reduce single-use plastic waste, and take the necessary steps towards a greener future.