The opportunity to play an active role in protecting the communities, natural spaces, and people of Fairfax County is an opportunity I will never forget. I will always be a Virginian and Bailey’s Crossroads will always be home- Fairfax County has shaped who I was as a child and who I am as an adult. The first place I caught a snake was on Upper Long Branch, it was also the place I repeatedly tried to surf while standing on a plastic sled. The wildness of Fairfax County creeks instilled me with a sense exploration that I carry with me to this day. Twenty-five years ago I would follow Fairfax County creeks to see what was around the next bend. Now, I call it the “river fever”- I still need to see what’s around that next bend.

Clean Fairfax enabled me to revisit those creeks with the same sense of purpose I felt when I was a kid flipping rocks over looking for crawfish. My focus has shifted from critters to plastic waste, which is unfortunately way easier to find- both activities have been equally important to creating the human I am today.

As I step away from Clean Fairfax, I look back on a time and organization that gave me so much personally and the hope that I was able to provide a lasting positive impact on the county that raised me. The environmental issues facing Fairfax County and Virginia are significant, but I am encouraged at the local and statewide initiatives that are underway.

Supervisor Lusk asked us to head a new Litter Task Force for Fairfax County. We are working to provide the Board of Supervisors with a detailed list of opportunities the county can take to drastically reduce the amount of litter in Fairfax County. Building momentum to this task force has been a significant portion of my work with Clean Fairfax. I spent early mornings in neighborhoods before the trash trucks made their rounds, too many hours analyzing maps and walked hundreds of miles through county creeks. I joined this effort years after Jen, her leadership and persistence have made this task force a reality and provided me with an incredible learning experience. I am extremely grateful and proud that one of my last actions at Clean Fairfax is the opportunity to participate in this Litter Task Force and use the research that has been my focus for two years to make positive changes.

I’m grateful we were able to play a role in important environmental legislation on the state level. Expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) food and beverage service containers will be a thing of the past in Virginia. There will no longer be mass balloon releases at football games or weddings. The momentum to implement the $0.05 fee for single use plastic bags is growing in localities around the Commonwealth. The Virginia Litter Tax has been raised for the first time in 43 years which will provide an estimated additional $900,000 for the state to use for litter prevention and mitigation programs around Virginia.

I’m leaving Clean Fairfax proud of the work we have done and thankful I was able to play a part but with full knowledge the effort is not complete. I am 100% confident the team at Clean Fairfax will continue to rack up victories and I look forward to seeing all of the great things that are being planned! You can expect to see Clean Fairfax continuing to hold corporations accountable while pushing for a bottle bill and extended producer responsibility.

So much has happened – both personally and professionally – since I came to Clean Fairfax. I never updated my bio on our website, if I had, it would now read like this::

“Zach is a native of Fairfax County, having lived all over the Southeast, he always finds his way back to Northern Virginia. Zach has a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Sustainability and Environmental Compliance and Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science with a concentration in Natural Resources and Conservation.

Zach’s focus is proving that environmental justice and sustainable solutions are the economic solution. It is always less expensive for society to confront a problem rather than to find stop-gap measures that allow problems to persist.

His passion for environmental issues stems from a life spent exploring the outdoors and years as a fishing guide. Zach lives with his wife, Lexi, and their two dogs, Buddy and Cappy. When he’s not working, you can find him on one of our local rivers kayak fishing or running trails with his family.”

I may be stepping away from Clean Fairfax and leaving Virginia, but I will always be connected to Clean Fairfax and the wonderful people who make our work a reality. I’m grateful for the communities, schools, and individuals who invited me to have conversations about plastic pollution and the issues we face here in Fairfax County. I’m especially thankful to Jen who has provided unwavering mentorship and friendship to this dirty river rat. She is my lifelong friend, mentor, advisor, and ghostwriter- I would not be in the position I am today without her support. This isn’t the last you’ve heard of Jen and I together, you can’t keep besties apart! Our podcast, “Getting to Greener” is in the works and we are so excited to share it with everyone!

Yours in Solidarity,

Zach Huntington