The city of Richmond’s new solid waste reduction initiative, funded by revenue from the plastic bag tax, is in its early stages, but officials said it will include detailed waste-characterization studies and examine how residents will dispose of materials. The city of Richmond’s Department of Public Works (DPW), along with the Office of Sustainability, has been coordinating this new initiative for several months, according to Torrence Robinson, the deputy director of operations and maintenance of the department.
Laura Thomas, the city’s Director of the Office of Sustainability, who leads the RVAgreen 2050 initiative, previously announced the effort during RVAgreen 2050’s third anniversary event. The initiative would be supported by revenue from the city’s plastic bag tax, which is managed by the Office of Sustainability, Robinson said.
Over the next month, with support from the DPW Service Commission, Thomas said the Office of Sustainability plans to form a solid waste subcommittee to help launch and support the new initiative. The subcommittee will begin soon by hearing recommendations from committee members about ideas or initiatives DPW may consider moving forward.