We’re bringing back the Clean Fairfax Environmental News Roundup, sharing a few stories each week that we find notable. 

To kick it off, here are several recent stories that caught our attention:

Farmers market season takes root across Fairfax County, starting this week – FFX Now, Apr. 15, 2025
We’re thrilled that the Fairfax County Park Authority’s ten farmers markets are going plastic bag-free this season! Head out to your nearest farmers market (a full directory can be found on our website) and remember your reusable bags.

Maryland Gov. Moore signs packaging EPR into law – Packaging Dive, May 13, 2025
Maryland joins just five other states by passing a new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law that holds companies responsible for the disposal, recycling, and end-of-life management of their products. This new Maryland law covers packaging, paper, and beverage containers. Once fully in force, it will require that stores and manufacturers deal with transportation, recycling, composting, and contamination management.

How REI reached a key zero-waste milestone before Target and Walmart – Trellis, May 8, 2025
The popular outdoor clothing and equipment coop has achieved 90% diversion of its waste from landfills and incinerators in 2024, instead recycling or composting the material. It’s the first major retailer to reach this target, and the organization continues to strive for zero waste (meaning 100% of waste is diverted). They are also working on reducing single-use packaging by requiring suppliers to find alternatives or eliminate it at the source. Great job, REI!

Starch-based bioplastic may be as toxic as petroleum-based plastic, study finds – The Guardian, May 13, 2025
This article discusses a new peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry which found that biodegradable starch-based plastics, known as bioplastics, can cause serious health problems for wildlife and humans as they break down in the environment. While bioplastics have been heralded by the fossil fuel industry as safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, this study points to the fact that the source of a plastic’s base polymer may not make a difference when it comes to the product’s toxicity.

These “Old Ladies” Dive Into Massachusetts Ponds, Come Up Bearing Pounds of Garbage – Nice News, Mar 1, 2025
A growing group of women over the age of 64 who call themselves Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, or OLAUG, has been attacking the problem of sunken trash in ponds across Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Read all about their efforts and achievements here!