This week, we are highlighting two local environmental initiatives that Fairfax residents can participate in. We’ve also been reading about the consequences of plastic and updates on national programs.

Sustain Fairfax Challenge – Fairfax County Government, February 2025

The Sustain Fairfax Challenge is a platform that allows you to learn about and track sustainable actions you can take in your home! The challenge also allows you to connect with others in the community and to create teams or groups with friends or family members in different households. The suggestions provided through the Sustain Fairfax Challenge can help you save money and make your home and community more environmentally friendly.

Conservation Poster Contest – Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, May 28, 2025

The Conservation Poster Contest is now open to entries until June 30, 2025! The 2025 Stewardship theme of “Home is Where the Habitat Is” must be incorporated into designs. Students in grades K-12 are eligible to submit their best designs in the categories of Hand-Drawn, Digital, Braille, or Additional Assistance Posters. Posters may be submitted digitally to NVSWCD or mailed to their office by June 30 for consideration. 

Walmart, Mondelēz, Mars, Nestlé leave the US Plastics Pact – Waste Dive, May 22, 2025

Many large companies have exited the US Plastics Pact, a group of stakeholders in the plastics value chain. The US Plastics Pact has a roadmap with targets of reduced single-use nonrecyclable plastic production and usage. A few of the companies that just left did express facing obstacles reaching their 2025 targets.

Shuttering of EPA’s Energy Star Program Would Affect Electric Bills and the Environment – Scientific American, May 8, 2025 

Energy Star, the decades-old energy-efficiency certification program run by the EPA, will reportedly be shutting down. This program saves money for companies and individuals through labelling of energy-efficient products. The Energy Star logo has become a recognizable stamp of approval on energy-saving products. Without that, it may be harder to know which products are truly environmentally and economically friendly.

Ziploc hit with class-action lawsuit over potentially harmful microplastics – NJ.com, May 15, 2025
Ziploc is facing a class-action lawsuit regarding the microplastics contained in their plastic bags. The bags contain polyethylene and polypropylene, two materials which have been found to release microplastics when microwaved or frozen. The lawsuit claims that Ziploc is misleading in advertising their products as microwave and freezer safe.

On a pristine Australian island, the seabirds have become so full of plastic they crackle and crunch – ABC News Australia, May 14, 2025

Dr. Jennifer Lavers has been studying mutton birds on Lord Howe Island, off the east coast of Australia, for 18 years. Each year she has been finding more and more plastic ingested by the birds. Now, the birds consume so much plastic that they crackle and crunch. This highlights the problem with plastic usage and waste worldwide.