Clean Fairfax loves farmers markets because they combine the practical with the enjoyable. They represent one of the few health-promoting, waste-reducing actions that everyone can feel good about, without reservation, qualification, or sacrifice.

Visiting a local farmers market is about more than picking up fresh tomatoes or a loaf of artisan bread. It’s an opportunity to support local farmers, reduce waste, strengthen the local economy, and connect with your community, while enjoying some of the freshest food available. What’s not to love?

All of which is to say, when you shop at the farmers market, you care for your community in numerous ways that support environmental stewardship, the local economy, and your own health – which is why Clean Fairfax is all about farmers markets.  

We are fortunate to have so many markets to choose from. In Fairfax County, 10 of the 15 markets are operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority. The County’s 10 farmers markets are the largest farmers market system in Virginia. In 2025, they were also the first in the Commonwealth to eliminate plastic shopping bags, making it easier for folks to transition to reusable bags instead of single-use plastic. 

Several markets in the region also operate year-round or nearly so; they are not just seasonal events anymore. Check out our Ultimate Northern Virginia Farmers Market List for a complete listing of markets and hours in Fairfax County and beyond.

Remember to “turnip with your tote” at a farmers market in Fairfax County! 

As we celebrate National Farmers Market Week (August 2–8), we’re highlighting some of the ways that shopping at a farmers market is a sustainable choice for you all year round, while supporting your community, and the environment. 

Caroline Hockenberry, Farmers Market Coordinator, says, “‘Buy Local’ isn’t just a catchy phrase; it means your dollars go to a family not a corporate shareholder, your food was in the ground yesterday not on a truck for days, no QR codes just ask the farmer the best way to cook a vegetable, and you have the choice of 10 types of cherry tomatoes, not just two or three!”

Small Choices Make a Big Difference

Making the most “sustainable” choice often feels overwhelming – we know. Shopping at farmers markets, happily, is one decision you don’t have to agonize over. You can take meaningful environmental action by:

• Bringing your reusable shopping bags.
• Buying fruits and vegetables without layers of plastic packaging.
• Talking directly with the people who grew your food, as well as enjoying a community atmosphere with your neighbors.
• Composting your kitchen scraps at any FCPA farmers market instead of sending them to a landfill.
• Donating fresh produce to a neighbor in need through the Nourish Your Neighbor program.
• Finding excellent value for your money, especially if you are using SNAP/WIC benefits at participating markets, where you can enjoy double the value when buying eligible products.

None of these actions are complicated on their own. Put together, they create a shopping experience that’s built around supporting a healthy community, economy, and environment.

Less Plastic, Less Packaging

At Clean Fairfax, our mission is to encourage environmental stewardship and urban sustainability. That is one reason why we love the fact that our County farmers markets have committed to reducing plastic and promoting less wasteful alternatives.

Many grocery store fruits and vegetables come wrapped in plastic bags, trays, clamshell containers, or shrink wrap. You can’t avoid it, and you have to buy things in the quantity packaged, whether you need it or not. At a farmers market, a lot of that packaging isn’t needed or used. Produce is often sold loose, allowing shoppers to bring their own reusable produce and grocery bags and buy only what they need.

The Fairfax County Farmers Markets are leading by example with their elimination of single-use plastic shopping bags. It keeps tens of thousands of such bags from becoming waste that must be managed. That is what we call front end waste management.

Food Scraps Don’t Belong in the Trash – Compost Them for Free 

Every Fairfax County Farmers Market offers free food scrap composting near the market manager’s tent. Residents can drop off accepted kitchen scraps, including fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and meal leftovers.

That is a big deal because around a third of everything we throw away is compostable(!). Whether it is needlessly burned in an incinerator or gets hauled to a landfill, organic waste lumped in with other trash meets a bad end. Composting keeps those materials out of the waste stream while returning valuable nutrients to the soil, thus becoming a resource instead of a pollutant.

It’s an easy habit that reduces household waste and helps close the loop between food, soil, and future harvests rather than adding to our waste problems.

Supporting Local Farmers Supports Everyone

When you shop at a farmers market, your dollars stay in the community. According to the USDA, farmers market vendors keep more than 90 cents of every dollar spent with them because they sell directly to customers rather than through multiple distributors and retailers. That means more of your purchase supports local farms, small businesses, and the regional economy.

Buying directly from farmers also offers an opportunity to communicate. Do you want to know how your lettuce and tomatoes were grown and handled? Are you curious about the best way to cook an unfamiliar vegetable? Or interested in learning what will be in season next month? The people growing your food are right there to answer your questions.

That connection helps build trust in our local food system while giving shoppers a better understanding of where their food comes from. And all FCPA farmers markets are “producer only,” meaning that “farmers and producers may only sell what they raise on their farms or make from scratch,” per the County website. Every time you use your dollars to buy food from a farmers market in Fairfax County, you are supporting neighbors, encouraging nearby agricultural land to stay agricultural, and voting for a simpler food chain where food safety is much more transparent and easy to trace.

Fresh Food for More Families

The accessibility and affordability of healthy food are another important feature of farmers markets.  Participating Fairfax County Farmers Markets accept SNAP benefits and offer the Virginia Fresh Match program, allowing eligible shoppers to double the value of their SNAP dollars when purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, $20 in SNAP benefits can become $40 to spend on eligible produce.

The markets also host Nourish Your Neighbor on the last market day of each month. Shoppers can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and donate them before leaving the market. Those donations are delivered to nearby food pantries, helping provide healthy food to families throughout the community.

See Clean Fairfax at the Annandale Farmers Market

This summer, Clean Fairfax is proud to partner with the Fairfax County Farmers Markets by bringing hands-on sustainability demonstrations to the Annandale Farmers Market every other week.

Our goal is simple: help people discover practical ways to reduce waste and make healthy choices in everyday life.

Here is a taste of some of the topics we’re covering:

• Making soup stock with vegetable scraps
• Easy single use to reusable swaps
• How to propagate vegetables from your scraps
• How to concoct herbed vinegar with farmers market finds

Whether you’re a longtime market shopper or visiting for the first time, we’d love to meet you.

Clean Fairfax has a bi-weekly presence at the Annandale Farmers Market during the 2026 season.
Come see us every other Thursday! 

“Farmer and Farmers Markets are such an important part of the sustainable landscape here in Northern Virginia and vendors stepped up to feed us all during various supply chain disruptions and food safety issues, as well as the closures and impacts felt during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you didn’t make Farmers Markets part of your weekly shop then, now is a great time to start,” says Jen Cole, Executive Director of Clean Fairfax.

Community Connection and IRL Interactions

Real sustainability often requires policy changes to systems and structural norms. Although individuals are often told that it’s their responsibility to clean up after polluting corporations, the cards are stacked against us. It does not always feel easy to turn the tide of plastic pollution, and yet we want to make a meaningful difference in our own lives.

Shopping at a farmers market is one of the ways to do it.

You can reduce plastic packaging. Compost your kitchen scraps. Support local farmers and small businesses. Learn more about where your food comes from. Help fresh produce reach neighbors experiencing food insecurity. And spend a morning connecting with your community instead of rushing through another grocery trip.

That’s a lot of positive impact from one stop! Try it and see how it goes. The point is not to be perfect or to prove that you are singlehandedly saving the planet; it’s simply to use your power for good.

If you haven’t visited a Fairfax County Farmers Market this season, National Farmers Market Week is the perfect excuse to start. Grab your reusable bags, bring your compostables, and see what makes these markets such an important part of a healthier, more sustainable Fairfax County.

We hope to see you there.

It’s a rare and magical thing to find a spot where creativity, sustainability, and community all collide. Yet that is exactly how we would describe Dabble Creative Reuse Center in Historic Downtown Manassas. The center is more than an arts-and-crafts thrift store. It is a vibrant community hub where donated materials get a second life, artists and makers connect, and people rediscover the joy of creating without the environmental cost of constantly buying new STUFF.

Founded by artist and owner Kelly Auldridge, Dabble has been serving the community for about two and a half years, helping divert usable materials from the waste stream while making crafting more affordable and accessible.

A Creative Reuse Mission

Creative reuse centers operate on a simple, powerful concept where people donate gently used or leftover art and craft supplies, and those materials are then sold at affordable prices for others to use.

At Dabble, shelves are filled with everything from fabric and yarn to buttons, paper scraps, beads, sewing supplies, paint, and unexpected treasures waiting to inspire someone’s next project. Instead of ending up in the trash, these materials become part of a circular system that supports both creativity and waste reduction.

That exchange creates not only affordable crafting opportunities, but also community connection. When we asked Kelly what had surprised her most since opening the center, her answer was “the joy and the gratitude that we receive from people donating. There is so much love when people bring their things here.”

It struck her how much people enjoyed knowing that their unneeded yet treasured supplies would help others in an ongoing arts and crafts journey.

Building a Reuse Community

Kelly was inspired to open Dabble after attending a sustainable art event hosted by Fillagreen and learning about Upcycle Creative Reuse Center in Alexandria. The idea immediately resonated with her.

Now, Dabble is part of a growing network of creative reuse organizations working together to promote sustainability through art and crafting. Kelly participates in a Virginia creative reuse directors group, a Southeast Creative Reuse Collective, and nationwide creative reuse meetups and online communities where organizers collaborate, share ideas, and support one another.

That collaboration reflects a larger movement centered around reducing waste, increasing accessibility, and strengthening communities through reuse.

More Than a Store

While shopping at Dabble happens in person, the center’s impact extends beyond its retail operation. The shop regularly hosts classes, workshops, and community events designed to bring people together and encourage creative exploration.

Upcoming activities include a monthly junk journaling club where participants receive a curated bag of craft materials along with a small local snack. Dabble also hosts a Queer Craft Night on the last Tuesday of every month, creating welcoming opportunities for community members to gather and create.

Dabble also partners with other local artisans and businesses for workshops. Stephanie from “Thanks, I Made It” and Janine from the Sewing Lab recently visited as part of the Sewing Lab’s Pop-up Repair Tour to offer on-the-spot clothing repairs while promoting sustainable fashion, and collaborations with sewing groups and local libraries continue to expand the center’s community network.

For example, Dabble works with the Manassas Central Library for craft swaps and hosts a yearly event where teachers can fill one bag with free supplies from the “teachers table,” helping educators access creative materials at a low cost.

Sustainability Through Creativity

Creative reuse is an often-overlooked part of sustainability. When we think about reducing waste, we may picture recycling bins or compost piles. But craft supplies, fabric scraps, unfinished projects, and other odds and ends often fall through the cracks. Many of these items are still perfectly usable but are difficult to recycle through traditional systems.

That is where places like Dabble make a huge difference. By keeping materials in use longer, creative reuse centers help conserve resources, reduce landfill waste, and encourage people to rethink what is considered “trash.” And by reselling them to shoppers, Dabble is also reducing the amount of “new stuff” being purchased in the first place, thus avoiding future waste before it even happens.

They also make creativity more accessible. Buying new art and crafting supplies can be expensive, especially for teachers, families, students, and beginners exploring a new hobby. Dabble lowers that barrier while fostering a culture of reuse and experimentation.

Walking through the shop, you can’t help but feel inspired by the colorful displays, bins of eclectic materials, and examples of upcycled artwork throughout the space. It feels like a pure discovery center, full of endless possibilities.

Visit Dabble Creative Reuse Center and Join the Fun

Dabble Creative Reuse Center is located at 9100 Church Street, Suite 101, in Downtown Manassas and is open Tuesday through Sunday. Small donations can be dropped off during regular business hours, while larger donations can be scheduled in advance. 

To learn more about upcoming workshops, donation guidelines, and events, visit Dabble Creative Reuse Center’s website at https://www.dabblecrc.com or follow them on social media: IG: @dabble_crc; FB: Dabble_CRC.

This is a featured guest post by Kaashvi Kasera, a student at Oakton High School. Kaashvi is a member of the Environmental Club at her school and is currently working on her Girl Scout Gold Award.

Snow has fallen and salt on the roads has become a familiar sight this winter. 

Salt lowers the freezing point of water, which prevents ice from forming and makes driving in the winter safer. However, most people don’t know that salting roads and sidewalks can negatively affect local waterways, animals, and plants, because salt contains chloride, which is toxic to aquatic and plant life. In fact, salt can even corrode equipment and damage infrastructure, such as buildings, concrete, and our own vehicles, as it creates chemical reactions that can corrode our cars. This costs approximately 5 million dollars for repair in the United States alone.

Let’s dive deeper into how salt affects the environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that although road salting has benefits, there are “many opportunities for improvement”. One of the major consequences that salt poses on our environment is that it can contaminate drinking water through penetrating surface and ground waters, which can affect people with high blood pressure. Additionally, the salt can flow to the lakes and rivers around us, and cause the habitats of many aquatic species to become too salty for them to survive. Excess road salt can kill plants and harm wildlife, such as deer, who often lick the salt, as they have a natural craving for sodium.

Many may think that although road salt may be harmful to wildlife in excess, it’s necessary to keep our roads safe. In fact, an interviewee on WBGH, a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts, claimed, “The alternative, of course, is that no one’s going to be safe on the roadways. [Salt’s] just a necessary evil to use around here…”. 

This may seem true, but Winter Salt Week, a week where governmental and non-governmental organizations address the pressing issues of salt on our roads, works to establish firmer policies and community action. The dedicated week discusses ways for us to help reduce the harmful effects of salt and provides alternatives for salt for us to stay safe on the roads and keep our environment safe. 

There are several simple steps we can take as a community. It’s important to become familiar with #WinterSaltSmart practices. This includes shoveling early, and removing snow from pavements before it turns to ice. It’s important to use salt only after the snow has been cleared as well as only using salt in areas needed for safety. It’s also crucial to ensure that you spread the salt evenly–try not to distribute salt in clumps or patches. Also…use less salt! Adding more salt does not guarantee more melting. A 12-ounce mug of salt should be enough for a 20-foot driveway or about 10 sidewalk squares. Additionally, we can divert downspouts. When possible, we encourage channeling downspout spillage to drain onto lawn areas rather than sidewalks and driveways. To continue, look for salt that is left over. If you see salt remaining after the ice has melted, sweep the salt into safe storage to keep the salt from entering our rivers and streams. You can use it again next time! Lastly, it’s important to keep an eye on the temperature. Salt will not work if you apply when the temperature is below 15° Fahrenheit. If the temperature is below 15°F, consider building traction with alternatives such as native birdseed or sand.

We’re going to end this article with one last tip about being salt smart in the winter. Brine–salt melted in water–is much more effective than salt and is healthier for the environment, so we recommend using it to pretreat if your state or county allows it. We hope that you put these strategies for salt application into use, and become more #WinterSaltSmart! 

This is a featured guest post by Kaashvi Kasera, a student at Oakton High School. Kaashvi is a member of the Environmental Club at her school and is currently working on her Girl Scout Gold Award.

Fall is here and with it, a high demand for rakes. But before you grab yours, let’s pause to consider: how beneficial is raking really? What impact does it have on the environment that often goes unnoticed? Those fallen leaves might seem like messy, brown clutter, but they’re far from waste. In fact, they play an important role in supporting nature right in your own backyard.

Fallen leaves are more than just yard clutter. They’re vital homes for wildlife like fireflies, moths, butterflies, and countless other insects. There’s no need to shred or remove them; creatures such as roly-polies and leaf-eating bugs naturally break down the leaves for you, enriching the soil in the process. So skip the shredding— nature already has its own cleanup crew.

Lastly, let’s take a look at two specific examples of wildlife and what important life processes are happening beneath the leaves. The National Wildlife Federation mentions the mourning cloak butterfly. These mysteriously named insects, cloaked in velvet and black, are known for their hibernation habits. Fallen leaves provide insulation, especially when colder temperatures arrive. Stay tuned, because this next fact may surprise you. The National Wildlife Federation states that when butterflies hibernate in the leaves for the winter in order to conserve their energy, they can endure temperatures as cold as -76 degrees Fahrenheit!

Next, the Luna moth, often considered one of North America’s most beautiful moths, depends on fallen leaves. Within the leaf litter, these moths will pupate, or develop into a pupa. They will use the leaves to create their cocoons. Additionally, Luna moths have a short lifespan, and the majority of their time as an adult is spent reproducing. By conserving their energy underneath leaves, Luna moths are able to stay healthy during harsh winter conditions allowing them to find mates and lay eggs efficiently. 

This year, we hope you’ll consider leaving the leaves in your yard! You can rake them into garden beds or piles in your yard to clear walkways and benefit the local ecosystem right outside your window.

Remember that if you must remove the leaves, they belong in paper yard waste bags, never in plastic, to ensure they get properly composted. Check with your hauler to find out when yard waste pickup is.

We’re highlighting several stories this week that inspire local environmental action to make a real difference: recognition for climate activists, Boston’s booming food forests, India’s garbage cafe, un-greenwashing compostables, and a teenager’s efforts to rid Scotland of single-use plastics.

Climate progress is still happening: Meet the 2025 Grist 50 – Grist, September 16, 2025

For the tenth year, Grist has announced the Grist 50: 50 individuals finding innovative solutions to climate problems. The list features people working across a wide range of areas, from artists to entrepreneurs to policy advocates. This year, five of the Grist 50 hail from our DMV region!

Boston’s Food Forests Take Root as a Climate Equity Strategy – Inside Climate News, October 3, 2025

The Boston Food Forest Coalition (BFFC) has been working tirelessly to plant edible fruit and nut trees on commonly owned land in vulnerable communities around the Boston metropolitan region. These food forests contribute positive community impacts on a number of levels: they support wildlife, mitigate climate impacts, provide food to the local community, and add much-needed green spaces in areas that are lacking. The Coalition has already developed 13 food forests and aims to plant 30 by 2030.

Rice, two curries and dal: The Indian cafes where you can pay in rubbish – BBC, August 19, 2025

In 2019, the City of Ambikapur, India established its first garbage cafe, where city residents can turn in collected plastic waste in exchange for free meals. This innovative concept has proved successful, collecting over 23 tonnes of plastic since its inception, and feeding dozens of people per day who otherwise might not have had access to healthy and nutritious meals. It is a win-win for the city, which turned its only landfill into a park in 2016 and now recycles nearly all of its waste.

Here’s what happens when ‘compostable’ products become litter – CBC, September 25, 2025

It’s time to debunk claims of “compostable” products being sold as greener alternatives to single-use plastics. CBC’s Marketplace program tested 30 supposedly compostable items. Only three of the 30 products decomposed, while others broke apart without breaking down, just like their plastic counterparts. The reality is that “compostables” are still single-use products that don’t solve our waste problems.

‘You don’t get to aim big when you are somewhere small’: A teenager’s fight to end single use plastics on her Scottish island – The Guardian, September 24, 2025

Tabby Fletcher is a 17-year-old resident of Scotland’s Isle of Jura, where she is spearheading a movement to ban all single-use plastics in Scotland, after coming to grips with the enormous harms that plastics cause to people and wildlife in her community. She started a petition to the Scottish Parliament that has garnered more than 26,000 signatures and is slated for consideration this fall.

Taste your way through the unique offerings of Lebanese Roastery & Market in Springfield, Virginia. Whether you need to stock up on staples like grains, beans, coffee, or spices, or you want to satisfy snack cravings, this store stocks treats of all kinds. Mohammed (Mo), the owner, opened the store less than a year ago and curated a wide selection of bulk and packaged products from all over the Middle East.

The Roastery has proven very popular as the first of its kind in Northern Virginia. Happy customers return regularly to stock up on favorites such as gelatin-free Halal gummies, fresh Palestinian olive oil, fancy Jordanian chocolates, and all manner of salty snacks. Perhaps the most prized product is the raw organic Sidr honey from Yemen, which promises myriad health benefits. In season, you can also find specialty fresh fruits and vegetables such as grape leaves, cactus fruits, and fava beans. Lebanese Roastery & Market accepts SNAP EBT for eligible food items.

Set up like a traditional market, when you enter the store, Mo or Ahmed will immediately offer you fresh hot coffee to sip while you shop. Open bulk bags and containers welcome visitors to choose whatever products they like (with many free samples offered!) in whatever quantity suits them. This setup allows flexibility and reduces waste because shoppers can tailor their purchases to suit their needs. 

Remember to bring your own small paper bags and reusable containers to fill them with the rich tastes of Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. Whether you are seeking favorites from back home or trying out new-to-you foods, Mo and Ahmed can answer questions and help you find something to enjoy with their personal, friendly service.

We love the personal, customizable, and low-waste setup of this shop. The owner used some repurposed shelving and materials and then hand built additional wooden shelves that showcase products in an easily accessible way. The result is a cozy, welcoming, and efficient layout allowing smooth circulation.

Lebanese Roastery & Market is located in Brookfield Plaza, which boasts many international shops and restaurants. It is accessible by foot from local neighborhoods, by car, or via the 310 Franconia Road/Rolling Valley bus route. Check it out!

On our radar this week: first, let your electeds know you support National Forest protections; also, a temporary pause on data centers; the EPA looks to end one of its valuable emissions reporting programs; and dangers to drinking water protections.

Stand up for the South’s wildest forests – Southern Environmental Law Center, September 1, 2025

One of the ways that the highest quality public forest areas get protection is through the Roadless Rule, which limits where logging can occur within our National Forests. Now, the United States Forest Service is actively working to roll back those protections. Tell the Forest Service to keep the Roadless Rule by signing on to a petition and submitting comments – the deadline is this Friday, September 19th.

‘We have to set standards’: Why Prince George’s County paused data center plans – NBC4 Washington, September 16, 2025

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy signed an Executive Order backed up by a unanimous County Council resolution this week to pause all data center permits and applications while the county considers and establishes clearer development standards. After a citizen-led petition gathered over 20,000 signatures, the County Council and a Data Center taskforce began meeting to examine data center development, which has increased significantly in recent years. The County will take at least six months to review recommendations and move forward with future data center permitting.

EPA releases formal proposal to end Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program – Waste Dive, September 15, 2025

The EPA is proposing to do away with the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), which has collected emissions data from polluting facilities nationwide since 2007. The data is central for monitoring carbon emissions data for all sorts of efforts, not only for use by regulators. This latest proposal will be heard later this year, with a public comment period, so stay tuned.

House Bill Amending the Clean Water Act Could Mean Dirtier Water Nationwide—And Especially in Iowa – Inside Climate News, September 9, 2025

A recent bill passed out of committee in the US House of Representatives proposes changes to the Clean Water Act that would sweepingly exempt many waterways from protection under the Act. In particular, the proposed amendment would limit regulation of chemical and agricultural discharges from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which heavily pollute waterways. Iowa is the leading home of CAFOs, but this proposed amendment’s effects would be felt in every state.

This week, very close to home, we have an exciting opportunity to share: make your own worm composting bin! Also, get educated about Virginia environmental issues; and stories on recycling system design, microplastics in face masks, and environmental health risks.

Upcoming Worm Composting Bin Workshop, October 4th 2-4PM – Green Acres Center, Fairfax

Sign up to make your own worm composting bin to take home! At the workshop, you’ll learn all about composting with worms and you will leave with a fully functional bin (with worms!) ready to start composting your kitchen food scraps. Sponsored by the Northern VA Soil and Water Conservation District, City of Fairfax, Pollinative Sustainable Land Management, and Clean Fairfax. Space is limited. Cost is $10 per bin.

Our Common Agenda – Virginia Conservation Network, August 2025

The Virginia Conservation Network recently published the 2026 legislative briefing book, Our Common Agenda, which summarizes the Commonwealth’s environmental policy landscape. Read up on issues and opportunities to inform yourself in advance of the next legislative session.

To raise recycling rates, look to system design: SWANA – Waste Dive, September 5, 2025

Speakers at a recent conference of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) discussed ways to improve recycling rates and limit contamination of the waste stream. They  highlighted the importance of designing effective and easy to understand systems so that residents understand what’s recyclable and how and where to do so. As one put it, “Simply telling residents to recycle more or recycle correctly won’t work unless they have resources to make it happen.”

Disposable face masks used during Covid have left chemical timebomb, research suggests – The Guardian, September 8, 2025

We used billions of plastic-based disposable face masks around the world during the pandemic. A large proportion of them wound up in the environment as litter or escaped trash. A recent study found that – surprise! – they are leaving a significant environmental and health impact, including releasing bisphenol-B, a known hormone disruptor.

The Clue to Unlocking Parkinson’s May Be All Around Us – New York Times, September 8, 2025

Scientific research is confirming links between environmental chemical exposure and the incidence of Parkinson’s Disease. Specifically, the agricultural pesticide, paraquat, looks like a major culprit. Other chemicals like TCE and PCE, commonly used in dry cleaning, may also contribute. Paraquat is banned in many other countries, including the ones that produce it. But in the US, it is still legal.

The health risks from plastics almost nobody knows about – Washington Post, September 4, 2025

Phtalates are chemicals commonly found in a range of plastic products, and they’re being linked to more and more health risks, particularly relating to fertility. Pregnant women and infants appear to be especially vulnerable, but these “everywhere chemicals” affect all of us.

We’re in the home stretch of August, and this week we’re calling all nature-minded artists in Fairfax County to enter a design contest. Also, we’re reading about grocery delivery services and plastic bags; a failed plastic factory in PA; dangers of chemicals in hair styling products; and youth speaking truth to power in Wisconsin.

Design a Landmark: Looking for Local Artists for New Bus Rapid Transit Stations – Fairfax County, August 21, 2025

Calling all artistic folks! Fairfax County and ArtsFairfax have opened a contest for art submissions to be featured on new Route 1 Bus Rapid Transit bus shelters. There is a Natural Resources category that would be a wonderful opportunity for a local artist to showcase our native plants and/or our waterways. Learn more and apply here.

Ocado worst for plastic bags as total single-use sales rise for first time – The Guardian, August 25, 2025

In the United Kingdom (and we strongly suspect in the US as well!) grocery delivery services are increasing the overall number of single-use plastic bags being used. As more people order their food and groceries delivered rather than making shopping trips themselves, disposable bags are again proliferating.

Pennsylvania Lured Shell to the State With a $1.65 Billion Tax Break. Now the Company Wants to Sell Its Plant – Inside Climate News, August 22, 2025

After Pennsylvania taxpayers bore the cost of a huge tax break offered to Shell to site a polyethylene (single-use plastic) factory near Pittsburgh, the plant has proved to be faulty, accident-prone, and unprofitable. “Looking back, ‘this was a terrible investment of taxpayer money,’ one analyst said.” Shell is now looking to sell the facility, which has generated numerous health and nuisance complaints from nearby residents. 

Your hair styling routine may expose you to toxic levels of air pollution – Environmental Health News, August 26, 2025

You know all of those eight-syllable chemical ingredients you can’t pronounce on the back of your hair product container? Well, it turns out that when you blow dry, all of that hot air releases tons of nanoparticles that you then inhale in your poorly ventilated bathroom. And we’re guessing that humans were never intended to inhale them….

In the wake of destructive floods, Wisconsin youth sue state utility regulator over failure to consider climate change – Grist, August 27, 2025

As more and more climate change-induced extreme weather events hit communities, they cause major damage and loss of life. Several young Wisconsin residents are suing the state’s Public Service Commission to force it to consider climate change when it conducts fossil fuel permitting processes, arguing that the current protocol infringes on their constitutional rights to life and liberty.

Before you do anything else, go tell USDOT that safe bicycling infrastructure means safer roads for all users. Plus, BuzzBallz and their polluting packaging; the global plastic treaty falls through (thanks, American Chemistry Council); Lagos targets single-use plastics; and the EPA is hiding risky chemical operations from the public.

Speak Up for Safer Streets: Tell USDOT What Fairfax Needs – Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, August 16, 2025

Today, August 20, 2025, is the deadline to make your voice heard on the importance of funding safe and suitable bicycle transportation infrastructure. Tell USDOT that when we create roads and travel corridors safe for bicycles, we make them safe for everyone. It only takes a minute to send a message – and US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy just aired his view that the next federal transportation reauthorization bill should not prioritize bike lanes at the expense of cars.

‘They’re not chic!’ How did BuzzBallz become the undisputed drink of the summer? – The Guardian, August 19, 2025

BuzzBallz, the sugary flavored alcopop drink invented in the US in 2009, is having a moment in 2025. The drinks come in globular single-use plastic bottles. In the UK, the drinks are especially popular among Gen Z. One enthusiast remarked, “‘People litter them a lot, so you see them around,’ says James. ‘It’s actually really good advertising. They’re everywhere.’” Although BuzzBallz say they are packaged in “100% recyclable” PET plastics, in reality, the containers are not readily recyclable through most municipal waste management streams. Litter, needless to say, is NOT good advertising – in fact, it has begun garnering lawsuits for several food and beverage giants.

Failure of talks for plastic treaty turn focus back to reduce, reuse, recycle. How’s that going? – AP News, August 15, 2025

The US (with strong nudging from the American Chemistry Council) and other petrochemical states scuttled treaty negotiations in Geneva last week when representatives from the world’s nations met to hammer out a treaty to deal with our plastic pollution problems. Without any coordinated plan for waste management or production caps, the world is back where it started, trying to handle the flood of plastics produced constantly. Spoiler alert: making more plastic makes more plastic; we’re not going to recycle our way out of the problem.

One of the world’s most polluted cities has banned single-use plastics – ABC News, August 13, 2025

Lagos, Nigeria passed a ban on single-use plastics last month, outlawing the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, plastic cutlery, plates, and straws. The city struggles with managing its plastic waste, which mostly ends up as environmental pollution in roadways, fields, and waterways. The ban is a step in the right direction, but implementation and enforcement remain major challenges.

Before A Steel Plant Exploded, Trump’s EPA Hid Risks From The Public – The Lever, August 12, 2025

Last week, a U.S. Steel plant in Pittsburgh, PA exploded, killing or injuring 10 people. It wasn’t the first time that plant had had a chemical accident. Other facilities continue to fail and experience hazardous accidents around the country. The EPA agency tasked with chemical and safety oversight, the Risk Management Program, has been weakened by the current administration and such accidents have been covered up, this article reports.