We are halfway through Plastic Free July, folks! This week we are featuring stories about plastics: plastic pollution, problems, and solutions. Keep challenging yourself to ditch single-use plastics and #ReachforReusables.

Virginia Beverage Container Recycling-Refund Program Report now available from Clean Virginia Waterways – July 2025 – LitterFreeVA.org

Clean Fairfax’s partner organization, Clean Virginia Waterways, recently released a detailed report on how Virginia could benefit from a beverage container recycling-refund program, also known as a bottle bill or container deposit law. This kind of program brings several benefits, including a reduction in litter, increased recycling rates, climate benefits, job creation, and less pressure on localities to handle solid waste. An overview and link to the report can be found at www.litterfreeva.org/bottle-bill.

Sentara updates CT scan process to cut out single-use syringes – July 10, 2025 – WHRO

Sentara completes over half a million CT scans each year across Virginia and North Carolina. CT scans are highly detailed x-rays that often require an injection of dye in order to highlight certain anatomy. Typically, these injections require a tubing piece, an individual bottle of saline, and sometimes a single bottle of contrast, adding up to several pieces of plastic per patient. However, the healthcare company has recently made the switch to injector machines that release the exact amount of contrast or saline solution needed. Now, the bulk bottles last for about five patients and reduce the waste of the previously used single-use bottles and the small amount of extra solution that each would produce. While this solution does not cut out plastic entirely, Sentara’s plastic waste has been reduced by about 78,000 pounds, and the hospitals’ yearly disposal costs have decreased by almost $900,000.

Which states are best, and worst, at tackling plastic pollution – July 15, 2025 – Ocean Conservancy

The Ocean Conservancy just released its United States of Plastic report, based on a 2024 study of how each state is handling plastic pollution. The US is the world’s largest source of plastic waste, yet it does not have a federal policy to combat the problem. Instead we have a patchwork of state-by-state and local policies and regulations. This report dives into which states are doing the best–and worst–at addressing plastic pollution. Spoiler: the average score is “needs improvement.” California leads the way, and several other states are moving toward stronger Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation. Virginia is still in the “Needs Improvement” category. 

The oceans may contain much, much more plastic than previously thought – July 11, 2025 – Grist

This is the bad news article of the week. A study published in Nature last week estimated that the North Atlantic Ocean alone may contain 27 million metric tons of nanoplastic – the smallest measurable category of plastic particles. Nanoplastics are about 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair. This new pollution estimate is an order of magnitude greater than previous estimates, and if accurate, it means that nanoplastics also account for much more of the total mass of larger plastics (microplastics and macroplastics). The study’s author expects that similar levels of nanoplastic pollution will be found in the rest of the world’s oceans. Nanoplastics bioaccumulate in marine animals and concentrations increase up the food chain, causing inflammation and other health problems for wildlife and humans alike. 

Fenugreek and Okra Extracts Remove Up To 90% of Microplastics from Water Sources, Study Shows – May 6, 2025 – Sci News

As exemplified by the article above, more and more research is showing just how widely plastics have spread around the world, with micro- and nanoplastics found in every new place scientists can think of to look. The planet needs solutions not only to turn off plastic pollution at the source, but also to deal with plastic in the environment where it becomes ever more diffuse. A recent study by Tarleton State University researchers indicates that one promising avenue for removing tiny plastic particles from water may be to use plants such as okra and fenugreek. Both plants possess sticky natural polymers called polysaccharides that attract microplastics, clump together, and sink in water for easier separation and removal. The study sampled three types of microplastic polluted water: ocean water, surface water, and groundwater, and tested different combinations and concentrations of okra and fenugreek. Different combinations worked better in different situations, but in all cases, the plant-based polysaccharides performed better than the synthetic polyacrylamide that is currently used in wastewater treatment. This finding, if it can be replicated and scaled up, offers a potential organic and natural solution to improve water treatment and reduce microplastic pollution.

Greetings and a pop quiz: where can you get a snazzy “No Thanks, I Don’t Need a Bag” button? (Answer below.) This week we are all about continuing the Plastic Free July challenge, and we have stories about flooding and climate change, beautiful but harmful spotted lanternflies, and finding microplastics even in remote ecosystems.

Reach For Reusables for Plastic Free July 2025 – Clean Fairfax for the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, June 8, 2025

We know you’ve read all about life hacks and atomic habits, so you already KNOW how to change your habits. So this July, it’s time to kick the single use plastic bag habit and Reach for Reusables instead. In a guest post for Fairfax County’s OEEC Climate Matters Blog, our own Jen Cole writes about the importance – and EASE – of swapping out single use bags for your own reusable shopping and produce bags, especially at the Fairfax County Farmers Markets. Yes, it’s at the Farmers Markets where you can pick up your own “No Thanks” button. Let’s go!

‘Invaluable service’: the role of community science in the Chesapeake Bay region – Bay Journal, July 9, 2025

Even if you are not a scientist by training, it’s easy and fun to contribute to scientific data collection through citizen science projects. This story describes several projects around the Chesapeake Bay watershed that harness community interest and involvement to gather important and granular data about all sorts of things from submerged aquatic vegetation to community flooding. There has been a surge of interest and participation in citizen science in recent years, perhaps because it is an immediate way for everyday people to feel like they are making a difference. All sorts of opportunities exist, from tagging monarch butterflies to labeling storm drains to reporting bird sightings. Scroll to the bottom of the story for several other participation links.

The science behind Texas’ catastrophic floods – Grist.com, July 7, 2025

Last week’s horrific flooding in Texas was sudden and deadly. Scientists report that its extreme nature was caused by factors exacerbated by climate change. Warming air temperatures cause the oceans to warm and allow greater amounts of water to evaporate and be stored in the atmosphere. This means heavier rainfall and more frequent downpours. In the case of the Guadalupe River flood last week, a huge storm system stalled over the area and dumped two to four inches of rain per hour. Falling on a region characterized by steep slopes and rocky soil that could not absorb the rainfall, an enormous amount of water quickly flowed into stream and river valleys, causing flash flooding. 

Keep an Eye Out for Red Spotted Lanternfly Nymphs in NoVA – Northern Virginia Magazine, June 27, 2025

Just eleven years ago, spotted lanternflies were first discovered in Berks County, PA, after they likely entered the country accidentally on a shipment of goods from Asia. Today, the pest has spread across much of the northeast and Mid-Atlantic region, including Virginia. In their immature, or nymph stage, the leafhoppers suck sap from leaves, stems, and even trunks of trees. They can severely injure many of our native tree species, and even cause honeybees to collect the nymphs’ honeydew, which pollutes the honey supply. Lanternflies’ favored host plant is the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), which also originates from China, and which is causing ecological harm here in North America. Anyone who finds spotted lanternflies is encouraged to destroy them by scraping the egg deposits, squishing the nymphs or adults, or killing them with approved insecticides. Homemade traps can be used, but do not use anything sticky, which can also trap and kill native insects, birds, and small mammals. Other homemade DIY remedies that use household products can do real environmental harm, so simply killing the bugs where you find them or following these trap-making instructions are the best options.

Plastic waste quietly invades even the world’s most protected ocean areas – Environmental Health News, July 8, 2025

Even in the most remote and protected areas around the world, plastic infiltrates. The Galapagos Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA), despite being one of the most pristine ecological habitats on Earth, also has a plastic problem. Scientists have found microplastics (as well as visible, large plastic items) on islands in the Galapagos and in the organs and tissues of wildlife there. Once plastic is released into the ocean, it floats on currents to places near and far from the source. Many kinds of plastic break up into ever smaller pieces, which never completely biodegrade, but instead spread throughout the environment as tiny particles called microplastics or even smaller nanoplastics. Marine creatures ingest the particles and cannot digest them. Thus they move up through the food chain to larger and longer lived species, causing physical, chemical, and hormonal health problems. As researchers who measure this pollution note, while local actions can help, the real solution to this global problem is a systemic change that limits or eliminates plastic production around the world.

Happy Plastic Free July! In this week’s corral, we have rounded up articles on new recycling laws and bans, a study reporting the effectiveness of plastic bag policies, risks of living near microplastic-polluted coastal waters, and Chile’s latest plan to battle the ravages of fast fashion waste.

Where new recycling laws are taking effect in July – Waste Dive, June 30, 2025

Several states, including Virginia, have recently enacted packaging policies that are taking effect this month. As we noted last week, the first phase of Virginia’s expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam ban starts this week, affecting food establishments with more than 20 locations in the Commonwealth. Likewise, Delaware is also implementing its 2023 foam ban. Elsewhere, New Hampshire starts requiring that lithium-ion batteries be disposed of at specific drop-off locations; large Illinois hotels will no longer be permitted to provide personal care products in single-use plastic bottles; Oregon’s packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) law takes effect; and Minnesota and Colorado also move ahead in implementing their EPR laws.

Leaf it to electric: Gas blowers get the boot July 1 in Montgomery County – Fox5 Washington DC, June 25, 2025

This week, it will no longer be legal to use a gas-powered leaf blower in Montgomery County, MD–where it has already been illegal to sell them since August 2024. The use ban was passed in 2023 by the County Council, but did not go into effect until this year. At the same time, the County will begin offering up to $1,500 in rebates for professional landscapers to help ease the transition. A councilmember has introduced an exemption bill for professional landscapers, citing high costs of electric blowers, but that will not be heard until July 15th. The use ban comes with a $500 fine for first-time offenders and up to $750 for repeated offenses. However, the County plans to focus on education before turning to strict enforcement.

Plastic shopping bag policies are actually working, a new study suggests – CNN, June 19, 2025

CNN reports on findings from a recent study published in the journal Science that show that jurisdictions with plastic bag policies see significantly fewer plastic bags as a share of total littered items in shoreline areas, compared to areas without policies (although sadly, the overall number of plastic bags increased everywhere during the study period). Statewide policies are the most effective, and all kinds of policies can be effective, whether fees, bans, or partial bans. The study covered the period from 2017 to 2023 and looked at hundreds of local and state policies across the United States, combined with citizen science data from more than 45,000 cleanups.

Highly microplastic-polluted US coastal waters linked to serious health risks, study finds – WCBV5.com/CNN, June 19, 2025

A new study from the Journal of the American Heart Association found that people who live in coastal communities where the ocean water is heavily polluted by microplastics have a significantly higher incidence of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke compared to people living in less polluted areas. Microplastics have been found in many different human body tissues and their negative health impacts are yet to be fully understood, but mounting evidence suggests serious health risks. This study specifically considered the incidence of heart and metabolism-related diseases. Sure enough, the risks are higher where there is more microplastic in the environment.

Chile targets fast fashion waste with landmark desert cleanup plan – The Guardian, June 26, 2025

In Chile’s Atacama desert, enormous amounts of unwanted secondhand clothing wind up dumped or burned. As part of the global fast fashion system, the country imports 123,000 metric tons of used clothing every year – clothes for which dealers and donation centers in North America can’t find customers. After Chilean merchants and workers pick through the imported bales, they sell what they can and dump the rest. This has become a huge environmental problem in the dry yet delicate ecosystem of the Atacama desert, and a blight on the communities situated there. Recently, the Chilean environment ministry named textiles as a “priority category” to add to its extended producer responsibility (EPR) law. This move will make it the responsibility of clothing importers to report and account for all of the used clothing arriving in Chile, and ultimately to deal with their recycling and disposal. Chile is the world’s fourth largest importer of secondhand clothing.

First, we’re coming up on a major milestone in the effort to stop plastic pollution before it starts: phase one of the Virginia EPS foam ban goes into effect next week! Also, news about heat waves, droughts, battery disposal, and a federal reuse and refill study.

Styrofoam containers will soon be banned in Virginia – Virginia Mercury, June 23, 2025

The first phase of Virginia’s foam ban goes into effect on July 1. Starting next week, all food establishments with more than 20 locations in the Commonwealth will have to find alternatives to expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam for food and beverage containers. EPS foam, commonly known as Styrofoam™, although inexpensive to buy and insulative, is extremely polluting, cannot be truly recycled, and does not ever break down in the environment. Instead, it breaks up into tiny pieces that, when not captured in the waste stream, blow or float down waterways and end up in our oceans. This statewide ban will include a second phase that starts in a year on July 1, 2026, when food establishments of all sizes will have to comply. Virginia joins several other states that have already enacted foam bans, including Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, DC.

Safety rules face stress test as Baltimore continues trash collection amid heat wave – The Baltimore Banner, June 24, 2025

This week’s heat wave is likely to be a more common occurrence as the planet warms. Meanwhile, recent heavy storms and a series of low pressure systems brought enough rain to finally overcome a long-standing drought in the Washington, DC region. Such extreme weather events make for difficult working conditions for outdoor workers, including those involved in waste management. Maryland recently adopted new extreme heat standards requiring employers to provide hourly breaks, shade, and water for outdoor workers. Trash and recycling haulers are having to adjust collection schedules to cooler times of day or consider delaying collection until the heat dissipates. 

Officials: Calverton recycling plant fire brought under control – News12 Long Island, June 4, 2025

Few of us think about what happens to our trash and recycling once it is picked up from our curb or dumpster. Recycling facilities such as the one in this news story face ongoing safety risks from items improperly disposed of. Although investigators have not yet determined the cause of this devastating blaze, many such fires are started because unsuspecting residents place items such as batteries in their recycling bin. In fact, batteries–especially rechargeable lithium-ion types–need to be disposed of separately, either at a dedicated battery recycling drop-off or a household hazardous waste disposal facility. Here in Fairfax County, we have a battery recycling program with collection boxes (for small amounts only) at Government Center and each District Supervisor office. Alternatively, batteries of all types must be taken to the I-66 or I-95 transfer stations and placed into the household hazardous waste collection. No batteries should ever be placed in recycling bins.

US senators call on EPA to study reuse, refill – Waste Dive, June 20, 2025

A new bill has been proposed in the Senate directing the EPA to conduct an assessment of reuse and refill systems across industries. This could include food and beverage products, food service, cleaning products, personal care products, transportation and shipping of goods, and education institutions. The report provided by the EPA would provide costs and benefits of reuse and refill initiatives in these sectors and would explore its possibilities in various types of communities. The proposed report would provide important information to Congress and to local and state governments on how to best employ these systems. Reuse and refill systems reduce waste by encouraging a circular use of packaging rather than the conventional “take-make-waste” linear life cycle of most products in use today.

In the Roundup this week: Fairfax County’s largest solar array; the hidden textile recycling business; good news from Quebec’s beverage container recycling program; and hopeful news on a global plastic pollution treaty.

Conversion of Lorton landfill into Fairfax County’s largest solar array underway – FFX Now, June 17, 2025

This week, work officially begins to install a 37-acre, 5 megawatt solar array on part of the closed I-95 Lorton landfill site. Slated to be Fairfax County’s largest solar installation, the project is expected to generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 1,000 homes. Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has entered into a power purchasing agreement, or PPA, in which a private energy company will build, own, and maintain the solar array, and the County will purchase the energy produced over the course of the 30-year lease. The electricity will be credited to various County departments and agencies. The county expects to save $12 million during the lease term.

Behind Goodwill’s popular ‘bins,’ a hidden operation transforms American castoffs into global goods – ClickOrlando.com, June 16, 2025

This article profiles the trajectory of donated clothing through a Florida Goodwill outlet. As items come in from donation points, they are processed and set out in bins for shoppers to pick through and purchase by the pound. Following that step of the process, the facility bales unpurchased items and sells them on to international vendors that ship much of the textiles overseas to Central America, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. According to the story, this process diverts millions of pounds of clothing and shoes from area landfills and gives the items another chance at life. However, it must be recognized that the exportation of unwanted American textiles has also been shown to overwhelm the infrastructure in developing countries, simply displacing our waste on other economies less equipped to deal with it.

Second phase of Quebec’s beverage container return program demonstrates positive results – Recycling Product News, June 4, 2025

The rapidly expanding beverage container recycling program in Quebec has recently been gaining ground. The province has implemented a deposit system for returned cans and bottles. Fifty return sites are operational, with another 110 slated to open across Quebec. Residents have the option to collect their deposits via an app, which allows easy tracking and a convenient cash alternative. Starting on March 1st, the program also expanded to include all ready-to-drink plastic beverage containers. In just over a year since its inception, the program collected 130 million containers. This demonstrates the public appetite, willingness, and policy efficacy of beverage container return programs that employ easy-to-use recycling collection systems.

Global push to end plastic pollution gains ground in Nice – UN News, June 12, 2025

Three years ago, the United Nations Environment Assembly called for a global treaty to address the planet’s staggering plastic pollution problem. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) formed and began a series of intensive treaty negotiations, the most recent of which occurred last week in Nice, France. The negotiators have reportedly drafted treaty language that they hope to finalize at their next meeting in August. This global treaty would address all elements of the plastic life cycle, from production through use and recycling to waste management. The INC hopes to present final treaty language for countries to adopt and ratify by 2026, to include both mandatory and voluntary measures to drastically reduce plastic pollution and its harmful effects.

NOTE: Good Wolf Gear will close as of September 28, 2025. Get your gear while you can!

Good Wolf Gear, located in Herndon, Virginia, is more than just an outdoor equipment store; it’s a community hub for sustainable outdoor exploration and stewardship. Whether it’s through their informational blog articles, community events and activities, gear rental and consignment offerings, or the curated selection of brands they choose to work with, Good Wolf Gear’s passion for the environment, and commitment to educating the community about sustainable ways to enjoy it, are abundantly clear.

Founded just three and a half years ago by Margaret and Tana, Good Wolf gear is now a thriving business with a mission to help others get outside. The couple started the business after winning a camping trip from their child’s school. They had never camped before, but another parent leading the trip shared gear and camping know-how with the participants. This experience of benefiting from a neighbor’s generosity of spirit inspired the owners to pass it along in the form of a retail operation that encourages everyone to actively enjoy the outdoors.

Consignment and Gear Rental Programs

At the heart of Good Wolf Gear’s sustainability efforts is their consignment program. By encouraging customers to consign quality outdoor gear, they promote both reuse and reducing waste, ensuring that functional equipment remains on the trail, in the fields, or on the water, and out of landfills. The store boasts a large section with gear repair kits, tools, patches, and replacement parts. Where they do sell new equipment, they try to find products that aim toward a circular economic model, such as sleeping bags made from fully recyclable and recoverable materials, or sleeping pads made entirely from recycled foam.

At Clean Fairfax, we are big fans of the Many R’s (see our blog article on what we mean), and gear repair and reuse is a prime example of this concept in action! By taking as many actions as possible to keep materials in use before they are recycled or landfilled, we steward resources more effectively. Likewise, Good Wolf’s gear rental offerings provide individuals with opportunities to explore new hobbies and try out new equipment before purchasing their own versions–likely saving the consumer time and money, as well as reducing waste and the accumulation of stuff by sharing resources. The store’s lending library also allows customers to lend and borrow maps and nature guides so that they can freely share and reuse materials.

Community Engagement

Beyond products, Good Wolf Gear is dedicated to building a community centered around the outdoors and sustainability. They host events like “Spring Hiking with a Naturalist,” encouraging participants to connect with nature and learn about local ecosystems from a certified Master Naturalist. Additionally, their team emphasizes creating a welcoming environment that promotes sustainable practices and fosters a love for adventure.

The store also links up with other community businesses and organizations. They refer customers to local donation, recycling, and secondhand resources in the area to encourage more of the same in the broader community. This spirit of cooperation over competition and sharing resources rather than stockpiling them strengthens the local circular economy, small businesses, and sense of community.

By integrating these sustainable practices, Good Wolf Gear exemplifies how businesses can contribute positively to the environment while serving their community. Check them out! www.goodwolfgear.com

Here’s a thought to ponder: wouldn’t it be cool to replace plastic packaging with CHEESE?! Because that’s a thing we read about and are sharing in our Environmental News Roundup this week:

Board defers USD hearing to October – Annandale Today, June 10, 2025

Fairfax County’s Solid Waste Management Program has brought forth a proposal to unify the sanitation (trash and recycling collection) districts, meaning that the County would contract directly with haulers and create a unified system for all residents. This would mean fewer trucks servicing the same neighborhoods and would offer more standardized and consistent services. The Board of Supervisors was slated to hold a public hearing and vote on the concept (which would not become operational until 2030) on June 24th, but has postponed that meeting until October 14th to allow for additional public comment and outreach. 

Packaging innovations: Nestlé ‘self-packing’ cheese will have you saying ‘no whey!’ – Packaging Dive, May 21, 2025

Although you won’t find it yet in U.S. stores, product developers have invented a new kind of cheese packaging made from byproducts of the cheesemaking process. It is a bioplastic produced using whey that eliminates the need for virgin fossil fuels, according to this article. The prototype is currently being tested on products sold in Panama. Designers assert that the whey-based packaging will biodegrade within 300 days.

A salt crisis is looming for U.S. rivers – The Washington Post, June 4, 2025

Freshwater rivers are becoming saltier across the US, including in the DC metropolitan area. The December salt concentrations in the Potomac have risen by 41% percent over the past three decades. Research has found that salt used to defrost roads in the winter is a large contributor to the increased salinity in northern inland cities. In large freshwater systems, such as the Potomac River, the salinity is increasing from not only the surrounding area’s road salt, but also salt from miles away, via tributaries. In more coastal areas, there is even more salt seeping into the freshwater, as the ocean is pushing the salt front – the boundary between freshwater and saltwater – further inland. Drought and rising sea levels exacerbate this effect. While the salinity levels of our tap water are not yet enough to require more intensive removal, the increased salt is making its way into our local water sources, and can be difficult to remove.

Hawaii Governor Signs Bill Authorizing Packaging EPR Study – Packaging Strategies, June 6, 2025

In Hawaii–a state that often leads the country on waste management issues due to its limited land area available for landfills–Governer Josh Green signed a bill last week calling for a statewide recycling needs assessment study to be completed by the end of 2027. Specifically, the assessment is intended to “‘determine what will be needed to reduce waste generation, increase reuse, improve collection services, and expand local processing of materials through an extended producer responsibility program for packaging materials and paper products.’” Currently, only seven states have passed this kind of “If you make it, you take it” law, although 12 have introduced EPR packaging legislation.

First Up: We’re thrilled to share some GOOD news this week from Richmond! 

Richmond shoppers will pay tax on disposable plastic bags starting in 2026 – ABC8 News, June 2, 2025

Earlier this week, members of the City Council in Richmond passed an ordinance that will require a $0.05 fee to be charged for every single-use plastic shopping bag provided by grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores within city limits. The fee will go into effect on January 1, 2026. Monies collected from the fee will be used by the City to provide reusable bags for SNAP and WIC recipients, as well as other environmental projects that support plastic pollution reduction. Bag fee ordinances like this one encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags, reduce waste, and prevent litter. Most of Northern Virginia adopted the $.05 ordinance in the last 4 years. 

JUST IN: Youngkin schedules special election to replace Rep. Gerry Connolly – FFX Now, June 3, 2025

On September 9th, voters in Virginia’s 11th District (which covers most of Fairfax County) will elect a new U.S. Representative to take the place of Gerry Connolly, who passed away last month. Candidates have until July 11th to declare for the race, which already comprises a field of 10 from major parties. 

Tariffs stack more pressure on U.S. craft breweries, according to GlobalData report – Craft Brewing Business, June 2, 2025

This Administration’s tariff policies will increase the cost to produce local craft beers. As aluminum and steel tariffs go from 25% to 50% this week, small American breweries will have to navigate the significantly higher costs. According to this article, “Aluminum cans make up 75% of packaged craft beer by volume. Canada, the largest supplier of U.S. aluminum and steel, is now included in these tariffs. Costs for kegs, brewhouses, tanks, and even building infrastructure are climbing fast.” With at least 80 craft breweries in Northern Virginia and more than 300 across the Commonwealth, this tariff increase will be felt acutely in our region. Meanwhile, tariffs and inflation have already raised costs for other imported beer ingredients such as barley and malt. Of course, businesses facing tariffs that raise production costs cannot help but pass along at least some of the increases to consumers. Higher tariffs mean higher prices, at least in the short term. However, this could be an opportunity for more creative labeling for craft brewing cans, to increase aluminum can recycling rates in this sector. 

The AI of the storm – The Ecologist, May 30, 2025

The growth of online activity in recent decades has given rise to enormous data centers needed to store the world’s data. Northern Virginia is the world’s leading data center market, with over 575 data centers operational or under construction. All of these data centers require space, enormous amounts of electricity, and water to cool the servers, which puts increasing environmental pressure on their host communities. Now, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the already huge energy needs are becoming nearly insatiable. This article highlights the issue, noting that – incredibly – “data centres worldwide already consume as much electricity as entire countries like France or Germany. [The International Monetary Fund] forecasts that by 2030, the worldwide energy demand from data centres will be the same as India’s total electricity consumption.” Here in Virginia, a 2024 study by the state legislature’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) also concluded that the explosive energy demands required by new data center construction will be very difficult to meet with associated power generation and transmission infrastructure. It remains to be seen how local governments here in our region will tackle AI’s environmental and energy impacts as they relate to data center expansion.

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.

This week, the following environmental news articles sparked our interest. From a significant national plastic policy move to new findings on climate risks, here is what we’re reading on recycling, pollution, and climate issues:

National Recycling Coalition Policy on Chemical Recycling – Waste Advantage, May 21, 2025
In a strong and clearly worded statement, the National Recycling Coalition has officially come out against so-called “chemical recycling,” calling it a false solution that fails to reduce plastic production and pollution. Chemical recycling, also known as pyrolysis, “advanced recycling,” or “plastics to fuel”, is a process that takes waste plastics, heats them and adds toxic chemicals, and then melts them down into a substance that can be used as a fuel stock. While a number of chemical recycling plants have been built at great expense across the United States, none has ever reported success in terms of scaled or efficient outputs. Additionally, the plastics are never in fact recycled or even downcycled into future plastic products. In this newly articulated policy stance, the National Recycling Coalition emphasized that most chemical recycling technologies are energy-intensive, often result in toxic emissions, and divert attention from real waste reduction efforts.

‘All the cocoa trees will be destroyed’ – The Ecologist, May 12, 2025
The Ivory Coast’s cocoa farmers warn that, as environmental stressors like drought, disease, and soil degradation reduce farmland productivity, the impacts threaten not just the country’s cocoa supply but also entire ecosystems. Inequitable economic relations and agricultural policies also inhibit producers’ ability to invest in and care for their land properly. This leads to more intensive and damaging farming practices that are swiftly becoming unsustainable. 

Plastic pollution may be accelerating global warming by disrupting Earth’s carbon cycles – Environmental Health News, May 16, 2025
A new study released by the Plastics & Climate Project concludes that microplastics are interfering with carbon sequestration in oceans and soils, potentially exacerbating climate change. The research shows how plastic pollution isn’t just a waste issue, but also a climate threat that could undermine key planetary systems that regulate temperature.

Finally, we would like to recognize Rep. Gerry Connolly, who passed away this week after a months-long battle with cancer. Connolly represented northern Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, which encompasses most of Fairfax County. In his long political career, he was a staunch supporter of the environment and the residents of Virginia on the national level, as well as being a good human being. 

Jen Cole, Executive Director of Clean Fairfax, reflects, “ In my capacity as new Director of Clean Fairfax in 2009, I had the opportunity to meet the Congressman, who once he found out I was from Rhode Island, talked all about the great restaurants and bakeries in Providence and Boston and of course The Red Sox. I was so homesick at the time, having made no friends here, and talking to him about home was a balm on my heart that I have carried with me for the last 16 years.

I would see him at events over the years and he always remembered that I was a Sox fan. He was such a good man, and a dedicated public servant and of course, a Red Sox fan. I will miss him and his big laugh. Goodspeed, Congressman; you were loved.”