The plastic crisis is not all doom and gloom, even with the uncertainties caused by the Covid pandemic, there are positive steps to reduce plastic waste happening right now! Maryland Styrofoam Foodware Ban: As of October, 1st, expanded polystyrene (EPS), commonly referred to as Styrofoam, food and beverage containers are banned in Maryland! For anyone …

  (Plastic waste in a Fairfax County stream. Photo credit: Clean Fairfax) We have scheduled a meeting with Representative Jennifer Wexton’s (Virginia’s 10th district), environmental staffer. If Jennifer Wexton is your Congressional Representative, this is your chance to let her know you want her to support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act! Our meeting …

Plastic legislation is on the move! New Jersey Plastic Ban: The New Jersey state Legislature has passed one of the strongest plastic waste reduction bill in the country. New Jersey’s bill will ban single use plastic and paper bags from stores and restaurants in addition to expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) food and drink service containers. This …

Clean Fairfax is proud to introduce Litter Free Virginia, an initiative to fight for litter prevention legislation across the state of Virginia! At its core, Litter Free Virginia is a coalition of people and organizations (non-profits, businesses and more) that are frustrated with litter and waste management issues, and want to develop and support policies …

As I distribute reusable produce and tote bags at the Fairfax County Farmers Markets during National Farmers Market Week, I often get asked about why Fairfax County has not banned plastic bags or taxed their use like many other jurisdictions around the world. The first problem is that many people are not aware of the …

July and August are definitely the best months to get to the Farmers Markets in this area. According to the Virginia Harvest Calendar http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/producechart.pdf published by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services this is when most of the produce is being harvested, so you will find great abundance and variety at the Farmers …

This summer Clean Fairfax is working with area farmers markets to encourage a move towards going plastic-free. We will be at area markets distributing reusable tote bags and mesh produce bags to replace plastic bags. Farmers market attendees often already own tote bags, so we are especially promoting the use of smaller mesh bags. These …

The NOVA Trash Action Work Force’s (TAWF) first Day of Action on May 8, 2017 was a success! We protested at the headquarters of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), calling out their opposition to litter reduction initiatives. The IBWA opposes bottle deposit bills, bans on sale of water in disposable bottles in national parks, and …

  Pohick Creek. Difficult Run. Little Hunting Creek. Yep, these are some of our streams here in Fairfax County. Notice the prevalence of plastic bottles! If you think this is a problem, come join the Trash Action Work Force (TAWF), a coalition of citizen groups, in a peaceful demonstration on Monday, May 8, from 7 …

While we here at Clean Fairfax have been promoting the use of both reusable tote bags for grocery shopping as well as the use of reusable produce bags (see blog postings February 7, 2017; Jan 30, 2017; and, September 20, 2017) there is a way to take sustainable shopping to the next level: Consider shopping …