The mission of the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network (VP3N) is to promote and facilitate coordination, collaboration, and communication among groups working to reduce plastic pollution throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. | | |
Welcome to the VP3N
Our Next Virtual Meeting is Tuesday, December 16
at 2:00 PM EST
In this edition:
- VP3N Monthly Meeting December 16 - Fairfax County's Operation Stream Shield
- Join VP3N
CVW Events and Announcements:
- EPS Ban Subgroup
- Plastic Bag Fee Subgroup
VP3N Partner Events and Announcements
- Behavior Science Strategies for Systemic Change
- Toxic 'Forever' Chemicals and Agriculture Webinar Series
Conferences
- Choose Clean Water
- Virginia Association for Environmental Education
Publications and Articles
- York County Foam Ban
- SPSA Waste Management Plan
- Potomac River Report Card
Monthly Highlights
- VP3N Partner of the Month - Storm Water Systems
- Watch VP3N Recordings
- Plastic Reduction Messaging
*Newsletter content is provided by VP3N members
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VP3N Meeting - December 16
2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
Fairfax County's Operation Stream Shield
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In 2019 a new partnership was initiated between the Fairfax Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) and the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) to benefit the environment and provide assistance for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Operation Stream Shield also helps the county meet its mandate to keep streams clean through the removal of litter and non-native invasive plant species, maintenance of the county’s pedestrian trail system, providing assistance to the county’s Noman M. Cole, Jr. Water Recycling Facility, I66 Transfer Station, and the I95 Landfill Complex, and engaging in assigned special projects as they become available.
Speaker: Emily Burton, MS4 Program Specialist and Operation Stream Shield Program Manager
Fairfax County Government
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/rfr-tygg-fry
Or dial: (US) +1 620-878-0718 PIN: 528 875 567#
*Please contact joseph@cleanvirginiawaterways.org if you do not have the calendar invite and would like it.
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Members of the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network (VPPPN) are organizations that are working on issues related to plastic pollution including non-profits, educational facilities, businesses, trade industries, researchers and governmental agencies.
By joining the network, you get access to a Virginia-based marine debris listserv, your logo on the VP3N website, and collaborative opportunities on social media.
| | EPS Phaseout VP3N Subgroup | | |
When: Friday, December 12, 12:30 - 1:30pm
Friday, January 9, 12:30 - 1:30pm
Where: Google Meet
What: This VP3N subgroup meets monthly to discuss and prepare for the expanded polystyrene (EPS) ban.
Details: Virginia's ban on EPS food containers begins on July 1, 2026 for all food vendors with fewer than 20 locations. Clean Virginia Waterways wants to ensure that these businesses have a smooth transition away from foam before next summer. If you are involved in food or food ware distribution, restaurant management, foam ban outreach and education, or are otherwise interested in helping ensure a seamless transition to more sustainable food container alternatives, please consider joining this VP3N subgroup to ask questions, offer your insight, and find collaborative opportunities.
Do you know of a restaurant or other food vendor that has phased out EPS or is interested in doing so? Help us gauge their successes, barriers, and interest by sending them this survey!
Email Joseph Barnes at joseph@cleanvirginiawaterways.org to be added to the calendar invite with meeting link and agenda.
| | Join Our Monthly Virginia Plastic Bag Fee Subgroup | | |
When: December 3, 10:30 - 11:30am (first Wed of each month)
Where: Google Meet
What: VP3N has a monthly plastic bag fee subgroup for our members. Our scheduled meeting time is the first Wednesday of the month at 10:30am. If you would like to be added to the email list and/or calendar invite for this call, please email Joseph@cleanvirginiawaterways.org.
Who: Anyone who currently lives or works in a City or County that has the bag tax and is willing to share their stories, anyone who has been involved in passing the bag tax and is willing to share lessons learned, and anyone who is interested in passing the bag tax in their locality.
Details: Any city or county in Virginia may impose a 5₵ tax on each disposable plastic bag provided to shoppers in local grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies. The city or county needs to pass an ordinance to begin applying this tax.
The store collects the tax at the time of the sale. Money raised by this tax goes to support environmental cleanup, litter and pollution mitigation, environmental education efforts, or to provide reusable bags to recipients of SNAP or WIC benefits.
For more information, please see Guidelines for the Virginia Disposable Plastic Bag Tax.
| | Making Reuse Inevitable: Behavior Science Strategies for Systemic Change | | |
Brought to you by the Social Marketing Association of North America:
Join Kelley Dennings and Jennifer Carrigan, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Upstream, a nonprofit that works to spark sustainable, equitable reuse systems across the U.S., to talk about how behavior science principles move from academic theory into real-world reuse implementation. Learn about the socio-ecological model, why making reuse the default matters as much as messaging, and how the Grand Canyon Reuse Project applies these insights at scale. Discover practical strategies for organizational and policy change that actually shift behavior.
Date: Thursday, December 11
Time: 12pm EST
| | Toxic 'Forever' Chemicals and Agriculture Webinar Series | | New Statewide Solid Waste Management Plan | | |
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) received a Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant from EPA to develop a new Statewide Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) for Virginia. DEQ aspires to produce a state SWMP that reflects the current needs of the industry and serves as a road map for the future. DEQ has hired Resource Recycling System (RRS) as the contractor for preparing the plan. DEQ is in the process of finalizing the draft new SWMP prepared by RRS and is requesting input on the draft.
A copy of the draft new SWMP is available on the DEQ website at: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/32356/638983874081793406
Informal Comment Period: November 12, 2025 to December 19, 2025
How to Comment: Anyone wishing to provide input by submitting comments on the draft new SWMP may do so by email or postal mail to Sanjay Thirunagari at the contact information below. All comments must be received by December 19, 2025, and include your name, organization represented (if any), mailing address and/or email address.
Contact: Sanjay Thirunagari, Programs Manager, Department of Environmental Quality, 1111 E. Main Street, Suite 1400, PO Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218, Sanjay.Thirunagari@deq.virginia.gov, (804) 659-1532
*Clean Virginia Waterways is drafting their public comments, and will share their talking points for others to submit. In the meantime, we are providing the information to submit your own comments and review the draft plan through DEQ.
| | Choose Clean Water Conference | | The Choose Clean Water Conference is seeking applications to lead 20-minute lightning rounds, 45-minute sessions, 90-minute workshops, and field trips. The application deadline is Friday, January 9. Now is a great time to start brainstorming and connecting with potential partners. This annual conference gathers a diverse group of more than 300 people from throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. Gathering May 18-20 in Lancaster, PA, this is a great opportunity to showcase your recent successes, innovations, and experiences. | | Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) Annual Conference | | VAEE is a statewide non-profit network that empowers classroom and community-based environmental educators through resources, professional development, and capacity building. Their annual conference will be held February 26-28th in Richmond, Virginia. This year’s theme, Strength in CommunitEE, celebrates the power of coming together to share research, methods, and experiences that strengthen both our communities and the impact of environmental education. Experience dynamic learning sessions, hands-on activities, and meaningful opportunities to connect with peers and leaders in the field. | | Publications and Articles | | The following section contains news articles about plastic pollution and science submitted for newsletter content by VP3N members | | York County Votes to Ban Foam Food Containers | | |
SPSA Single-Stream Waste Management Plan
Originally written in the Greening Chesapeake newsletter and submitted to the VP3N
The Southeastern Public Service Authority SPSA approved a 20-year contract with Commonwealth Sortation LLC to change how we collect trash and recyclables. Phased in over the next three years, all waste will be collected in a single bin and sent to Commonwealth Sortation facilities, where AI and robotics will be used to remove recyclables and organics. This contract would guarantee a diversion rate of 50%, with 20% of the waste to be sent for recycling and 30% of the waste (the organic material) to be processed by pyrolysis to create biochar. The biochar is to be used to make concrete and provide long-term carbon sequestration; selling carbon credits is part of the business model.
SPSA warned that not adopting the new system would result in all available landfill space will be consumed by 2060. All the eight SPSA contracted localities in Southeast Virginia approved a 25-year contract extension with SPSA for the new scheme. The new contract will result in higher tipping fees, i.e., the cost per ton to dispose of the trash, but generally lower than the cost of having a separate blue bin collection.
One concern may be how this will affect the overall perception of recycling and waste reduction. The mantra was always supposed to be REDUCE, then REUSE, then RECYCLE, with reduction of the original use of material and reuse being much more environmentally healthy than recycling. With all the waste going in one bin, no more worries about "recycling right", and "auto-magically" being processed by AI, will that remove incentives for people to try to reduce waste? And while the contract guarantees that at least 20% of the waste be diverted to be recycled, that doesn't really tell us how much will ultimately be reprocessed into new, useful products vs. how much gets shipped to another contractor but may ultimately not profitable to reprocess and end up landfilled, burned, or turned into biofuel.
| | Potomac River Report Card | | VP3N Partner of the Month | | |
At Storm Water Systems, we go beyond combating water pollution—we are committed to safeguarding the health of our planet's waterways. With engineered, patented, and field-proven solutions, we address the critical challenge of marine debris, 80% of which originates from rivers and streams. Our innovative products, including the StormX™ Netting Trash Trap, Bandalong Boom Systems™, and Bandalong™ Litter Traps, are designed to intercept this debris before it reaches our oceans. These sustainable solutions not only protect marine ecosystems but also preserve local environments, ensuring a positive impact without disrupting nature's delicate balance.
Clean Virginia Waterways has chosen Storm Water Systems as our VP3N Partner of the Month not only for the trash interception devices they provide, but also because of their accessibility and messaging across the Mid-Atlantic. We would especially like to highlight their new children's book, "The Bandalong Bandit: A Stream Team Mystery," which follows Detective Brooke and Bandit as they uncover how everyday litter travels from neighborhoods to creeks, then to rivers and lakes. Page by page, they show simple, practical steps families and schools can take to protect local waterways—and how community tools like litter traps and booms make a difference. Check out their book and the rest of their products this holiday season.
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Watch Last Month's VP3N Meeting
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Clean Virginia Waterways maintains VP3N recordings on its YouTube page.
View last month's meeting below, or follow the link for the Clean Virginia Waterways YouTube page for all available VP3N recordings over the past five years. VP3N meetings will continue to be recorded and uploaded as they occur.
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This section is intended to help coordinate messaging, particularly via social media, to our supporters and networks across the state. To submit a graphic, website, or plastic-reduction tip that the VP3N should share, submit it to joseph@cleanvirginiawaterways.org with the subject line "Plastic Messaging."
This month's section comes from the Center for Biological Diversity's Simplify the Holidays campaign. Simplify the Holidays has a social media toolkit for winter holidays to encourage alternate gift giving and sustainable holiday traditions for families and friends to take up. We encourage you to explore https://simplifytheholidays.org/ and post their graphics!
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The VP3N Monthly E-Newsletter Wants
YOUR INPUT!
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If you would like to have your upcoming event, resource, or publication mentioned in the monthly VP3N eNewsletter, write a paragraph with the following information, and email it to VirginiaPPPN@gmail.com.
FORMAT: Submissions to the VPPPN monthly eNewsletter must be sent as a Word or Pages document or as text in an e-mail. Word limit: 150. You can also send us a photo, logo, or flyer as a JPG.
CONTENT: Include the title, time, date and place of the event or program, and a phone number (with area code) or e-mail address of a contact person. State if the program is free or has a fee; has an age requirement or other restrictions; or has a registration deadline or welcomes drop-ins. Also include the name of the group sponsoring the event, and a website (if available) for more information.
Are you reading a book about plastics, environmental justice, ocean sustainability and health or another related topic? What about a podcast series relevant to plastic pollution or marine debris? We want to know so we can share that information with other VPPPN members!
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In the Spirit of the Season of Giving, Please Support the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network | Please consider a donation to support the VP3N if you have found it to be valuable to you and your organization. We would appreciate your support of $10, $20 or more. A recurring donation to support Clean Virginia Waterways and the VP3N will assist with our operations costs, staff salaries as well as our work to communicate, collaborate and coordinate with you to prevent plastic pollution from entering Virginia's waterways. | | Clean Virginia Waterways is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. EIN 99-3105883. | | | | |
