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, January 20
at 2:00 PM EST
In this edition:
- VP3N Monthly Meeting January 20 - ALX Dog Walk
- Join VP3N
CVW Events and Announcements:
- EPS Ban Subgroup
- Plastic Bag Fee Subgroup
VP3N Partner Events and Announcements
- ALX Dog Walk Registration
Policy and General Assembly
- Clean Water Lobby Day
- General Assembly Update
- Foam Ban Repeal Advocacy
- PFAS Legislative Toolkit
Conferences
- Virginia Green Travel Conference and Awards
- Virginia Association for Environmental Education
- Chesapeake Community Research Symposium
Publications and Articles
- DEQ Annual PFAS Assessment
Monthly Highlights
- Plastic Message of the Month
- VP3N Partner of the Month - Environment Virginia
- Watch VP3N Recordings
*Newsletter content is provided by VP3N members
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VP3N Meeting - January 20
2:00 - 3:00 PM EST
ALX Dog Walk
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The ALX Dog Walk, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educates people in the DC/MD/VA region about plastic-free and sustainable living through an annual 2-mile dog walk and sustainability festival event and year-round educational exhibits. We call this approach, #funactivism!
The beloved ALX Dog Walk event returns on Saturday, April 18, 2026 with an exciting new collaboration – we’re partnering with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria to unite two powerful causes – sustainable living and animal welfare – for one joyful celebration of pets and the planet.
Speaker: Julie Chapman, Founder and Chair
ALX Dog Walk
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, February 13, 12:30 - 1:30pm
Where: Google Meet
What: This VP3N subgroup meets monthly to help businesses affordably and sustainably prepare for the expanded polystyrene (EPS) ban on July 1, 2026.
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.
We now have a digital toolkit to provide foam-free advertising designs, rack cards, and foam-free options. Distribute widely!
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: January 14, 10:30 - 11:30am
February 4, 10:30 - 11:30am
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, 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.
| | Policy and General Assembly | | Chesapeake Bay Foundation | | |
Wednesday, February 4, 7:45am - 2:00pm
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
815 E Grace St
Richmond, VA 23219
The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN)'s annual Conservation Lobby Day is your chance to lobby with fellow advocates in your district for environmental action that matters most to you.
Join us as we kick off this year's annual Conservation Lobby Day at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Wednesday, Feb. 4th. Attend lobby meetings with your legislators and fellow advocates throughout the morning. Then, we will wrap up at St. Paul's to recap a day well spent and plan our next steps.
| | Tell Your Legislators- VOTE NO on Foam Ban Repeal | | |
Virginia passed a ban on single-use foam cups and take out containers in 2021. The law went into effect on July 1, 2025 for large businesses and will go into effect for small businesses July 1, 2026. This is Virginia’s strongest law to stop plastic pollution.
SB 11 will repeal this progress and result in more dangerous, plastic litter in our environment. Single-use foam is particularly harmful to wildlife, waterways and human health. Tell your legislators to put wildlife over waste and vote NO on SB 11.
| | Just Zero released a toolkit that includes model legislation to address PFAS in sewage sludge. It includes templates for drafting legislation in your own community and model legislative language. | | Virginia Green Travel Conference and Awards | | 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. | | Call for Abstract Submissions- Chesapeake Community Research Symposium | | |
The Chesapeake Community Modeling Program (CCMP) will convene the 2026 edition of their biennial symposium June 1-3, 2026, in Annapolis, Maryland. The theme of the 2026 Symposium is Chesapeake Bay Research and Restoration: Next Generation Tools for a Dynamic Future.
The CCMP is now accepting presentation and poster abstracts for the Chesapeake Community Research Symposium. It is their sincere hope that you will consider submitting an abstract for one or more of the sessions.
The deadline for abstract submission is February 13, 2026, at 5pm.
| | Publications and Articles | | DEQ’s PFAS Assessment and Source Reduction Activities Annual Report | | Note: The email message can sometimes cut off here when viewing in your inbox. Be sure to click "View Entire Message" at the bottom of the email to view the rest of the newsletter. | | |
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 messaging comes from an adapted graphic from Keep Middlesex Beautiful, highlighting the Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) ban going into effect on July 1, 2026. We want to make sure that all restaurants and businesses are aware of this ban with a focus on sustainable and affordable alternatives. Feel free to post this to your networks and social media accounts (tag Clean Virginia Waterways!) to direct your connections to our foam phaseout resources. Please share this to your networks with this caption (or similar, adapted to suit your audience):
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a harmful foam pollutant used as food takeout containers or cups. As of July 1 this year, all restaurants and food businesses will be required to eliminate foam products from their establishments. Clean Virginia Waterways is offering digital and sticker marketing campaigns to highlight foam-free businesses, foam-free sample kits to help discover alternate products, and a digital toolkit for these resources! Learn more at cleanvirginiawaterways.org/foam-phase-out
| | VP3N Partner of the Month | | |
Environment Virginia has one mission: to protect the natural world.
We advocate ideas and actions to guide our country onto a greener, healthier path. Our network of 30 state environmental groups promotes clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate. Our members put grassroots support behind our research, public education, advocacy and litigation.
Nothing is more important to our future than facing this fact: Infinite economic growth on a finite planet is neither wise nor possible. We must shift from deplete to preserve, from disposable to sustainable, from “never enough” to “enough.” Together, our staff, members and other supporters are committed to winning changes that allow nature to thrive and our children to live healthier, more enriching lives.
Clean Virginia Waterways has chosen Environment Virginia as our VP3N Partner of the Month for their swift action as the Virginia General Assembly starts their 2026 session. Environment Virginia has led the charge against S.B. 11, for example, which seeks to repeal the upcoming expanded polystyrene ban, a bill Clean Virginia Waterways and other environmental groups also oppose. Environment Virginia compiled extensive documentation and public outreach materials that perfectly complement the VP3N's own Foam Phaseout Workgroup. We value all of our partners, and appreciate our coordinated and collaborative efforts advocating for environmentally friendly bills that help reduce plastic pollution and keep our waters clean.
| | Watch Last Month's VP3N Meeting | | |
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. VP3N meetings will continue to be recorded and uploaded as they occur.
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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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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. | | | | |
