The mission of the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network (VPPPN) is to promote and facilitate coordination, collaboration, and communication among groups working to reduce plastic pollution throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. | |
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Welcome to the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network (VPPPN). The newsletter will continue to come out monthly.
Meetings will occur bi-monthly - next meeting Feb.18th at 2 PM
In this edition:
- Monthly Meeting Next Thursday - Plastics in the General Assembly
- Virginia Marine Debris Summit: SPONSOR and REGISTER TODAY
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Input for the 2021-2025 Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan (VMDRP)
- Check out the Film - The Recycling Myth
- Watch the MARCO Microfiber Webinar
- Upcoming Clean-Ups - Keep Suffolk Beautiful
- FDA Supports Swapping Single-Use Containers for Reusable, Refillable Ones
- DEQ Education Series - Landfills 101
- Reduce Plastic - Tip of the Month - Say No to Balloon Releases
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Boat US: Turning the Tide Virtual Summit: Register now
Newsletter content is provided by VPPPN members
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Virginia General Assembly Plastic Updates
from
CVW's Zach Huntington &
Environment VA's Elly Boehmer
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There have been a few plastic related bills introduced this year. The bills include a study to improve Virginia's litter tax, a tire stewardship program, plastic pellet production, and plastic bags. There's also a budget amendment that could delay the start date for the expanded polystyrene food and beverage container phase out. You can stay up to date with plastic legislation with Litter Free Virginia.
For detailed information about the expanded polystyrene food and beverage phase out and plastic pellet legislation visit the Environment Virginia website.
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Zach is an experienced environmental researcher and analyst with a background in communicating the impact of plastic pollution on people and the planet. His passion for and knowledge of environmental issues stem from a lifetime spent outdoors and years as a fishing guide. When he’s not working, you can find Zach paddling or hiking with his wife, daughter, and dog- Johnny Utah. | |  |
A former canvass director and organizer with Impact, Elly now directs Environment Virginia’s efforts to promote clean air, clean water and open spaces in Virginia. Elly lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she enjoys gardening, photography, hiking and rollerblading with her dog | | |
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Register, Sponsor, Submit and Apply, Oh My!
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Clean Virginia Waterways is seeking Whale sponsorships to support the 2025 Virginia Marine Debris Summit (VMDS) to cover costs including Keynote speakers, scholarships for college students, after hours networking events, delicious food and more. We have Whale sponsorships from $1,000 - $10,000 and exhibitor packages (from $250-$500) with benefits including free registration, logo on our website and marketing materials, mentions during the Summit and more.
Please consider supporting this educational and informative event and share far and wide with other potential sponsors.
Contact Terra at Terra@CleanVirginiaWaterways.org for more information.
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Please find the survey links below. It is only necessary to respond to the surveys for the goals that you have been involved in, even if you didn't sign up when the 2021-2025 VMDRP was published. If you have any questions, please contact Christina at Christina@CleanVirginiaWaterways.org.
Goal #1 -- Consumer Debris
Goal #2 -- Derelict Fishing Gear
Goal #3 -- Microplastics and Microfibers
Goal #4 -- Abandoned and Derelict Vessels
Thank you for your help and we hope to see you at the Summit!
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Check out the Film - The Recycling Myth
by
Tom Costello & Benedict Wermter
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 | | In the last few years the plastic pollution crisis has become an international scandal. Pictures of dead animals, littered rivers, and polluted oceans have shocked the world. The plastic packaging industry has declared it knows how to solve the problem: recycling. Increasingly, bottles, boxes and sachets are proudly stamped with the words ‘100% recyclable’ as brands compete to reassure consumers that their packaging purchases are guilt-free. But if recycling is really the solution, why is the world pumping out more virgin plastic than ever before? Could recycling really be the ultimate greenwash? We follow the money into an industry that’s designed to hide the problem rather than solve it. We track the black-market brokers who hunt for countries to dump our plastic, waste moguls getting rich by burning trash, and the organised criminals for whom waste smuggling is now as lucrative as human trafficking. And we show how some of the biggest consumer-goods brands on earth spin the recycling fairytale as a way to allow them to continue polluting without consequence. As we all pick up the bill for a world drowning in plastic, the film asks: who is getting rich?
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The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) Marine Debris Work Group hosted the webinar ‘Microfibers: Current Research, Actions, and Data Gaps’ on Jan. 27, 2025. The webinar provided an overview of current research on the impacts of microfibers on marine resources, assessed key knowledge and data gaps, and identified areas for further investigation. It also showcased ongoing research, mitigation efforts, and explored actionable next steps for advancing research, policy, and collaboration. Click here to watch
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Suffolk's Shingle Creek Clean-Up
Volunteers Needed - February 25th
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For the past three years, Keep Suffolk Beautiful has recruited volunteers to help navigate the steep, waterlogged terrain of the Downtown Suffolk section of Shingle Creek. We identified a choke point where litter tends to accumulate whenever water levels rise. Each year, we bring necessary supplies, including waders and a John boat, to access the deep pockets of debris. Much of the trash appears to have been there for years, if not decades. We return each year to clean up new litter and build upon our previous efforts. We move the trash and tires upstream to an embankment, where we offload it and transport it to the roadside for Public Works Roadways to pick up. Over the past two years, we have collected 170 bags of litter and 29 tires, totaling 4,668 lbs. Due to the physical challenges and need for specialized equipment, we are seeking interested volunteers for our next cleanup on February 25th.
Please Contact Litter Control Coordinator, Daniel McDonald (dmcdonald@suffolkva.us) for more information
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FDA Supports Swapping Single-Use Containers for Reusable, Refillable Ones | |
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WASHINGTON— The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s new federal food code supplemental guidance makes it easier for states to allow people to refill and reuse containers in restaurants, bulk grocery store aisles, deli counters and at events. A coalition of reuse advocates, led by the Center for Biological Diversity, participated in the process to update the guidance, which hadn’t addressed reusables since 2013.
“Reuse challenges our throwaway society, protects forests and waterways, and supports a more sustainable economy,” said Kelley Dennings, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These updates will help us fight single-use waste by making it easier for restaurants, grocery stores and concerts to offer reusable containers and allowing customers to bring them from home.”
Contact: Kelley Dennings, (919) 355-8102, KDennings@biologicaldiversity.org
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VA Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) Education Series | |
Landfills 101 Webinar
Throughout 2025, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be hosting a series of free webinars to share information about agency programs and resources available across the Commonwealth.
Kicking off this year’s webinar series is: Landfills 101
When something goes into the trash, we know it will probably end up in a landfill. But what do we know about the landfill itself? Have you ever wondered how landfills are constructed and what happens once a landfill is full? Are you curious about how landfills are permitted or inspected?
If so, join us on Tuesday, March 11th, from 6:30 p.m. – 8 :00 p.m. for a free webinar to learn more about the role of DEQ in regulating Virginia’s landfills. During the virtual presentation, DEQ staff will walk through the agency’s responsibilities throughout the lifecycle of solid waste landfills – from initial siting to post-closure care. We’ll go over a basic landfill design, explore different types of landfills, and identify opportunities for public involvement in the landfill permitting process.
Click this link to register for the Landfills 101 webinar
Feel free to share this email and the 2025 EduSeries Webinar flyer below with your contacts. For questions, please contact the Office of Environmental Justice at: kathryn.miller@deq.virginia.gov.
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Reduce Plastic - Tips of the Month
Say No to Balloon Releases
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Did you know that Valentine's Day balloons are one of the most frequently found holiday balloons during our Balloon Litter Monitoring Surveys? There are many things we can do to make sure our Valentine's Day celebrations do not have a negative impact on our waterways.
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Never release balloons. If you much celebrate with balloons, please fill them with air rather than helium and dispose of them properly when finished. Visit preventballoonlitter.org for many great alternatives to balloons and take the pledge to never release them.
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If you go out to dinner to celebrate, support restaurants that use reusable tableware and sustainable to-go boxes. Better yet, bring your own container for leftovers! Check out this list of Virginia Green Certified Restaurants.
- If you plan to give flowers, consider a potted plant that will last for years or buy flowers grown locally and not wrapped in plastic.
- And we can't forget chocolate! Consider purchasing fair trade chocolate and chocolate bars wrapped in paper rather than plastic.
Instead of purchasing "things" consider doing things that support conservation, like visit a State Park, go on a whale watch trip or make a donation to a non-profit conservation organization like Clean Virginia Waterways in your loved one's name!
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Turning the Tide Online is a three-day virtual summit hosted by the BoatUS Foundation centered on exploring existing and emerging technologies and best practices. | |
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The VPPPN monthly eNewsletter wants
YOUR INPUT!
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If you would like to have your upcoming event (or publication) mentioned in the monthly VPPPN 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
| As our network grows, so do our expenses. Please consider a donation to support the VPPPN if you have found it to be valuable to you. We would appreciate your support of $10, $20 or more. Member organizations that donate $100 or more will have the opportunity to add their logo and website link to our website. | | | | |
